Visiting Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Before coming to Australia I had never even heard of Uluru (Ayers Rock is the English name for it). I was told it was this giant rock in the middle of the Aussie Outback, and I kind of just wrote it off. It wasn’t until I spent more time in Australia and heard from a friend how amazing it was that I decided to give it a go — and I wish I had sooner! Uluru truly is an incredible thing to see, way more than just the world’s biggest rock. It’s no wonder over 250,000 people visit it every year.
I had the opportunity to see it both at sunrise and sunset, as well as hike around the entire base! You technically are allowed to hike up the rock, weather permitting, but the aboriginal people that the rock belongs to, the Anangu, ask that you don’t as a sign of respect.
Sunset at Uluru
The designated spot to watch the sunset it perfect, it’s amazing to see the way the rock changes color as the sun goes down. I was able to capture a time-lapse of the sunset, but still doesn’t even do it justice:
The sunset is best enjoyed with a glass of champagne or a classic Aussie beer!
Sunrise Hike
The base walk is 10 km and takes about 3 hours to do. It’s an easy, flat walk. It’s amazing how the landscape changes from one side to the other, and how different the rock looks at each angle.
There are several areas that are considered “sensitive sides,” which are important areas in the Anangu people’s stories and are not to be photographed. These photos are from other parts of the rock. I just could not get over the contrast of the red earth with the blue sky.
About 2/3rds of the way around there is a watering hole that is sacred to the aboriginals. They have many stories surrounding it. The picture I got doesn’t do it justice.
Aboriginal Cultural Center
After finishing the walk, we went to the cultural center where photos weren’t allowed. It was interesting to see more of their stories surrounding the rock, as well as to see a lot of aboriginal art.
Lastly, we went up to the newly renovated sunrise viewing platform. This place is decked out — it even has free wifi. Unfortunately, our guide said there is hardly anyone ever there which may be due to the fact that it doesn’t really face the best side for the sunrise. Regardless, it’s a great place to see all of Uluru and even Kata Tjuta off in the background. You can see my epic fail of trying to do one of those cool perspective shots haha:
If you’re in Australia, I really recommend you make the effort to go out and see Uluru as well as explore more of the country’s red center. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM on Instagram!
You Might Also Like:
- Hiking Kings Canyon at Sunrise – Australian Outback
- Uluru to King’s Canyon: 3-Day Tour
- Bucket List: 100 Tops Things to do in Australia
xx Chels
Chelsea, These pictures are amazing, thanks for sharing!!
On Mon, Feb 27, 2017 at 3:59 PM, One Chel of an Adventure wrote:
> chelseabancroft posted: ” Before coming to Australia I had never even > heard of Uluru (Ayers Rock is the English name for it). And once I was told > it was this giant rock in the middle of the Aussie Outback, I wrote it off. > It wasn’t until I spent more time here and heard from a f” >
Thank you so much Kim! 🙂 Love and miss you!
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Wow, Uluru sounds incredible! I can totally relate to dismissing something before actually experiencing it. Your description makes me want to pack my bags and head to Australia right away. I imagine driving out there would be quite the adventure… hopefully in something a bit more reliable than an Eggy Car! Seriously though, thanks for sharing your experience; it’s definitely moved Uluru way up on my travel list.
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