Tim the Yowie Man's top 10 tips for visiting Uluru

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This was published 8 years ago

Tim the Yowie Man's top 10 tips for visiting Uluru

It's been 30 years since Uluru (Ayers Rock) was returned to its traditional owners, the Anangu people. Tim the Yowie Man recently visited the red centre and reveals his top 10 tips if you are planning a trip to Australia's spiritual heart. 

By Tim the Yowie Man
Uluru rises out of the desert, towering 348 metres above the surrounding plain.

Uluru rises out of the desert, towering 348 metres above the surrounding plain.Credit: Tourism NT

1. Can you still climb it?

While it is not banned (yet), for cultural reasons the Anangu​ prefer that you do not climb the rock. There are plenty of other ways to experience the grandeur of the rock whether it be on foot by camel, trike, or even helicopter. Note: the summit track is closed on days of high wind or extreme temperature.

2. Massive monolith

When it rains, water tumbles down the side of Uluru in spectacular waterfalls.

When it rains, water tumbles down the side of Uluru in spectacular waterfalls.Credit: Voyages Indigenous Tourism

Geologists often refer to Uluru as an inselberg​, rather than the more commonly used term "monolith", but don't let technicalities get in the way that it's big rock, even bigger than it seems. Sure, it rises 348 metres above the desert plain, (that's almost twice the height of Black Mountain Tower in Canberra), but there's another 5 to 6 kilometres of it underground. Really!

3. That sunset shot

Remember everyone else who visits Uluru also wants that classic sunset photo, so make sure you arrive early at one of the dedicated sunset viewing spots to avoid disappointment. Don't high-tail it back to your resort as soon as the sun sets, as the most dramatic shots of the rock are often snapped about 15 minutes after the sun has actually set. Oh, and don't forget the sun also puts on an amazing light show at sunrise, which is often less crowded.

Once the sun sets in the red centre, the skies light up.

Once the sun sets in the red centre, the skies light up.Credit: Voyages Indigenous Tourism

4. A reluctant star

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Located between the most popular sunset viewing spot and Uluru is a lone desert oak. It's almost impossible to take a photo from this location without this tree featuring in your photo. Given the millions of photos taken by the more than 250,000 visitors to Uluru each year, this has prompted several naturalists, including Canberra's very own Ian Fraser, to label it as a contender for Australia's most photographed tree.

5. Sorry Rocks

Bruce Munro's "Field of Light" will dazzle visitors to Ayers Rock Resort in 2016.

Bruce Munro's "Field of Light" will dazzle visitors to Ayers Rock Resort in 2016.Credit: Voyages Indigenous Tourism

Nowhere is the old adage to leave footprints and take photographs and memories only more pertinent than at Uluru. Every day, rangers receive parcels in the post containing souvenired rock and sand, sent by guilty tourists from all around the world. Some return their stolen materials because they believe they have been cursed or have experienced bad luck. In some cases, it has taken visitors up to 40 years to return their rocks and the largest return weighed in at 32 kilograms. That's a lot of stamps.

6. Look up

The low humidity and minimal light pollution in the red centre allows you to view the stars and planets like you've never seen them before. So after enjoying the sunset, beat a path to the Astro Hub at the Ayers Rock Resort or take a guided tour where you will discover the role of the night sky in ancient mythologies and Aboriginal stories of creation. Look out for the "Emu in the sky", a constellation that is defined by dark areas of the sky, rather than by stars.

7. Perennial bridesmaid

Although it's easy for Uluru to steal the show, allow at least a day to explore the 36 domes of the lost world of nearby (50 kilometres) Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). The three-hour Valley of the Wind walk is must-do, where, even on a still day a cooling breeze is somehow magically appears. It'll be hot so take lots of water (and then more).

8. Wonderous waterholes

While most people hope for clear, sunny weather when visiting Uluru, a rain event in the red centre can have a silver lining, resulting in the rare, yet spectacular site of waterfalls cascading off the rock. If you are lucky, you may even catch a lightning storm over the rock – a photographer's delight. Regardless of the weather on your visit, make sure you take the short walk to Mutitjulu​ Waterhole. Surrounded by a forest of shady river red gums, a visit to this desert oasis feels more like you are in Kakadu than the red centre.

9. Shield shrimp

Despite its relatively remote location, Uluru and surrounds are home to a remarkably diverse range of wildlife, including 21 mammals, 73 reptiles, 178 birds and four frogs. Arguably the most extraordinary creature is the shield shrimp, an aquatic crustacean which lurks in rock pools atop, and immediately around Uluru, and nowhere else on the planet. The shrimps lay thousands of eggs which survive until the next big rains fill the pool.

10. Field of Light

If you don't mind your dazzling light shows to be man-made, then beat a path to Uluru between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017, when Bruce Munro's monumental art phenomenon Field of Light will be created in its largest form to date at Ayers Rock Resort. More than 50,000 slender stems with radiant frosted glass spheres connected via optical fibre will "bloom" into colour as darkness falls over the desert. Pathways will draw you into the installation, which will come to life under a sky brilliant with stars. Wow!

If you go

Jetstar and Virgin Australia both fly to Uluru. Qantas flies to Alice Springs, which is 450km east of Uluru. Just 20 minutes from Uluru, Ayers Rock Resort is the only accommodation within cooee of the rock and has a range of standards from camping to 5-star. See ayersrockresort.com.au or phone 1300 134044.

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