Uluru - Base Walk
Uluru, formally known as Ayers Rock, is an iconic site of Australia. It is said to be over 600 million years old, 3.6km long and stands 348m tall, taller than the Effiel tower. All the photos I have seen do not do justice to the size and the impressiveness of this giant rock. Uluru has always been on my list of top places to visit and many people have spoke highly of this place. Due to the cost of flight and accommodations, I have been delaying this trip for a long time.
We spent 3 nights at Yulara so we went to different spots for sunrise and sunset.
The area was really unique. The red sand and rock formations was not something I have seem before. The Indigenous stories, histories and culture was not something I was exposed to much prior to this trip.
In Yulara, all accommodations in this town were managed by the same group, Ayers Rock Resort. They provided a lot of culture talks and activities which were very interesting. We learnt about bush foods, local history, local geology and ecology, local mammals and fauna, Aboriginal cultures and traditions regarding weapons used for hunting. I highly recommend attending some of these talks and activities, and I wished we had more time to attend more.
ULURU BASE WALK
We started our Uluru base walk from Mala carpark. There was a free daily guided walk with park rangers which tells stories of Mala people, traditional Anangu culture and rock arts. It was very informative but there were too many people there and I gave up half way. There were a lot of signage about Aboriginal traditional stories which we could follow ourselves.
There were a lot of people on Mala walk, near Mala carpark. Once we got away from that area, the rest of the walk was pretty quiet.
The walk itself was flat and easy to follow. It was very exposed and would be very hot on a sunny day. It is recommended to always carry good supply of food and water. We got to see and appreciate every face of Uluru. Photography was prohibited in some places.
There was an interesting waterhole on the south side of Uluru, the Mutijulu waterhole. There was a car park close to it and it was a short walk from the car park to the waterhole. There were slightly more people around this spot, but nowhere as much as around Mala car park. Not as much as I would expect the car park close by will bring. I guess a lot of people came here wanting to climb the this magnificent rock. More on climbing Uluru on my next post.
Mutijulu waterhole was a cool spot, sheltered by the height of the Uluru. The natural rock formations with a pool of water on the base of the rock was a water source for many animals and humans for many, many years. The serenity of the area felt like a tiny hidden paradise.
Total distance: 10.4km
Go to the link below for information and map for this walk.
https://www.beyondtracks.com/walks/uluru-kata-tjuta-national-park/uluru-base-walk/
SUNRISE AT KATA TJUTA DUNE VIEWING AREA
The sky was cloudy on the day. We stopped at Kata Tjuta Dune viewing area at sunrise before we headed towards Valley of the Winds walk. Very crowded spot so going earlier would be recommended. You can see Uluru in the distance on one side and Kata Tjuta in closer in front of us. The sky turned orange and red over Uluru and Kata Tjuta before sunrise which was so beautiful. Who said only the rocks and the sand were red?
SUNRISE AT TALINGURU NYAKUNTJAKU
Another popular sunrise spot for Uluru. The sky turned firing red before sunrise. The sky once again was mostly cloudy.
You could see Kata Tjuta in the distance from this lookout.
SUNRISE AT BUS SUNSET VIEWING AREA
A quiet spot for sunrise but a great view for it. Not many people go there as it was called "sunset viewing" spot. It is a designated place for buses for sunset viewing, but cars can go there during other times.
SUNSET AT ULURU LOOKOUT, YULARA
We were fortunate that day that the sun came out of the clouds at sunset time so we could appreciate the redness of Uluru. A great spot close by the accommodations but the view of Uluru was further away.
SUNSET AT SUNSET CAR VIEWING AREA
This day was probably the most sunny out of the all the days we spent at Kata Tjuta National Park and it was my most anticipated day for sunset photos. Unfortunately the sun went behind the clouds just in time for sunset which was very disappointing. We were still very grateful to be able to experience this unique and beautiful place. With or without the sun, this rock never failed to impress us.
Central Australia is meant to be very dry, but unfortunately the days we were staying around Uluru the weather was really cloudy. It was really hard to take sunrise and sunset photos as the sun might not come out.
We spent 3 nights at Yulara so we went to different spots for sunrise and sunset.
The area was really unique. The red sand and rock formations was not something I have seem before. The Indigenous stories, histories and culture was not something I was exposed to much prior to this trip.
In Yulara, all accommodations in this town were managed by the same group, Ayers Rock Resort. They provided a lot of culture talks and activities which were very interesting. We learnt about bush foods, local history, local geology and ecology, local mammals and fauna, Aboriginal cultures and traditions regarding weapons used for hunting. I highly recommend attending some of these talks and activities, and I wished we had more time to attend more.
ULURU BASE WALK
We started our Uluru base walk from Mala carpark. There was a free daily guided walk with park rangers which tells stories of Mala people, traditional Anangu culture and rock arts. It was very informative but there were too many people there and I gave up half way. There were a lot of signage about Aboriginal traditional stories which we could follow ourselves.
There were a lot of people on Mala walk, near Mala carpark. Once we got away from that area, the rest of the walk was pretty quiet.
The walk itself was flat and easy to follow. It was very exposed and would be very hot on a sunny day. It is recommended to always carry good supply of food and water. We got to see and appreciate every face of Uluru. Photography was prohibited in some places.
Mutijulu waterhole was a cool spot, sheltered by the height of the Uluru. The natural rock formations with a pool of water on the base of the rock was a water source for many animals and humans for many, many years. The serenity of the area felt like a tiny hidden paradise.
Difficulty: Easy
Go to the link below for information and map for this walk.
https://www.beyondtracks.com/walks/uluru-kata-tjuta-national-park/uluru-base-walk/
SUNRISE AT KATA TJUTA DUNE VIEWING AREA
The sky was cloudy on the day. We stopped at Kata Tjuta Dune viewing area at sunrise before we headed towards Valley of the Winds walk. Very crowded spot so going earlier would be recommended. You can see Uluru in the distance on one side and Kata Tjuta in closer in front of us. The sky turned orange and red over Uluru and Kata Tjuta before sunrise which was so beautiful. Who said only the rocks and the sand were red?
SUNRISE AT TALINGURU NYAKUNTJAKU
Another popular sunrise spot for Uluru. The sky turned firing red before sunrise. The sky once again was mostly cloudy.
You could see Kata Tjuta in the distance from this lookout.
SUNRISE AT BUS SUNSET VIEWING AREA
A quiet spot for sunrise but a great view for it. Not many people go there as it was called "sunset viewing" spot. It is a designated place for buses for sunset viewing, but cars can go there during other times.
SUNSET AT ULURU LOOKOUT, YULARA
We were fortunate that day that the sun came out of the clouds at sunset time so we could appreciate the redness of Uluru. A great spot close by the accommodations but the view of Uluru was further away.
SUNSET AT SUNSET CAR VIEWING AREA
This day was probably the most sunny out of the all the days we spent at Kata Tjuta National Park and it was my most anticipated day for sunset photos. Unfortunately the sun went behind the clouds just in time for sunset which was very disappointing. We were still very grateful to be able to experience this unique and beautiful place. With or without the sun, this rock never failed to impress us.
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