{"id":222,"date":"2024-12-08T02:33:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T02:33:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/discovery.cevolution.co.uk\/australia\/?p=222"},"modified":"2025-01-11T11:21:58","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T11:21:58","slug":"ayers-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/discovery.cevolution.co.uk\/australia\/2024\/12\/08\/ayers-rock\/","title":{"rendered":"Ayers Rock"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 7<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>\n

And just like that, my time in Melbourne was over. Sadly I didn’t get to venture as far afield as the Grampians<\/a> (thank you for the suggestion, though, Chloe, I will definitely keep it on my list for another time), but what I have experienced of the City and its environs has been amazing \ud83e\udd29 Thank you for hosting me; someday I would love to return \ud83d\ude01<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After another hearty repast at the One Queen<\/em> (the convenient restaurant adjoining the Vibe; see here<\/a> for more), it was time to order an Uber and head back to Tullamarine – this time taking an internal flight departing from Terminal 3 to Uluru – the Aboriginal name for Ayres Rocks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Uluru is situated in the Northern Territory<\/a>, an area bordered by the states of Western Australia<\/a>, South Australia<\/a> and Queensland<\/a>. Quite simply put, it’s a hot and somewhat arid desert-like location in the middle of nowhere – a far cry from the lush greenery of Melbourne<\/a>! It\u2019s also on Australian Central Standard Time<\/em>, which is an hour and a half behind Melbourne (which is on Australian Eastern Daylight Time<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrival<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Having boarded an almost half-empty Boeing 737-800, I settled in for the circa 3-hour flight across a significant portion of the Australian interior. Uluru, a.k.a. Ayers Rock, is a massive sandstone monolith in the heart of the Northern Territory\u2019s arid “Red Centre”. To the Aboriginals – the indigenous Australian culture – it’s a sacred place and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago. It\u2019s also situated within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park<\/a><\/em>, which is home to the 36 red-rock domes of the Kata Tjuta (colloquially known as \u201cThe Olgas<\/a>\u201d) formation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Landing at Ayres Rock Connellan couldn’t have been more different to landing at Melbourne Tullamarine. For starters, the Airport is tiny: a single terminal with a runway that almost certainly couldn’t cater for anything larger than the 737 I came in on. This little gem, however, reminded me of some of the more “ramshackle” airports I’ve landed at over the years: Bristol when it first started out, L.F. Wade International when it was just known as Bermuda Airport and the termini of numerous other tropical destinations. No sky bridges here – just some stairs and the latent heat from the resting turbines!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Desert Gardens Hotel <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

From the airport, the complimentary bus service takes one to their accommodation of choice – my hotel, the Desert Gardens, being one of a number in what is essentially the self-contained complex known as Ayres Rock Resort<\/a><\/em>. This is a resort that comes complete with it\u2019s own Police Station and Fire Station, too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Describing the Desert Gardens as looking like something out of Tenko<\/a> – an early ’80s series shown in the UK about a women’s Japanese prisoner of war camp – might seem uncharitable. But honestly, with its barracks-like structures and accommodation blocks, that’s kind of what it reminded me of! \ud83d\ude33<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It is a resort-style hotel in a resort complex, yes, but at the end of the day, this is a facility that’s purpose-built for the cultural\/geological experience(s) one typically comes here for. Not to mention the fact that it\u2019s also designed to be sympathetic with the style of its surroundings. Both of these, I have to say, it does really well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are various excursions one can take to Uluru and its surrounding environs, and these are provided by the various companies that operate in the area. They are also priced at various levels. I booked the Sunrise, Field of Light<\/em> trip via TRAVELBAG before I arrived and then the Sacred Sites & Sunset<\/em> trip when I got here (off the back of sorting out some last-minute planning issues); more about all of these in my blog post here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’d say this is a one or two-day destination at most: I personally wouldn’t pick Ayres Rock as a destination to classically relax and unwind. Having said that, Desert Gardens does have a pool – as do some of the other hotels – and I did get the impression that some folks had taken the opportunity to stay longer…making more of a “vacation” of the experience. I can see how that might appeal to some, but it wouldn’t be for me \ud83e\udd17<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from the excursions and the pool(s), there are quite a few other things you can do around the resort – most of which are free. For example, there are numerous paths that cross the \u201coutback\u201d and take you up to the various vantage points that give you a better chance to observe your surroundings. Yes, out here, you are definitely within what one traditionally thinks of as the classic Australian Outback<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also a number of exhibitions you can enjoy, showcasing the various artists and their local cultural wares; dare I say, there are also the obligatory set of (self-same) locals who will try to hawk you their wares at any opportunity \ud83d\ude02<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Whichever accommodation block you choose, I should imagine the rooms are all much-of-a-muchness. As I say, to my mind, this is a place designed for short stays and so the facilities are intended to be functional though not much else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n