Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park

For years the red rock formation was known as Ayers Rock (after the Southern Australian Premier in 1872). Aboriginal history of the land goes back to the beginning of time and plays an important role in the creation stories. The government took ownership in the early 1900s. After years of political pressure and lawsuits, the land was returned to its rightful owners in 1983 and is now run in partnership with the government. There have been incremental changes over the years and in October tourists will no longer be allowed to climb on Uluru. Australia now has Reconciliation Week (May 27 to June 3) as a time to learn about shared histories, cultures and achievements. The government acknowledges that “to foster positive race relations, our relationship must be grounded in a foundation of truth.”

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Estimated to be at least 300 million years old, Uluru stands 348 meters (our room number) above the ground and extends as much as 5km underground. It is 3.6km long and 1.9km wide. In 2018, a geological survey estimated the rock (above ground) to weigh 1.4 million tons. The orange-red hue is caused by surface oxidation of the iron rich sandstone. Otherwise, it would look grey. The vertical striations are evidence that the rock has fallen over, and erosion created the ridges, caves, valleys, potholes and groves. Uluru changes colors depending on the time of day. The stark contrast of the red earth and monolith against the blue skies was surreal during the day. The changing colors of sunrise/sunset were always impressive(despite the flies). It had not rained for months so we felt lucky to see clouds, a lighting storm and rain. We even saw a rainbow but were on a stretch of road with no stopping.

Kata Tjuta is about a 45-minute drive from Uluru and has 36 separate domes spreading over 20 km. (The tallest is 546m high.) Like Uluru, the domes are thought to have been one huge monolith. Unlike Uluru, Kata Tjuta is made of conglomerate rock (a gravel consisting of pebbles and boulders cemented together by sand and mud). Some call it Mars-like because of the intense red ground and boulders. We woke up early to watch the sunrise from the viewing area and then walked the Valley of the Winds. This hike was much less crowded and a little more challenging than the 10K base walk around Uluru.

One of our activities included a tour on Aboriginal freehold land. TJ, the nephew of Sammy Wilson (one of the traditional owners of Uluru) shared stories about his family, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, local waterholes, and modern-day life for the Aboriginal. Our day ended with a sunset picnic overlooking both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

We also learned about the Aboriginal art style of dot painting. Through an interpreter, Millie spoke about the meaning and significance of different symbols and the importance of family. It was fun when her grandson sat next to her and listened to the stories.

One evening we experienced the Field of Lights Dinner. The evening started with cocktails and canapés (and flies) to watch the sunset over Uluru. Once dark and fly-free, we had a talkative dinner with five Australians, a french woman and newlyweds from Spain. Before dessert, we learned about the night sky.

After everyone was full and our eyes had adjusted to the dark, we walked among Bruce Munro’s Field of Lights exhibition. Munro said, “the show represents the convergence of the land and culture … Uluru is inextricably linked to a significant past, present and future.” The artwork is made up of 50,000 individually handcrafted ‘light stems,’ 300,000 individual components, and 380km of optical fiber. This unique exhibition was complemented by the full moon and scattered clouds.

We hoped to see one of the more than 21 species of native mammals, 178 species of birds or 73 species of reptiles—instead we saw LOTS of flies and one bunny. We are still waiting to see a kangaroo.