JOIN US“Are you from India?” asks Robert, an indigenous Australian, while he shows me craftworks at a small market in the Ayers Rock Resort, an oasis in Central Australia.
“People say we originally come from your land.” Well, a recent research suggests some truth in his statement. Evidence has been found of substantial gene flow between Indian and Australian populations about 4,000 years ago, when the latter area already had human inhabitants around a large rock.
Called Uluru, it is no ordinary sandstone formation, but is revered as a shrine by the Anangu tribals, who believe the existence of their ancestral spirits there.
For the rest in the world, it is Ayers Rock, a wonder because of its mammoth size, colour and texture. Uluru celebrates its status as the world’s largest monolith.
It covers an area of 3.3 sq km, with a border of 9.4 km around the base, and juts 348 m above the plain, making it taller than the Eiffel Tower (301 m). Its enormity is boasted by the popular belief that more land mass exists below the ground for measurements unknown.
Uluru remained hidden to the world until European explorer William Gosse discovered it in 1873. And he named it Ayers Rock. A year earlier, another European explorer, Ernest Giles, found a series of 36 magnificently domed rocky formations called Kata Tjuta, which is located around 30 km west from Uluru, and hides a maze of fascinating gorges and crevasses. The tallest dome is over 500 m above the plain.
When I first see Uluru from the balcony of my hotel, located almost 20 km away, I imagine it as a giant elephant stuck in the ground. From that distance the surface seems smooth, but when I near it, the weather-beaten cracks, grooves, crevices and caves become visible. The loner, ruling over a vast open space, appears red in colour due to the red soil that illustrates the desert landscape around it, earning it the title, Red Centre.
Many arrive with gusto to climb to the top. It is possible, but the tribals plead against it because of the rock’s sacredness to them. Some adventurers go for it anyway, despite the hike being regarded dangerous. A factoid says more people die in Australia falling off this rock than by shark attacks.
Pathway to tread
Personally, I feel it’s better to go around the base instead of scaling the rock. There are pathways available to walk around, to see the splits and tears, to come across water holes and to peep into the caves, a few of which are illustrated with ancient indigenous art.
The Kuniya walk is short and rewarding. This stretch has become popular after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate, strolled this path recently. One does certainly enjoy the serene desert atmosphere and hear Anangu stories and legends from omniscient guides while on this walk.
Other activities that enthrall visitors here are camel rides, to explore the desert land covered with flora, which the Anangu people categorise as punu (trees), puti (shrubs), tjulpuntjulpunpa (flowers) and ukiri (grasses), and rides around the rock on a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
However, the most stunning feature of this natural wonder is its facade that reflects shades of colours, from red and orange to crimson and mauve, as the sun moves from east to west. Sidelining scientific reasons, people who experience this natural light-show like to call it celestial, and nothing else.
The spectacle is wondrous at dawn and dusk, so sunset and sunrise tours to this ‘Down Under’ destination becomes a must.
At dawn, the atmosphere is tranquil. As darkness fades, a range of magnificent colours zoom out of the uninterrupted horizon and slowly illuminate the greyish surface of the rock, with yellow, orange and soft red strips of light. The beauty and stillness of the land is palpable.
At dusk, the scene is more vibrant and bustles with busloads of tourists at vantage points who watch how the dropping sun adds different shades of red to the rock, until darkness holds it in.
Travellers often debate about when the beauty peaks — at dawn or at dusk. Honestly, it’s hard to grant a verdict on this.
Fact file
Getting there
Fly from New Delhi to Sydney, and then to Ayers Rock.
Accommodation
Ayers Rock Resort (www.ayersrockresort.com.au) offers variety of
accommodations to suit every taste and budget.
Other activities
Camel rides through the desert soils (www.ulurucameltours.com.au); bike rides around Uluru (www.ulurucycles.com.au); Sounds of Silence, a grand dinner under the sky.