How to spend 5 days getting up close and personal with Uluru

Uluṟu is front and centre during this life-changing five-day journey through the desert.

Stepping off the plane in Alice Springs with a six-hour coach ride ahead, the only reference points I have of Uluṟu are photographs and videos taken from a substantial distance. But as the next five days on AAT Kings’ Kings Canyon, Uluṟu and Kata Tjuta tour will prove, those photos vastly downplay the cultural and literal weight of Uluṟu (estimated to be 1.425 billion tonnes, according to our tour guide, Jim).

Discover the cultural weight of Uluṟu-KataTjuṯa National Park for yourself. (Image: Tourism NT/ LolaandJira/ Uluṟu-KataTjuṯa NP)During the lengthy drive across the centre of Australia, there’s rarely a dull moment. Jim, who sticks with us for the entire trip, is a master at storytelling – jovial dad jokes often sneak their way into compelling tales about historical figures and Indigenous traditions in an attention-keeping manner – and the vast nothingness that surrounds us is in equal measures soothing, scary and fascinating.

It’s scary in the sense that we’re often the sole vehicle on the road for hundreds of kilometres at a time, which indicates how far we are from our hometowns. As Jim puts it, “we’re currently at the closest point to every beach in Australia”. This trip drives home just how large this country is – and how little I knew about it.

Day one: Welcome to Yulara

Fitted with USB chargers and plush leather seats, the AAT Kings coach we’ll come to call home makes for a fitting carriage across the endless desert.

The centre of the centre

Our first long-haul drive from Alice Springs to Yulara takes us to the centre of Australia. As in, the exact geographical centre. Lambert Centre of Australia is exactly what you’d expect someone to draw when they think of the Australian outback: a tiny tuckshop, souvenir store and petrol station under one roof, a mob of emus delighting excited tourists in an attached farm, and a lone bar that looks to be unchanged since the ’60s.

As someone unfamiliar with the outback save for Australian TV shows and movies, it’s a true pinch-me moment.

Artilla (Mount Conner)

After snapping our obligatory photos at the humble statue signifying the centre of Australia, we’re on the road again. The next planned stop tends to cause confused excitement among tour groups, and ours was no exception: Fooluru.

A staggering 200 million years older than its famous sibling, Artilla (Mount Conner) strikes an uncanny resemblance to Uluṟu, fooling many eager travellers into thinking they’ve arrived at their destination prematurely. Thus, the cheeky moniker ‘Fooluru’ was born. AAT Kings guests have the exclusive opportunity to explore this ancient formation with SEIT Tours.

The drive from Alice Springs to Yulara flies by thanks to Jim’s thorough documentation of the scenery around us: we drive over Finke River, often considered the world’s oldest riverbed, and learn about eucalyptus trees and water sources. Even seemingly abandoned roadhouses have an interesting backstory that keep your ears twitching, waiting for the next tidbit from Jim’s endless well of knowledge.

Yulara

Right on schedule, Uluru begins to fill the coach windows as we enter Yulara, becoming more impressive with each passing kilometre. The sun bounces off its rock face – protruding 863 metres out of the ground with a circumference of 9.4 kilometres, for perspective – giving it a striking orange-yellow tinge.

The closer we wind to Ayers Rock Resort, our accommodation for the next few nights, the more imposing Uluṟu becomes. It truly keeps growing and growing (and growing).

After checking in, we visit the Anangu Cultural Centre before meeting Uluṟu in the rocky flesh. There’s no time-wasting on this trip yet, somehow, there’s ample time to attend to personal needs (read: power naps and strolls through Ayers Rock Resort’s sole IGA). It’s the perfect balance.

Arriving in the car park for the Kuniya Walk, necks crane in an attempt to take it all in. Jim guides us down a path to ancient Indigenous rock paintings that persevere through the years, outlasting the early days of Uluṟu tourism when travellers would disturb the traditional land with few consequences. We’ve learned since then, so this entire trip is based on the motto, ‘look, don’t touch, don’t take.’

While informing us about the lore of Uluṟu, Jim is very clear that these aren’t his stories, but merely his retelling of Anangu stories.

Grazing under the stars

If you count Uluṟu’s mesmerising transformation from vibrant orange to deep purple, canapes and drinks at the Uluṟu Sunset Viewing Area are the first of two natural light shows for the evening.

Bundled up and grasping champagne flutes, our group gets giddy as the sinking sun changes Uluṟu’s appearance every 20 seconds. We watch in awe as the sandstone monolith morphs through the rainbow, snapping rapid pictures to catch every shade.

Once the sun has retired for the evening, we’re en route to a true highlight of highlights – a BBQ under the stars. Despite being in the middle of winter, there isn’t a single cloud in the sky. Sitting down to tables dimly lit by lamps, we help ourselves to mouthwatering kangaroo steaks and every BBQ fixing you could imagine (including a delicate pavlova concoction for dessert). It’s all very romantic and I suddenly feel a strong fondness for everyone at my table; the power of good food and a starry night sky is undeniable.

After we devour our dinner, a young and knowledgeable guide emerges with a military-grade laser in tow. For the next 30 minutes the guide gives meaning to the stars above, pointing out asterisms and constellations that have every guest stunned into silence.

I retire to my room pondering the universe in ways I haven’t done since I was a curious six-year-old.

Day two: Fine dining with a side of drones

Waking up in the centre of Australia, the entire place still feels mythical.

