Uluru

Uluru – Located in nearly the exact center of Australia, Uluru is one of the world’s largest rocks. Yes, Uluru is a pretty big rock, but what makes it so impressive is the way it contrasts with the enormous flat plain surrounding it. Geologically speaking, Uluru is an inselberg which literally means ‘island mountain’. This is a common remnant landform of hard rock, found especially in the desert, after the softer parts have eroded away.

Formerly called Ayers Rock, the huge red monolith is one of the main reasons visitors from all over the world trek to Australia’s extremely hot, semi-arid red center.

 

Uluru, a sacred Aboriginal site and the emblem of Australia, rises to a height of 348 meters (just over 1,100 feet). Another 5 km (about 3 miles) of the sandstone monolith lies beneath the desert surface.  A trek around the base of the mountain is 9.4 kms (nearly 6 miles).

Aborigines have inhabited the area around Uluru for more than 20,000 years. The first Europeans arrived in 1872 naming the monolith ‘Ayers Rock’ after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. 

Also rising out of the desert floor about 30 kilometers (nearly 20 miles) west of Uluru is Kata Tjuta, a group of more than 36 rounded red domes known as The Olgas. Kata Tjuta is the Aboriginal name which means “many heads”. Uluru and Kata Tjuta are just two of the main attractions in the 1,326 km² (512 sq miles) Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

From the early 1900s until the mid-1980s, the area around Uluru was under the control of the Australian government. In 1985 the title of the iconic rock was handed back to the Aboriginal people. And on 15 December 1993, Ayers Rock was given back its original name, Uluru. 

Recognizing that the ancient monolith was Australia’s best-known natural landmark, the native people granted the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service a 99 year lease on the park.

Many visitors make it point to visit this icon in the early morning as well as at sunset to see the dramatic color changes depending on the time of day and the weather. Red is the color most often seen in photos of Uluru. However, its actual color is gray. It is the combination of red oxide and minerals in the sandstone reflecting the red light of sunrise and sunset that gives it the red color.