The secret of Uluru - how to enjoy this mystical place

by Rita Amend
(Germany)

I admit I was never attracted to visit Uluru, neither was my hubby. Too expensive, too far away, too much hype about the rock. When I planned our fourth trip to Australia it turned out that we would come fairly close to the red centre (by Australian standards), and we decided to give it a go.

Yes, visiting Uluru was an awe-inspiring experience!

Why did I enjoy my visit despite my prejudice?

First of all, I did some research before I went. Aboriginal culture is not easy to digest for us "western" people, though I think it is very fascinating.
A visit to the Cultural centre gave more insight, and provided brochures for self-guided walks.

Exploring Uluru and Kata Tjuta in our own vehicle helped us to stay away from organised tours, thus the crowds. Even if you fly to Yulara, I would recommend to hire a car there.

To get an insight into Uluru we did the Mala Walk, the most stunning and fascinating 2 kms in my life. What a different picture of what looked like a solid piece of rock from the distance. Caves and shelters, huge slabs of rock - the base of Uluru appeared really fragile.

The Mala Walk shows the places where the Mala people prepared for a ceremony.
With the helpful brochure in my hand I was able to discover the described features in the rocks and caves - awesome. I felt like I was in a different world.

The Mala walk ends at Kantju, one of the few reliable waterholes around Uluru. This was a place of tranquillity, a place to sit and think about what I was experiencing....

Summary
A visit to Uluru can be more than just climbing the rock and seeing the sunset (of course I saw the sunset, too). Make it as individual as possible, and have fun.

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About me
I fell in love with Australia and the Outback on my first visit many years ago. This love finally led me into creating Rita's Outback Guide.