Reasons to linger longer at Ayers Rock Resort
From Aboriginal story-telling in a traditional wiltja (shelter) to the Sounds of Silence dinner in the desert under the stars, Ayers Rock Resort offers visitors a superb range of touring, excursions and day trips to have them lingering longer in the heart of Australia’s aptly called ‘Red Centre’.
Once, people simply came to climb Uluru (Ayers Rock), watch the sunset and then leave the next day. Now visitors are staying on to immerse themselves in an array of new experiences, ranging from dot painting with local Aboriginal artists, sunset barbecues at Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), day-long 4WD safaris to more simply relaxing in the absolute peace of the outback on a quiet dune or beside one of the resort’s picturesque swimming pools.
With over 65 different tours to choose from, Ayers Rock Resort has become the hub for exploring the Red Centre. With half day or day trips to Mt Connor, Cave Hill and Kings Canyon; scenic flights over Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Lake Amadeus; and an excellent selection of walks in and around the area, travellers soon realise that there is so much more to discover.
Anangu Tours, an Aboriginal-owned touring company, offer walking tours escorted by Aboriginal guides who provide a rich insight into Aboriginal history, culture and Tjukurpa (traditional law). Tours include:
- Mala Uluru Walk: a vehicle based tour of the rock and then an Aboriginal Guided Mala Walk. Learn the sensitive story of the Mala (Hare Wallaby) people who lived at Uluru, with their friend the Itjaritjari (marsupial mole).
- Aborginal Uluru Tour: after enjoying the sunrise with breakfast overlooking Uluru, join your Aboriginal guides on the famous Liru Walk as you retrace the path of the Liru Ancestors. See demonstrations of ancient bush skills such as making kiti (bush glue), making fire without matches and carving wooden tools with only a sharpened stone. Learn to hold and throw a spear.
- Dot Painting Workshop: Join Aboriginal artists at the Uluru Cultural Centre for a fun introduction to Aboriginal art. Providing an introduction to their culture, join the artists to complete your own painting, which you can take home as a personal memento.
Other tour options range from AAT Kings coaches, helicopters, light aircraft, through to 4WDs and Harley Davidson motor cycles:
The Cultural Centre is where Aboriginal design, art and traditional stories come together. The architecture of the Cultural Centre is curved in the shape of two ancestral snakes, built of natural timber and mudbrick with roof shingles representing the scales on the snakes’ backs, the Centre is an eloquent story of Aboriginal history, culture, lifestyle and beliefs. Exhibits, videos, audios, interactive displays and crafts for sale make it a destination not to be missed.
Desert Awakenings takes guests away from the crowds to a secluded sand dune to watch the spectacular sight of sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. In the company of an expert guide with no more than 20 passengers, Desert Awakenings delivers an insight into the ancient landscape, ecology, culture, heritage and history of what is now regarded as Australia's spiritual heartland.
At a private dune top, a traditional bushman's breakfast is prepared over the fire as the guide explains the retreating night sky with Billy Tea and Damper served as sunrise brings spectacular vistas of Uluru and the surrounding landscape.
Visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre to learn about the local lore of the Anangu (Aboriginal people), the guide takes the group to the base of Uluru to explain some of the rock paintings and the stories from the creation period, as told by the Anangu people, which make it such a powerful and spiritual place for visitors and Anangu alike.
An award-winning dining experience, Sounds of Silence takes guests to into the desert for an unforgettable evening. Arriving at a quiet sand dune for sunset over Uluru, champagne and canapés are served to the eerie sound of a lone didgeridoo. Guests then feast on an array of the Northern Territory's culinary delights - barramundi, kangaroo, emu, crocodile, bush salads, and classic Australian desserts, as the red and orange hues fade to reveal the bright blanket of Southern hemisphere stars. Regaled with stories by the resident astronomer, the evening concludes around a campfire with a mulled wine.
Uluru Camel Tours offer a choice of camel backed adventures, the two most popular being the "Camel to Sunset" and "Camel to Sunrise". These tours take about two hours and include a peaceful ride through the dunes to one of the best vantage spots to watch either sunrise or sunset. On return guests are invited to have billy tea and damper with the sunrise tour or a glass of champagne and canapés on the sunset tour.
Discovery Ecotours specialise in offering small group walking and vehicle based tours around both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Combined as a full day ‘Uluru Eco-Pass’, discover the magnificence of these fascinating rock formations and the unique environment that surrounds them with a sunrise amble around the oldest walking track on earth that circumnavigates Uluru and afternoon stroll through the mysterious domes of Kata Tjuta before catching the changing hues and shadows which hauntingly colour the formations at sunset.
Enjoy the outback by air with scenic flights by light aircraft or helicopter including champagne sunset flights over Lake Amadeus, Kata Tjuta, Uluru and Kings Canyon.
AAT Kings offers a very wide range of luxury coach tours includes single and combination tours of the Uluru base, sunrise, and sunset. Highly recommended is the tour to Kata Tjuta with the Valley of the Winds walk, BBQ dinner and stargazing.
