Sitting on a plane, all I can see is red dust and deserted land underneath. We are flying to Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock – the Red Centre of Australia. This was my dream for a very long time and now it is finally turning into reality.
Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park is world famous not only for its amazing desert landscapes and bright night sky but also for its cultural experiences. It is real spiritual heart of Australia. Anangu people are traditional owners of Uluru and Kata Tjuta for over 30 000 years. For them, it is a special “living” place with many stories that have been passed from one generation to another to keep the traditions and knowledge alive.
I cannot really describe the feeling you get when you first breathe in the hot air, step on the bright red sand and listen to the buzz that comes from the bushes. And then there is the majestic rock that changes colors with the travelling Sun, from sunrise to sunset it never looks the same.
Travel tips for Uluru & Kata Tjuta getaway:
FLIGHTS
Uluru in general is not a cheap destination, but I can tell you, it is worth every cent. If you are going from Sydney, you have 2 options to fly there. You can either go to Alice Springs which is popular getaway to explore the Red Centre, or to Yullara, little town right at the edge of Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park.
To Alice Springs:
It is usually cheaper to fly to Alice Springs, but this town is approximately 463 km away from Uluru. That is about 6-hour drive.
There are plenty of organized tours to choose from, that will take you from Alice Springs to Uluru. Other option is hiring a car or camper van and do the trip yourself.
On this journey you can visit majestic Kings Canyon, which is part of Watarrka National Park in Northern Territory. Its walls are over 100 m high with Kings Creek at the bottom. Many places in the Red Center are considered sacred Aboriginal sites and Kings Canyon is not an exception, therefore is important to stay on tracks and not wander around.
To Yullara:
We flew to and from Yullara. There are 2 direct flights per day from Sydney, one with Jetstar, the other with Virgin Australia. The flight takes approximately 3 – 3.5 hours. There are free shuttle buses available that will take you directly to your hotel or campground.
ACCOMMODATION
Yullara is really charming, but very small town. There are 4 hotels with different rating from 3* to 5*, one hostel/lodge, one exclusive glamping resort (where Oprah stayed when she visited Australia in 2015) and a campground.
I have to stress this out to you, but if you are planning to visit Uluru, make sure you book your accommodation as soon as you book your flights. Or book the accommodation even before your flights. Ayers Rock is popular destination with limited hotel options and it can happen that there won’t be any rooms available, especially during school holidays.
We stayed in a 3* hotel – Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge. I did not know what to expect at first but I was nicely surprised. The hotel had pool, live music every night and few options where to eat. Rooms were clean with renovated bathrooms. It was walking distance to Yullara city center and to a lookout from where we could watch Uluru at sunrise.
As I mentioned before, Yullara’s city center is tiny, but still bustling. J You can uncover a unique world of Indigenous arts and crafts at the art galleries, enjoy a range of free daily activities such indigenous performances, art markets or bush yarns, eat in one of the restaurants and cafes or slip into relaxation in the Red Ochre Spa.
List of Hotels:
- Ayers Rock Campground – you can either bring your own tent or book a wooden cabin with two bedrooms inside. There are basic facilities like barbecues and bathrooms available.
- Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge – 3* hotel & hostel, they have common facilities like reception, restaurant, souvenir shop etc. The “hostel part” has got shared bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Emu Walk Apartments – 4*
- Dessert Gardens Hotel – 4,5*
- Sails in The Dessert – 5*
- Longitude 131 – Exclusive glamping resort
For more information visit Ayers Rock Resort.
ACTIVITIES
Field of Light
The main reason why I wanted to visit Uluru, apart from the national park itself, is Field of Light. Field of Light is an art installation by British artist Bruce Munro, who is well known for producing large light-based installations. The exhibition at Uluru is covering an area over 49 000 square meters, which is equivalent to nearly seven football fields.
It is completely solar powered, all materials are re-usable and will be recycled for use in other art installations. Over 380 km of optical fiber was used if it was laid out in a straight line, which is the distance between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Each one of the 50 000 delicate light stems is individually hand-crafted and the entire installation is weighing 15 tons.
