Uluru, The Red Mountain and Symbol of Australia

Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is probably one of the most famous landmarks in Australia, which very few tourists visit. The mountain is too far away and the journey takes too long. You can fly here in three hours from any Australian city. Uluru is definitely worth a visit.

Already during the journey, when Uluru slowly comes into view and comes closer, we stare spellbound at this glowing red rock. After moving into our (previously) reserved campsite and looking through the really detailed information, we decide to drive straight to Uluru. We are too curious to see what the mountain looks like up close.

For Uluru, there is the option to visit at sunrise or sunset. You can also walk around Uluru. Depending on the season, different times of the day are recommended for visits and activities.

From every side and at every time we have a completely different view. The surfaces of the sheer cliffs vary, the Aboriginal stories all around offer interesting tales that we are not meant to pass on. There is also a ban on photography, which is clearly and unmistakably marked by erected signs. This makes perfect sense in sacred places, caves, or springs. We’re happy to respect that.

Unfortunately, not all visitors respect the expressed wish to stop climbing Uluru. Luckily it is closed on our days of visit as the winds are too strong. I wish it was always like this.

One thing is for sure: DO NOT climb Uluru. The mountain is a very important sacred site for the Aborigines and you should respect that too. Apart from that, the path up looks very dangerous. From 2019, climbing Uluru will finally be completely banned!

My tip as an alternative: Take a helicopter flight. You can see a lot more from the top anyway.

The Sacred Mountain of the Aborigines is the most famous landmark of the 5th continent of Australia. There are several options for exploring Uluru and experiencing the excitement. The best is to walk around Uluru to read the red rock structures as well as the stories on the plaques along the way.

1. Visit and walk around Uluru (we went in the fall when it was pleasant and the trail is open all day)
2. Visit Uluru at sunset
3. Visit Kata Tjuta for sunrise and do a hike
4. Visit the beautiful Field of Lights in the evening base

Since it is winter during our visit and there are “only” 18-20 degrees during the day and it is also very windy, we can walk around the mountain in the afternoon and relax without too many other tourists (most groups leave for our arrival at Uluru).

We take a great deal of time reading each plaque and Aboriginal story, and taking a closer look at the structures of the monolith. The place is without a doubt a spiritual place. The stories must not be passed on, and as a non-native, I will be careful not to do so. In 2.5 hours we walk around Uluru on the base walk. It’s an adventure and an experience.

There are always signs along the way that tell stories of the natives. I don’t want to tell them. We are also fascinated by the different shades of color in which the rock shines depending on the sunlight.

How people can still come here to climb up repels us.

Had we had more time, we would have loved to have taken a tour around the mountain with Anangu (The Traditional Keepers of Uluru) to learn more about Dreamtime. The Anangu believe that the landscape was created by their ancestors in the Dreamtime and therefore protects the land.

The Base Walk takes you around Uluru on the Mala Walk on the left. If you don’t feel like walking all the way, you can just do the Mala Walk. This is 2 km long and according to the signs you need 1.5 hours. I think you’re faster though (we really took our time and it only took us 2.5 hours around the whole of Uluru).

A visit to the visitor center Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Center is highly recommended. Here you can learn more about the laws of the Anangu Aborigines. You can also take part in dot painting workshops where artists show you how to tell their stories and culture through the images. I liked the Aboriginal art in Arnhem Land much better to be honest. But it’s a matter of taste.

Be sure to bring enough to drink and wear head protection! During our visit, the sun was beating down from above, although it was only 18-20 degrees and there was a cool wind.

If you want to do the base walk, you need to take more water with you. There is also a large sign along the way. It advises you to drink at least 1 liter per hour!

Sign at Base Walk Uluru
Base Walk Uluru: Signs everywhere tell you not to underestimate the sun!

This is the question I get asked the most. My Answer: It depends on what you want to do. Our days looked like this:

Day 1: Arrival at the campsite in the early afternoon. Direct onward journey to Uluru. Walk around the monolith in 2.5 hours. In the evening: Visit the Field of Light.

Day 2: Sunrise Kata Tjuta. Afterward breakfast on site and hike into the Walpa Gorge. After a short break at the campsite, the highlight follows a helicopter flight over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. In the evening: Sunset at Uluru.

Day 3: Early departure towards Coober Pedy. Since the onset of winter came during our visit and the nights were damn cold in the camper with -2 degrees (we had neither auxiliary heating nor insulation nor good blankets), we didn’t start the long hike around Kata Tjuta and drove straight on to Coober Pedy.

