After we finished up our road trip Australia in Sydney, we took a side trip to the town of Yulara in the Red Center, to see Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas.) There are a few ways to do this. Fly to Alice Springs, then drive 5.5 hours to Yulara or fly directly to Ayers Rock airport, Yulara is about 20 minutes away. We opted for the 3.5-hour flight from Sydney which arrived at 1:30 in the afternoon. The airport is small so getting through it was a breeze. After the free airport shuttle drop off, we checked into The Lost Camel Hotel, a modern, boutique hotel with touches of Aboriginal style and small but comfortable rooms. We would spend two nights there.

Yulara is this cool little town I hadn’t heard of. It’s located in the southwest corner of the Northern Territory and is a fairly new town, built to facilitate the growth of tourism in the region. Established in the 70’s and fully operational in 1984, it has a permanent population of about a thousand people. There is a town square, supermarket, gas station, art gallery, a few restaurants, post office, ATM, fire station, police station (two officers) doctor’s office (comes once or twice a month) and plenty of tour operators. The centerpiece is the Ayers Rock Resort, which is comprised of five hotels, including one budget hostel type, a campground with cabins, hook ups for camper vans and some tented camping. Prices, as you would expect from this location aren’t cheap. The free shuttle bus that takes you around town is a great amenity. There had been in the past, a few motels that were built very close to the base of Uluru but they have since been removed and the new town is about 24 km (14 miles) from the base. Conservation and environmental awareness are taken seriously here. After we settled into our hotel, it was time to do a bit of exploring. We stopped by a few tour operators to see what the offerings would be, mind boggling that there were more than one hundred options available. We ended up booking the Uluru sunrise and Kata Tjuta tour.

There are plenty of sunset viewing spots around town. The Imalung Lookout was within walking distance from our hotel, so we made our way over there.

Day 2 was our Uluru sunrise tour which meant a cold, early morning start (4:30 am.) We traveled there in May where the daytime temperature was about 24C (75 F) and the overnight hovered around 8C (46 F.) It sure felt colder than that. The pickup point was at Sails in the Desert, a very modern and more luxurious hotel located a few steps from ours. We had a few stops to make and the hotels being part of the same resort were pretty close to each other. Of course, as it sometimes happens when you book an organized tour, someone’s always running late, and a few were at the wrong pick-up point. With so many tours and a lot of them leaving around the same time, you have to make sure you get on the right bus. The driver usually has a passenger list you can check while you wait if you’re unsure. With everyone safely on board, we were on our way. In about 25 minutes, we were at the viewing platform. It’s a multi-level area so there’s plenty of room for everyone.

Despite the cold, it would’ve been nice to stay at the viewing point a little longer and see the full spectrum of colours as the sun rose higher in the sky, but these tours tend to move you along. If you want to avoid that scenario, rental cars are available at the airport, and you can do your own self-guided tours, just get a park pass, (three days $38.00.) Before boarding the bus for the next stop, tea, coffee, hot cocoa and biscuits were offered.

As we said goodbye to Uluru, for moment at least, we made the 45-minute drive to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) where we would hike the Walpa Gorge. From the parking lot, you could already see the large domes as the trail head was not far away. After a brief history lesson from our guide regarding the geology, the inhabitants and the flora and fauna of the area, we started our walk. This is an out and back hike of about 2.5 km (1.6 miles) with a gentle rise over rocky terrain with some boardwalks. As you enter, you’re reminded that these areas are considered very sacred and spiritual to the Anangu people, so a level of quiet and respect is appreciated.

Meanwhile, back at the resort, we stopped by the community recreational area, an open green space where the locals meet. While the kids play, the women paint and offer their artwork for sale. We bought a lovely piece and it’s already hanging on our wall. Buying locally goes directly to the artist and saves you some money as well. When taking photos, be respectful and ask for permission.

We walked around a bit, then visited the Gallery of Central Australia (GOCA) which is dedicated to showcasing the creative talents and works of indigenous artists. It’s a small gallery and it doesn’t take long to get around it. There were a lot of beautifully painted artwork, pottery, boomerangs, traditional dolls and toys. Artists across the Central Australia can apply to join the “Artist in Residency” program that the gallery offers. Artists stay at the resort while they get inspired to create, exhibit and offer their works for sale. The composition, the patience and the skill to create these pieces is just astounding.

The main reason for this trip was to see Uluru of course. The name Uluru instead of Ayers Rock is being used more than ever now as there is a big push in Australia to formally recognize indigenous peoples in the Constitution.. A lot of territory had been deeded back to native people including the land that encompasses Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. The Anangu, the inhabitants of the region, leased the land back to the Australia National Park Service for 99 years and the park is jointly managed. The park is vast, 1326 sqkm (512 sq miles) and there is so much to see and do. With so many tour options, and with our time somewhat limited, we decided on a Hop on, hop off bus tour. This entailed another sunrise viewing and then a short drive to the drop off at the Mala parking lot which is a good starting point for a base walk. From there, you can do sections of the walk, or the full circuit (10.6 km (6.5 miles)

We had an afternoon flight back to Sydney because we wanted to catch a few nights of the Vivid light show, so we decided to do a section called the Mala Walk. This would give us enough time to catch the bus at a designated location. Miss that bus and we’re in a bit of trouble, no Uber to call. We started the walk in the recommended clockwise direction, it’s still early morning, you’re in the shadow of Uluru and the temperature is cool. There is a good amount of vegetation as you trek through the bright red sand. We learned earlier that Uluru is actually grey in colour, the red comes from the oxidation of minerals in the rock.

There are many caves to be found along the way, some are strictly for men and others for women to conduct sacred rituals. Some you can enter and others you cannot. Photography is restricted in areas that are deemed spiritual and should be respected.

On this part of the trail, you are able to get up close to the rock without leaving the trail. The amount of vegetation was quite a surprise, it would offer some shade later as the sun rose in the sky.

As the sun rose and the chill of the morning gave way to a warming breeze, the colours of Uluru really came to life. The play of the light and shadow is something special to see.

The one thing that surprised us was the lack of animals in the area. The smaller animals stay hidden during the heat of the day, but we envisioned seeing lots of kangaroos. We didn’t see any. We were told that one of the reasons for this is that during the exploration of the outback in the 19th century, camels were imported since they could handle the rugged environment better than the horses that were being used at the time. When they’d outlived their usefulness, the government wanted the camels euthanized since they were not native to Australia. The owners refused and the camels were released into the wild. This had a detrimental effect on the wildlife especially the emus as the camels ate the berries that the emus liked. Unlike the emus, when the camels passed the seeds, they wouldn’t regenerate so that source of food was lessened and the emus moved away, kangaroos soon followed. Now there are estimated to be over a million feral camels in the outback, so much so that some are exported to the Middle East, fascinating!