Iconic. While the word is probably overused, there is no doubt that it applies to Uluru. The only thing that probably surpasses it as the most recognizable landmark in Australia is Sydney’s Opera House. The Opera House is spectacular–perfectly situated on Bennelong point with the Harbor Bridge just beyond–there is no doubt. But if the Opera House is the face of Australia, there is no doubt that Uluru is the heart, figuratively and literally. It is found in the heart of Australia, an area known as the Red Centre. A national park encompasses both Uluru and a neighboring rock formation, Kata Tjuta. Uluru is a massive sandstone monolith that rises 1,142 feet from the desert plain surrounding it. It seems to be the only thing occupying an otherwise featureless plain. Even Kata Tjuta is more than 20 miles away.
From the air and at a distance Uluru impresses with is size and isolation, a monstrous rock protruding with nothing else in sight. To say it dominates the landscape doesn’t do it justice. It IS the landscape. Instantly recognizable. . . Iconic. As you get closer though, Uluru comes alive. We were lucky to arrive after a very wet year and the desert was greener than I would have imagined the Australian Outback to be. Closer yet, pools of water could be found with black-streaking algae cascading down from the heights, like shadows of the waterfalls that created them. Looking even closer, in the shady caves at the base of the monolith, are pictographs telling the stories of the Aboriginal people who have lived here for tens of thousands of years. The traditional owners of Uluru and the surrounding lands, the Anangu, still live here and still use these caves for the ceremonies like their ancestors have for countless generations. Areas of particular significance to the Anangu are not accessible to tourists, and many other areas can be approached but not photographed out of respect for their beliefs and traditions. It wasn’t always like this, but in 1985 the Australian government gave the land back to the Anangu, who in turn leased it back to the government with the stipulation that the park is jointly managed by the Anangu and the Director of National Parks.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, coming to Uluru from southern Utah. Having spent so much time among our wealth of spectacular red rock landscapes, I did not know if it would be slightly less impressive with subconscious comparisons of our rocks to theirs. Not to worry, Uluru exceeded my expectations. From a distance, it is just as spectacular, just as imposing as the classic photos make it out to be. Images fail to capture the evolution of changing colors throughout the day or the lush pockets of life hidden in the various cracks and folds of the rock, or the Anangu culture that surrounds Uluru. Uluru truly is iconic; instantly recognizable, but so much more than a large lump on a desert plain. You really need to appreciate the different perspectives offered as you circle the monument on the base walk, and learn more about the cultural significance of Uluru to the Anangu people from a park ranger on the Mala walk to appreciate what makes Uluru the heart of Australia.
Family photo at sunrise