Nevertheless, we saw a lot (the most important thing) in our eyes. The helicopter tour was really something special and gave us a different view of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Since we didn’t just want to explore the region on our own but wanted to explore the most beautiful places and learn the stories around them, we went on a few tours. We can highly recommend the activities listed here. They are all unique experiences

Not having had enough of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, we wanted the ultimate experience: a helicopter flight around Uluru and Kata Tjuta. We chose the “Extended” version, where you also fly around Kata Tjuta.

You get a special view: Kata Tjuta in the foreground and Uluru in the background. Since we probably won’t be coming here anytime soon and the whole trip was very expensive, we didn’t care about the additional costs of 310 AUD per person.

It was definitely worth it and for us, it is one of the most extraordinary and beautiful experiences in Australia! We booked the tour directly with Ayers Rock Helicopters at the Visitors Center.

Depending on how big the rush on the tours is, they have spontaneous availability. We were lucky. In general, I advise you to book the flight in advance.

Where to book a helicopter flight? The best way to do this is through the official Ayers Rock Helicopters website.

Cost of the helicopter flight? From 150 AUD (per tour). We booked the Extended Uluru-Kata Tjuta Flight (AR3) for AUD $310 per person.

This tour is ideal for those who don’t want to drive to Uluru or don’t want to drive. The tour lasts five hours in total and, in addition to seeing the sunrise at Kata Tjuta, includes breakfast and a hike into Walpa Gorge (named after the wind that blows into this gorge).

In early June (June 2nd) it’s really bitterly cold and I wish I had packed gloves besides my wool hat! It’s hard to believe that it can be over 50 degrees here in summer.

• Cost of the tour with hotel or campsite pick-up/drop-off: AUD 159
• Tour duration: 5 hours
• Start depending on the season. Our pick-up time was at 6.15 am
• Everyone has to buy their own ticket to enter the national park!
• Book a tour with SEIT Outback

We also did the sunset tour with SEIT Outback. Also a great option for those who do not have their own car at Uluru. Snacks and wine or beer, sparkling wine or non-alcoholic drinks are included.

• Cost of the tour with hotel or campsite pick-up/drop-off: AUD 70
• Tour duration: 2 hours
• Start depending on the season. Our pick-up time was at 5 pm
• Everyone has to buy their own ticket to enter the national park!
• Book a tour with SEIT Outback

If it hadn’t been so bitterly cold we would have done the Star Gazing Tour. Michi is an amateur astronomer anyway and stays up much longer every night to photograph and observe the starry sky. Except in the outback. -2 degrees were too cold for him too. You can book the tour for AUD 48 here on the Ayers Rock Resort website.

We spent more than 1.5 hours walking through a sea of lights made of 50,000 glass balls. The balls of matte glass on rods up to waist-high are connected with glass fibers. All elements light up in alternating colors and offer a great view under the Milky Way.

With the visit to the Field of Light, a long dream of mine comes true! I was already excited at the opening and sad to read that this installation by Bruce Munro was originally supposed to be dismantled after a year. Then suddenly everything was so successful that the Field of Light will be extended until the end of 2020.

So before the Australia trip, it was clear: we have to visit the Field of Light.

But when? Did we think which of the entry tickets at different times might be the best? Here is the answer and our experience:

When to book tickets for the Field of Light?

It depends on what time of year you are at Uluru. We were at Uluru on June 1st and had booked the Field of Light Pass – Departure 2 ticket. Before that, we thought about whether it wouldn’t be better to come at dusk, but we decided against it. In the end, it was a good thing because it was so cold that we didn’t need a minute longer.

You have a lot of time on site to look at different places in the Field of Light and to watch the light show. In the summer it could also be nice at dusk if you don’t freeze. The later it got, the better the stars in the sky came out and the Milky Way was also great to see.

By the way, tripods for cameras are officially not allowed. Unfortunately, we were stupid enough to stick to it. Why stupid? Every 2nd visitor had a large tripod with him to take great pictures unnoticed away from the many folders going around. Unfortunately, this was not possible for us.

Be sure to purchase tickets for the Field of Light in advance via the Ayers Rock Resort website as the events are very well attended night after night.

We visited Kata Tjuta, formerly known simply as the “Olgas”, at sunrise. Incidentally, the term Kata Tjuta comes from the Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal language and means “many heads”. Kind of true as there are 36 of these “heads” or mounds.

At sunrise and from the platform that everyone must use (there are no alternatives), the kata Tjuta already looks impressive. However, they appear quite flat from this side. They are more spectacular from above, as we saw them during the helicopter flight. This flight is definitely worth it!

At Katja Ktjuta you can go on different hikes. Either the Walpa Gorge Walk, which we also did. The wind howls through here, especially in winter, and the name Walpa (which means wind) is programmed here. This easy walk takes about an hour if you walk at a leisurely pace and stop and look up in amazement like we do.