The Field of Light was absolutely amazing experience. In the complete dark with thousands of stars above your head, there are thousands and thousands of sparkly little lights at your feet, changing colors and making funny sounds as you walk, creating (probably) the most beautiful sight I have ever seen in my life. I felt like in a different universe. Pictures and words do not make the justice, you have to go and see. I swear it is something you will never forget.
Sunrise Tours
Even if you love to sleep till late, you really should force yourself to wake up and go to see Uluru changing colors as the sun rises. There are plenty of tours to choose from, you can even spend the night in the dessert (do not do this on your own, but search for a tour that provides this service!).
Most of the tours include breakfast, water and hot beverages.
We chose Seit Outback Sunrise Tour & Base Walk and you can read about our experience here. 🙂
Sound of Silence
What is the best way to enjoy sunset at Ayers Rock?
Well for me the response would be with a good company, nice, not so usual food and maybe some booze included as well.
All of this I found in the Sound of Silence Dinner. The tour will take you to the dessert from where you can enjoy stunning views, listening to the sound of didgeridoo with aboriginal performance, enjoying great meals and drinks. Throughout the dinner you will also get a short presentation of the night sky and you can watch the stars through a telescope.
On the menu you can find kangaroo, emu and crocodile, so nothing that you would eat too often at home. Nights in the dessert can get cold, but there were heaters all around us to keep us warm.
Kata Tjuta – the Olgas
Uluru is famous, but not the only impressive rock formation in the Red Centre. Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas, is the second major landmark in the Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park. It is a group of 36 large domes that cover an area of 21 sq. km. Kata Tjuta means “many heads” in aboriginal language. The highest dome, Mount Olga, is even higher than Uluru itself. Mount Olga got its name from Australian explorer Ernest Giles who named it after Queen Olga, daughter of Russian Tsar Nicholas I.
Kata Tjuta is also sacred aboriginal site. The Anangu people believe that its great rocks are homes to the spirit energy of “Dreaming” and it is used for religious ceremonies.
There are two main hiking tracks you can choose from – The Valley of the Winds and Walpa Gorge walk. We did the Valley of the Winds and it was challenging at some points but the views were amazing! The environment kind of reminded me of some scenes from The Jurassic Park.
These are the main activities that we have done during our stay. However, there is plenty of other options available, for example camel rides at sunrise/sunset, bike and motorcycle tours, helicopter flights, star gazing etc. Lots to choose from!
THINGS TO REMEMBER
Even though you can climb up Uluru, it does not mean you should. It is considered disrespectful to Aboriginals and their traditions. Australian government promised to Anangu people that if less than 40% of visitors climb up, they will ban it. Nowadays, there is actually less than 10% of travelers who come here for this activity, but the track is still open. Some tour operators sell Uluru package with this hike as a main attraction of the whole trip.
If you are reading this blog, please be mindful and show some respect to this beautiful land and its people. Moreover, the hike is quite dangerous, walls of Uluru are very steep and couple hundred people died when they underestimated their physical condition.
Another thing to bear in mind is the heat. Uluru and Kata Tjuta are in the desert and it gets very hot especially during summer months – from December till February. We visited Uluru in May and the temperatures during the day went up to 28 degrees Celsius. So do not forget your sunscreen and apply it few times a day.
If you heard stories about Australian Outback, how terrible flies and other insects can be, I have to tell you, it is true. Flies can be very annoying and repellent does not work much (it does with mosquitos, but not flies) so brace yourself! There are shops that sell hats with net going around your head, it looks funny but works, so you can still buy this fashionable accessory there.
I hope you enjoyed the reading and that it helped you to plan your trip to Australian Outback! But if you are still looking for reasons to visit this amazing place, I published another article on We Are Travel Girls – here! 🙂 And if you have your own experiences from Uluru that you would like to share or if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to use the comment section below.
Cheers xx
Hana
