U - Uluru

Welcome to our tour of Australia. During the month of April we are going to visit our favourite spots in Australia. Come join us on our walkabout through the land down under.

Yesterday we got a bird's eye view of Sydney. Click here if you missed that post. Today we head to the outback to see the world's largest monolith.

Uluru stands over 1000ft above the desert floor and is one of the most popular attractions in the desert. Made of sandstone it is considered to be the largest monolith in the world. Visitors are able to climb to the top of the rock (weather permitting) or walk around the base of the rock. Climbing to the top gives you a birds eye view of the surrounding area and the walk around the base of the rock is a unique experience in itself. Uluru is a good distance from any major city but if you are able to fit it into your itinerary it is well worth the trip.
 What I loved: Uluru was so much more than I expected. It towers over you and the historical significance to the native people is special. We only got a few hours to explore the rock on our trip but you could easily spend a few days here. My only regret is that we didn't get enough time to explore it fully as every corner is something different.
Cost - Prices are in Australian Dollars
$25.00 for adults ($20 USD) for a 3 day pass to the national park.
More Info: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. visitor info
Address: Uluru, NT (Click link for map)

* I visited Uluru in 1994 as part of a 2 week high school field trip. If you want to read more about that trip here is part 1 and part 2.

 Uluru at sunrise. The campsite where this photo was taken is about 15k/10 miles from Uluru.

People climbing the rock.

View of the surrounding desert from the top of Uluru.

Some of the rock is smooth and some is quite gouged and rough.

Even though it wasn't cold it gets quite windy up here which makes it chilly. At one point we hid in a hole at the top of the rock to escape some strong gusts.

At the end of the rock is a guest book and monument. The urban legend that many are told is that there is a coke machine at the top of the rock and that you should bring a few dollars for a drink after a long climb. Many haven fallen for this urban legend including a few of my friends that I told prior to the climb.

After the climb I took a walk around the base of the rock. Around every corner was something new and each formation had a story or meaning behind it. This one was called the brain.

 This one was called the mouth. Many of the names and story are traditional stories from the native aboriginal tribes.

These cracks symbolised a battle between two spirits. The big crack is the death blow. Reading the stories as I went around the rock was fascinating.

Getting There.
Uluru is isolated and a 5-6 hour drive from the nearest town.

Car: Uluru is 450km/280 miles from the nearest large town, Alice Springs. From Alice Springs it is about a 5-6 hour drive. It is a 18 hour drive to the nearest capital city, Adeliade and close to 30 hours to Sydney.
Air: Ayers Rock Airport is the closest airport and is about 20 minutes from Uluru. Alice Springs Airport is the closest main airport and is a 5-6 hour drive.
Train: The Ghan stops at Alice Springs which is the closest station. From there it is a 5-6 hour drive.
Bus: There is coach service from Adelaide or Darwin to Alice Springs. From Alice Springs there are bus services that will take you to Uluru.

Have you ever been to Uluru or something similar? What are you blogging about today?

We love to hear your thoughts and comments! Please leave a comment and we will return the favour and visit you too!