If you have more time, I recommend the long hike through the Valley of the Winds. According to our guide, this takes about 4 hours and we didn’t want to do it to ourselves as frozen as we were. Some sections may be a bit challenging, but the views are worth every effort.

From high above you can see the true extent, which you can already admire from below. From the helicopter, you will also see places that we as tourists cannot access, as an Aboriginal tribe lives here in isolation and protects their sacred places.

The arrival

Uluru is approximately 305 km (4 hours drive) from Kings Canyon and 460 km (6 hours drive) by car from Alice Springs. The best way to explore the Red Center is with your own car. Because the Kings Canyon (Watarrka National Park) is definitely worth a visit.

You can find my tips for driving in Australia here.

You can fly direct to Uluru from Darwin, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth without having to fly through Alice Springs. You can also travel from Adelaide or Darwin by luxury train “The Ghan”. I can imagine that these tickets are expensive.

We drive from Kings Canyon towards Uluru through nothing. At some point, a mountain suddenly appears on the horizon. But wait, that’s not Uluru, it’s Mount Connor, a table mountain. However, many tourists stop here as they think they recognize Uluru. But this is still about 130 km away (there is a viewpoint about 20 km after the first sighting of Mount Connor, from where you can photograph this mountain well).

Nothing can prepare you for a visit to Uluru-Kata-Tjuta National Park. No pictures, no travel reports from others, or travel guides. The mountain appears from afar as you drive deeper and deeper into the Australian desert on the Stewart Highway.

Suddenly he is there. First small, then suddenly huge. Always in a bright red-orange. This Uluru is a real highlight. Not like many other attractions, which are often grossly overrated.

You cannot enter the national park without a ticket. Admission is AUD$25 for those over the age of 15. The ticket is valid for three days from the first time you enter. The ticket is not included in any of the tours. You have to buy this separately. Either at the entrance or in advance.

I had gotten our tickets in advance because I had to apply for special permission as a blogger (media, journalist). The Tourism Board Australia and Northern Territory helped me with this and even paid for my ticket! Thanks a lot for this.

Before our trip, we had reserved an apartment only to cancel later. Since it was not clear before the 3-month trip whether we would drive from Darwin to Adelaide by car or camper, we considered both options: campsite or hotel. Basically, the region in Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park offers accommodation for every budget.

Sails in the Desert is the most luxurious way to stay at Ayers Rock Resort. Longitude 131 is the most exclusive accommodation and offers luxurious accommodation with a direct view of the impressive red glowing mountain in the void. There is no better-located accommodation. This property was undergoing a complete refurbishment during our visit and was closed. So this option was dropped.

Prior to the trip, I had booked an apartment at Emu Walk Apartments as this seemed like a great place to stay. But after it was clear that we were traveling with a campervan, I canceled the accommodation and reserved a place on the campsite for us. All accommodation at Uluru can be found on the Ayers Rock Resort website.

We stayed at Ayers Rock Campground. The campsite is huge and reservations are necessary during peak travel times. The sanitary facilities were very clean. You can book various tours and excursions directly with the administration. Camping costs:

Without electricity: from 45 AUD and with electricity: from 50 AUD (more expensive during the peak travel season. You can see the exact prices on the website).

You can also book cabins if you are not traveling with a camper. These cost 179 AUD per night. Very expensive, but maybe an alternative in winter when, like here, the sudden onset of winter comes and you almost freeze to death at -2 degrees in the non-insulated camper.

Note: If you stay three nights, you only have to pay for 2 nights. Wouldn’t have been worth it for us as we wanted to make more stops towards Adelaide.
Everything can be booked via this email address: CAMPGROUND@AYERSROCKRESORT.COM.AU

If you want to travel to the Red Heart of Australia I recommend you all months up to June. Then it’s winter. Although few believe it, temperatures can drop below zero in Australia too. Everywhere I read from May to October as the best travel time. That may be because during the day it doesn’t get scorching hot like in the summer months.

My tip is nevertheless: to avoid the real winter. Why? I assume that you will be traveling with a camper without auxiliary heating, insulation, and warm-down duvets – like us, by the way. Then you will freeze bitterly at night. I have never been so frozen on a trip as here. Temperatures below 0 degrees are not uncommon.

Also, the visit to the Field of Light or the sunrise at Kata Tjuta and the hike was very, very cold. The positive: During the day the temperatures are often (not always) very pleasant as soon as the sun shines.

Between 12 and 18 degrees warms you up and makes hikes around Uluru, in Kata Tjuta, or Kings Canyon pleasant. In midsummer, these places are often closed from 9 a.m. due to the high heat (over 40 degrees). Exploration is then only possible very early in the morning.

Note as a blogger: All the pictures you see here have been viewed and approved by the park authority. Because as a blogger I need a special permit for the park. Find out on site which places you should NOT photograph for religious reasons.