Your Choice, Your Responsibility

Another early start at Ayers Rock this morning. Beautifully crisp, cool morning, just right for walking. If your considering walking around or climbing Ayers Rock here’s the visitors guide with maps for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. There are several walks to choose from and viewing platforms for sunrise and sunset. Whether you climb is your decision, there’s no-one to stop you unless it’s closed because it’s too dangerous, which it was today. And it’s STEEP!

Uluru Walking Tracks

Uluru base Walk 10.6 km full circuit, 3.5 hr
Liru Walk 4 km return (access track), 1.5 hr
Mala Walk to Kantju Gorge 2km return, 1.5 hr
Lungkata Walk 4 km return, 1.5 hr
Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole 1 km return, 30-45 min.

We opted for the Mala Walk from the car park (and toilet!) at the base of the climb, out to Kantju Gorge (2km return, 1.5 hrs) which is a lovely peaceful spot. There’s also a free ranger guided Mala Walk. Uluru is made from a sedimentary rock called arkose sandstone.  It is Anangu Land traditionally owned by the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people, visitors are welcome but they ask you to respect their sacred areas, not to climb, or take photos at sensitive sites, which are well signposted, as ‘The real thing about this place is listening to everything’.

Quite marvellous to see the organic nature of the rock. It’s huge. It’s solid rock but  different every step of the way with caves and weathering scars, waterholes and plenty of nooks and crannies.

Sun is getting higher and we’re running out of shade so we decide to head back to the carpark and then onto the Lungkata Walk to the Mutitjulu Waterhole and back. Next time we’ll park and start at the Waterhole and head onto the Kuninya Walk so we make better use of the shade and walk the more exposed areas in the cool rather than the heat, hopefully.

Wonder how old the rock paintings are?

Full sun now so we head off and visit the viewing platforms. More walking tomorrow but it’s the Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) which you can see in the distance here. Rather flat around here, isn’t it? That’s forty kilometres away.

After 6km and 3 hrs its enough for today, time for a wonderfully refreshing swim, with only a few wasps these days.