Journey into the spectacular Central Australian Desert, deep into the homeland of the Anangu people, on a Cave Hill Safari. In this unique partnership between SEIT Outback Australia and Aboriginal owned Desert Tracks, experience an intimate and exclusive 4x4 tour to Cave Hill. Telling the story of the Seven Sisters Dreaming and described as one of the most spectacular rock art sights in Central Australia, meet the traditional Yankunytjatjara custodians of Cave Hill who will bring alive the story of the Seven Sisters in the contours of the surrounding landscape and spectacular cave art.
SEIT Outback Australia offers a unique and exclusive touring experience to Mt Conner - the third of the great monoliths, located 100kms east of Uluru on the fringe of Curtin Springs cattle station. Visiting vast salt lakes that are remnants of ancient inland oceans with telling fossilized remains, the tour covers the history of the area whilst circling Mt Connor by 4WD through a hidden series of rugged gorges - a perfect haven for Red Kangaroos, Rock Wallabies and other wildlife. Finish the day with a glass of champagne as the sun goes down over Mt Conner before tucking into a three-course home cooked dinner prepared by the station cook at Curtin Springs Station' homestead.
Travel pillion-passenger to Uluru or Kata Tjuta at sunrise, sunset or simply cruise. Uluru Motorcycle Tours offers one of Australia’s most popular Harley Davidson touring options. Helmets, leathers and intercom system for rider-to-passenger or passenger-to-passenger communication are provided. Self-ride tours are also available.
Alternatively, try the lazy life. It is a holiday after all…
So, why not toss a towel on to an outdoor lounger under the shade of a eucalyptus tree or take a lazy dip in the pool? Stroll through the Resort for a look at the shops or retire to a lookout on a sand dune to simply breath in the clean, clear air of the outback? Drop into the Red Ochre Spa for a revitalising treatment? Lunch on a bush tucker pizza fresh from a wood-fired oven and then pop the cork on a chilled bottle of champagne on the hotel room balcony as the sunset drifts a pink haze over the outback?
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Longitude 131 (5-star plus)
Longitude 131 offers luxurious safari style accommodation. Situated away from the Ayers Rock Resort and landscaped into soft sand dunes with unprecedented views of Uluru (Ayers Rock), Longitude 131 comprises 15 superbly appointed luxurious ‘tents’ with access to an airy central Dunehouse where guests go to dine, relax in the library or enjoy a few drinks in the lounge. All-inclusive, a stay at Longitude 131 also includes an exclusive tour programme.
Sails in the Desert (5-star)
Designed by well-known Australian architect Phillip Cox, Sails in the Desert offers all the luxuries and comfort of a 5-star hotel in the heart of the Australian outback. Guests can choose from spacious, well-appointed deluxe, deluxe spa and suite rooms, all of which have private bathrooms, balconies. There are three restaurants to choose from, a swimming pool, tennis courts, mini golf and spa/massage facilities.
The Desert Gardens (4.5-star)
The Desert Gardens Hotel is a stylish hotel set among flowering native shrubs and eucalyptus trees offering the choice of standard and deluxe spacious poolside or deluxe garden rooms, all of which have private courtyards or verandahs. Facilities include the White Gum Restaurant - renowned for it’s Australian specialties, the poolside Bunya Bar and a swimming pool.
Emu Walk Apartments (4-star)
Light and airy, the 4-star Emu Walk Apartments, are ideally suited to family groups and guests wanting a longer stay in the Red Centre. Accommodation consists of 60 spacious, well-equipped, self-contained one/two bedroom apartments and is fully serviced. Facilities and room inclusions range from fully equipped kitchen/living/ dining area, shower, radio/television, mini-bar, ISD/STD telephone and baby-sitting
services.
The Lost Camel (3.5-star)
The Lost Camel is furnished in bright and vibrant colours that convey a distinctive, contemporary feel. The décor mixes urban chic with traditional Aboriginal artefacts. There are 99 studio rooms to choose from located around lush central courtyards with an inviting pool. Rooms feature all have a private bathroom, hairdryer, iron and ironing board, safe, refrigerator and mini-bar, as well as tea and coffee making
facilities.
The Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge (3-star)
With a choice of comfortable hotel rooms and budget style cabins, the Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge is ideal for travellers who appreciate a professional yet relaxed atmosphere. Catering to the demands of international and domestic tours and independent travellers, this property offers a real taste of Australia’s pioneering past. Hotel accommodation consists of 125 standard hotel rooms. Lodge accommodation comprises 42 budget rooms, plus 20 male and 20 female dormitories with 128 bunk beds. Facilities include a pool, self-catering kitchen, laundry, showers and toilets, common room, internet access and take-away (or off-premise) bottle shop.
Ayers Rock Resort Campground
Ayers Rock Resort Campground is ideal for families, independent travellers and groups who want get close to nature but still appreciate having all the amenities. Accommodation consists of 220 tent sites, 198 powered sites, 14 ‘Village Tents’, 14 air-conditioned cabins and 10 coach sites. Facilities include swimming pool, reception and kiosk, gas re-fills, campers’ kitchen, van storage, laundry, public ISD/STD phones, free gas barbeques and security.
For more information and bookings, visit voyages.com.au.
