January 2001
Ayer's Rock (Uluru) is striking.
Uluru is an inselberg, meaning "island mountain". An inselberg is a prominent isolated residual knob or hill that rises abruptly from and is surrounded by extensive and relatively flat erosion lowlands in a hot, dry region. Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although this is an ambiguous term that is generally avoided by geologists.
(Wikipedia)
It had been a long, empty drive from Alice Springs (which in itself was not much of anything). We were excited to see Ayers rock. After arrival in Yulara, the "hotel zone" that services all the tourists coming to see the rock, we started to formulate our plan. Yulara was basically a circular road that represented all the different levels of accommodation available. Campground, budget hotel, mid-range, and finally high-end. Since we had money, we stayed in the best place - although with nothing to do in Yulara, we were paying a lot of money for a bed and more expensive food and drink. Around that hotel outpost was an endless tract of nothingness.
The hotel had a shuttle service to Uluru and we took it because by that point we were heartily sick of driving and the rock was still quite far away. The great red rock slowly rose out of the flat desert. As we drew nearer it became more impressive. Our little tour took us around the base of the rock with an aboriginal guide who explained its significance. There were grottos, waterfalls, springs, rock art - that walk around the base was one of the best parts of the visit. Unsurprisingly, the rock had a long history with native Australians. At the end of the tour, we were given the option to climb. I declined after the walk around the base as our tour guide explained the local people preferred no one climb it out of respect for their religious beliefs. Brian did the climb and loved it. No regrets for me - we must respect each other.
While we were in the area, it actually rained one time and we had the chance to see the "blue rock" when Ayers rock actually looks almost blue after a rain under a cloudy sky. We felt lucky to see that mood of the rock which was indeed rare. We missed the water streaming off the rock in a multitude of waterfalls, but just seeing that stone in a different hue was amazing. Ayers Rock was a unique place indeed and perhaps even exceeded expectations. No matter how many photos I had seen, the reality of it was quite different.
One last thing remained - the flyover.
I have taken several helicopter flights in my life: over San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, Mt Cook, Kakadu, and Uluru. Seeing Ayers Rock from the air was, for me, the best view. The light played off the rock in different ways as we circled it. The erosion of the sandstone was clear, too. Ayers Rock would one day be like the nearby Olgas, a collection of weathered stone outcrops, not just one massive "rock". The most amazing aspect of Uluru was its isolation. When viewed looking east, it was a huge red stone set on a scrubby, pancake flat desert that extended to the horizon. That was amazing.
Another huge check off the list for Oz, the big rock. It had not disappointed.