Walpa Gorge

That magical feeling increases tenfold as we arrive at Walpa Gorge, an otherworldly 2.6-kilometre walking trail through Kata Tjuta’s most prominent mounds. Stepping over rocks too large to be gravel but too small to be boulders, the blue sky forms an overhead path as we enter the gorge opening, flanked on either side by walls made of prehistoric rock.

There’s no real comparison to walking through this gorge (at least that I’ve experienced so far in life), but at this moment it feels akin to exploring a different planet. Besides a trickle of others navigating the same path, we’re alone without the sound or sight of cars, machinery or buildings. Any form of man-made infrastructure feels years away.

We return to Yulara Town Square for an afternoon of free time, which for me means a 20-minute power nap followed by an afternoon riding the shuttle bus, mingling with camels and exploring the Yulara Art Gallery.

Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner

High on a dune with clear views of both Uluṟu and Kata Tjuta, spiced apple tonic cocktails flow and moreish crocodile curry pies are handed to guests as we divide our time between gaping at the two landmarks with fervour.

A Wintjiri Wiru drone show awaits, yet it’s highly dependent on wind. As was the case with the night before, Mother Nature is on our side. We find a blanket-laden bench to sit on and keep our eyes wide open to avoid missing a single moment.

Just before the show starts, staff make their way through the benches, handing each of us our very own gourmet picnic hamper. I plunge into the box of goodies to find hearty blackened bites of kangaroo, smoked emu, a fresh baguette paired with three punchy dips crafted with native bush tomatoes, and an ancient grains salad.

After a brief introduction, the Mala Story begins. Drones dart into the air in synchronicity, weaving around one another as colours shift and silhouettes are formed against the darkening sky. The visual narrative supported by booming bass and traditional music sends feel-good chills down my spine.

Day three: Let there be (a field of) light

An early start is forgiven once the lingering sleep wears off and I’m surrounded by a literal field of lights just before daybreak.

Field of Light

Created by Bruce Munro, Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku (translated to ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’) can be found a short drive from Ayers Rock Resort, an exhibition that continues to be renewed as people like myself undoubtedly go home and tell everyone they know about it.

Navigating the lights powered by illuminated wires acting as the ‘stems’ of the fluorescent flowers, I’ve never felt this much wonder and whimsy at six in the morning. As the sun begins to overpower the glowing field, we venture to the highest viewing point to get a final overview of the installation.

Attention quickly diverts to Uluṟu as rain clouds hover above, marking the first (and last) time we witness rain pour down on the ancient monolith. We haven’t been here for more than a few days and we’ve already seen Uluṟu from every angle, in every light and in every climate.

That’s the desert for you.

Dot art painting

Our final activity takes us back to the Cultural Centre to try our hand at dot painting. Led by an ultra-talented Indigenous artist who paints immaculate pieces like it’s second nature, it quickly becomes apparent that the artist gene skipped a generation in my family.

The artist’s interpreter guides us through the symbolism of each dot formation and encourages us to add whatever means the most to us to our own art. My embarrassing finished piece is still hiding in the bottom of my travel bag to this day, but it was a privilege to gain a better understanding of the art sold by Anangu women throughout Uluṟu and its surrounds.

En route to Kings Canyon

Bidding farewell to Uluṟu and Ayers Rock Resort is certainly bittersweet; I wonder if the camels still miss me.

Once we arrive at Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon four hours later, there’s just enough time to explore the private balconies in our lodges before setting off on foot to the second light show of the day.

The Light Towers are a fascinating collection. Also crafted by Bruce Munro, from afar the installation appears to be dozens of glowing silos carefully spaced across the land. Once we start exploring, however, it becomes apparent that each silo is made of recycled clear bottles, each one reflecting the light permeating from deep within its structure.

Music from composer Orlando Gough can be heard floating through the air as colours gradually seep from greens to yellows to blues to purples.

Day four: A hike through Kings Canyon rim

I’m a sucker for a breakfast buffet and AAT Kings hasn’t failed me once on this trip. Kings Canyon’s onsite eatery Carmichael’s Restaurant serves up everything to quell my restless stomach: streaky bacon, fresh fruit, eggs cooked every which way, cereals galore and the most cherished of buffet staples, the barista-style coffee machine. It’s breakfast paradise.

Jim re-emerges to take some of us to the Kings Canyon rim for a nail-biting hike high above Watarrka National Park. Feeling less ambitious, I opt for the more leisurely, ground-level hike through the quieter surroundings of Kings Canyon Resort, followed by a balcony coffee which I stowed in a travel cup from the restaurant.

Day five: Farewell, Alice Springs

It’s the hottest day so far and I’m questioning my decision to wear a jumper with no undershirt. So it’s time to hit up a beloved Alice Springs op shop.

Alice Texas has everything (or nothing) you’d expect from an op shop in the centre of Australia. Trinkets line the walls and sturdy jackets and boots yearn to be worn again. The most fascinating discovery of all? No less than three Norah Jones CDs, patiently waiting to be purchased.

Never change, Alice Springs.

The Details

Tour: Kings Canyon, Uluṟu and Kata Tjuta tour
Price: Starting from $1979 per person twin share

With over 100 years of experience, AAT Kings curate meaningful travel moments on their range of tours so you can get to the heart of the country you’re exploring. Plus, premium coaches and knowledgeable guides make the whole experience smooth and easy.

For bookings, full itineraries and a range of other trips, visit AAT Kings.

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