Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Regardless of name, it is one of the most spectacular landmarks of Australia, and one that I'd personally always wanted to see up close and in person - this may sound stupid, but that was a personal goal of mine.

Seeing it requires a bit of effort - in our case, we took a plane to Alice Springs, render a campervan which we equipped with supplies, and then drove to Ayers Rock. Directions from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock go as follows: stay on the paved road, go straight south, take the first on the right, then go straight until you see the Rock. Little would you know unless you've looked it up that this is 500 kms. The "first on the right" comes over 200 km South of Alice Springs, and if I recall it is also the first gas station - or human feature for that matter - since Alice Springs. So, this is what the Outback is like.

Altogether it was an all-day trip, starting with a fairly early flight out of Sydney, we arrived at the Rock just as the sun was setting - and just in time to avoid any potential animal encounters on the road. As it turns out, the area around Uluru seems to be somewhat sparse on critters, although we had to stop for cows crossing the highway.

There is a resort by the Rock, which makes it very convenient because you can just stay the night there, and be fresh for the morning. We stayed in the campground, a campground overrun by the ever-pervasive red dirt. Dark red soil, dark red dirt, everywhere. Including in the campervan. Oh well, small price to pay to be there.

We got up before sun-up - everyone in the campground was doing the same, because one of the best times to see Ayers Rock is at sunrise. The colors at sunrise are incredible.

I also really wanted to climb Ayers Rock. I had some second thoughts about this, because Uluru is a sacred site to the Anangu, its traditional Aborigine owners, and although they grant visitors the permission to climb, they would rather people respect the site and not climb.

But I really, really wanted to do this, so I decided to climb.

The climb is over bare rock, not particularily steep but not entirely easy either, so a good pair of shoes is highly recommended. There is a chain path that interestingly enough starts about 200-300 feet up from the base of the rock. So, in order to get to the chain you must clamber over the rock on your own. This is an interesting way let people get a feel for whether or not they are ready for this.

Also, if you are even a little bit afraid of heights it really is not recommended to try this - as some of the photos below show, sometimes it really feels like you're looking straight down from a great height.

At the base of the rock is a large sign explaining the health risks of climbing the rock. While a bit alarmist, the sign points out something very important, that it is quite difficult to get someone off the Rock. There is no place for a helicopter to land except at the top or the bottom, and therefore reaching someone in distress will take a while - which can have serious consequences. I saw more than a few people during my climb who unfortunately have overestimated their physical ability or their disposition towards height, and who, without being in distress per se, clearly were very uncomfortable.

The view from up there, however, was simply unforgettable.

We ended our tour of the Rock by driving around it one more time, before heading back to Alice Springs and our long trek to Townsville.

Even during the day, although it has lost the very rich red color, the Rock still offers surprising sights.

Next: Wycliffe Well