ULURU is waiting to welcome you
As the cooler weather beckons, head to Central Australia to experience SERENITY, adventure, ancient culture and more in the shadow of ULURU.
WHETHER it’s your first or fourth visit to Uluru, it’s hard to grasp the scale, appeal and beauty of this mysterious and ancient monolith until you stand right next to its towering walls. Not only does it hold a sacred meaning for the local Anangu community, who believe it to be a resting place for ancient spirits, but it also plays an important role for the fauna and flora of the surrounding desert. For a desert paradise, it’s surprisingly filled with life. After two years of upgrades, new trails, additional National Park signage featuring the local Anangu language, and even more ways to experience ‘The Rock’ (not to mention balmy winter temperatures of 18-21°C), now is the perfect time to start planning your well-deserved mid-year escape.
GALLERY OF CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
Celebrating its one-year anniversary, the GALLERY OF CENTRAL is a new destination for all art lovers. This AUSTRALIA (GOCA) climate-controlled, purpose-built gallery works with local Indigenous Art Centres to showcase the work of emerging and experienced artists, including framed and canvas paintings (perfect for travelling on planes), intricate weavings, wooden sculptures and traditional musical instruments. GoCA offers an ethical way to start your Indigenous art collection, safe in the knowledge that local artists are benefitting from your purchase.
TALI WIRU DINING EXPERIENCE
Imagine dining under the stars on a red sand dune, sipping crisp champagne as the sun sets over and (The Olgas). ULURU KATA TJUTA This unique luxury experience includes a four-course dining menu highlighting native ingredients and Australian wine, all served from the small hidden kitchen nearby. To celebrate its 10th year, the TALI WIRU menu has been upgraded to include fare such as pressed wallaby with fermented quandong, pan-roasted toothfish with coastal greens, and a showstopping chocolate dessert with Davidson plum, lemon myrtle and quandong. It’s the perfect meal to enjoy as you listen to an astrology talk on traditional navigating techniques and far-off galaxies and constellations.
FIELD OF LIGHT
The unique natural environment of Uluru has inspired artists for tens of thousands of years (as the rock paintings on Uluru attest to), and it continues to attract artists from all over the world. International artist Bruce Munro was so taken with the Red Centre that he created his expansive work, LIGHT, which is an overwhelming FIELD OF multi-sensory experience with the ghostly outline of Uluru on the horizon. Consisting of around 50,000 independent light stems that change colours to reflect the desert’s colourway, this large-scale installation has become so popular it’s been extended indefinitely.
FREE CULTURAL EXPERIENCES
Over the past two years Ayers Rock Resort has been refining their complimentary experiences; as a result, a wide range of free tours are now open to all guests. The most popular tour is the daily BUSH FOOD EXPERIENCE, which introduces the native food that the local Anangu have gathered and cooked with for millennia. Other options include and a as well as the popular BUSH YARNS DIDGERIDOO WORKSHOP, WALKS, where a local guide will highlight the bush GUIDED GARDEN foods, local species and medicines found in the resort’s gardens.
A RANGE OF ACCOMMODATION
Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple or as a solo adventurer, Ayers Rock Resort has accommodation to suit. From the well-equipped campground to the refurbished rooms of the DESERT GARDENS HOTEL and the famous (with a sparkling new pool), there’s SAILS IN THE DESERT an excellent option for everyone. To add to this, Ayers Rock/Connellan Airport is a short 15-minute drive away and is directly accessed from a number of Australian cities, including Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Alternatively, Ayeres Rock Resort is a 4.5-hour drive from Alice Springs airport. It’s the perfect long weekend destination.