Australian Natural Adventures

Wildlife, Nature & Soft Adventure Tours

Custom Australia, New Zealand & Pacific tours and travel

Uluru & Kata Kjuta
the red center

(Ayers Rock)

Due to very high temperatures we do not recommend Uluru during January and February, but if this is a highlight of your visit to Australia, all vehicles and hotels are air-conditioned! You'll just need to get up early in the morning, and spend the middle of the day relaxing in the cool of the hotel.

Day 1 - Arrival Ayers Rock / Uluru
After arriving at Ayers Rock Airport there's time to visit the nearby Cultural Centre, or just relax. Late afternoon, about one hour before sunset, your are taken to a sand dune, where a didgeridoo plays. The didgeridoo is a traditional Aboriginal musical instrument, formed from a hollowed tree branch. It has haunting and evocative sound, but a talented player can also encourage an amazing variety of sounds from this simple tube. Then enjoy canapes and champagne as the setting sun transform Uluru, as Ayers Rock is known to the local Anangu people, from red to purple to maroon. There are few sights as evocative as this. After sunset partake in a gourmet open-air three course dinner at tables arranged on the dune. This magical night is completed when an astronomer guide describes stars and constellations of the Southern Hemisphere, shining brightly in the clear desert air.

Day 2 - Uluru
Awake early this morning – before sunrise – to visit Uluru itself, witnessing the spectacular sunrise without rushing. Short walks enable you to view rock art, waterholes and some of the unique flora and fauna of Uluru. Your guides introduce the geology of Uluru and describe how plants and wildlife have adapted and survived in such a forbidding environment. They also describe deep the relationship of the Anangu people to Uluru. This place was shelter, provided water and is a tangible link with their creation ancestors. As you walk at the base we hear and see the creation time stories of these ancient people unfold, and see where the people lived and carried out ceremonies. Here the beliefs of the local people are embodied in one of the great places of this world. From a distance Uluru is spectacular; from close up it is powerful and deeply moving, and presents its exquisite and dramatic sculpturing. After your time at the base of Uluru visit the nearby Aboriginal-operated Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, to continue your understanding of Uluru and its people. Return to the hotel in time for lunch.*

Not as well known outside Australia as Ayers Rock, but also fascinating, is Kata Kjuta (the Olgas). These rounded tors are hewn from the same subterranean mass as Uluru itself, and present their own stories and mysteries. You depart early afternoon for Olga Gorge, where your guide describes the geology of the area and how it has evolved over millions of years. As you walk through Olga Gorge you'll learn how the Aboriginal people used the plants of the area in their daily life, and as the sun sets the domes change color, just like the larger Uluru. However, the clefts and shadows, and your special perspective, make this a unique event.

Day 3 - Uluru / Depart Ayers Rock
This morning return to the base of Uluru, for a different look at this inspiring place. This morning an Aboriginal guide leads a meander through bushland near the base of Uluru. He shares the Aboriginal perspective rather than the Western, telling of the creation stories seen in the scars and features of Uluru. These stories are thousands of generations old and yet still part of the daily culture of this ancient people. See how traditional tools, weapons and implements are made and used in daily life; learn how to make the oldest glue in the world and practice throwing a spear. Although your earlier visit related the Aboriginal aspect of Uluru, hearing it from an elder imparts a very different feel and understanding of the oldest living culture in the world. If you prefer, a 1.5 hour camel ride through the desert to watch the sun rise on Uluru can be substituted for this tour. Early afternoon depart for the next part of your journey.

Please note: depending on the time of the year, and therefore sunset, we may substitute an afternoon Aboriginal guided tour in place of the morning tour on Day 3.

* you may substitute a guided walk - about 4 miles - around the base instead of the vehicle-based tour.