Our Blog

A big red rock.  That was about all I knew to expect in Uluru (Ayers Rock).  The famous monolith did not disappoint.  But who knew there was so much more to do in the red heart of Australia?

I am a curious (as in enquiring, not strange – I think) man.  Whenever I have the chance I’ll pick a window seat when flying.  Taking off from Sydney, our Virgin Australia flight took us over Botany Bay and beach suburbs around Sydney before flying across the blue-green forests of the Blue Mountains.  Soon, the earth’s colors changed to ochres and reds. Vegetation became more and more sparse as we flew towards the heart of Australia.  Massive white salt flats came into view – and then, without warning or surrounding mountain ranges, Uluru appeared at the horizon: a huge monolith in rust colors, majestically overlooking its domain.

After landing into the small airport of Uluru (Ayers Rock), our ride to the Sails in the Desert hotel only took about 15 minutes. The five-star option in Ayers Rock Resort, just outside of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, was recently renovated and a comfortable place to stay.  Its outdoor pool is a popular place to cool down between tours of the semi-arid desert, especially when the sun beats down in the middle of the day. It was about 42 degrees Celsius or 107 degrees Fahrenheit when we stayed.  (But it’s a dry heat…) That tends to be the hottest it gets, or so we were told.  Others cooled down in the air-conditioned comfort of their newly renovated rooms, all spread out in low-rise buildings throughout the resort. 

But you’re not visiting Ayers Rock Resort to stay in your hotel.  During our two-night stay, we truly made the most of our time:

What I was expecting:   

1. See Uluru (Ayers Rock)

What we ended up doing:                           

1. See Uluru (Ayers Rock) change color from earthy browns during the day to vibrant reds at sunset
2. Enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and Australian appetizers while the sun set over the desert, followed by a bush tucker inspired dinner with beautifully set tables overlooking Uluru
3. Learn to find the Southern Cross, depicted on Australia’s flag and only visible in the Southern hemisphere.   We marveled at the Milky Way during a stargazing session.  Due to the lack of artificial light,  the visibility is excellent.
4. Walk through the Field of Light, a masterful installation by internationally renowned artist Bruce Monro and his team.  50,000 handmade glass spheres gently glow and change colors in the night-time desert.  If you’d like to see this, you must move quickly: it is a unique temporary exhibit that will only be in Uluru until April 2018
5. Hike and drive around Uluru at sunrise, learning more about its sacred places, exploring watering holes and 7,000 year old Aboriginal rock art
6. Learn about the Aboriginal Anangui people who have called the heart of Australia home for generations
7. Watch four Anangui men dance and explain more about their culture
8. Be very pleasantly surprised that high-quality modern Australian cuisine (and wines, of course) are available in what frankly is the middle of nowhere
9. Hike the Walpa gorge between the massive domes of the Kata Tjuta rock formation (also known as the Olgas).  Our skilled guides taught us how the environment and geology evolved over millions of years
10. Find out about the ancient symbols of the desert. Learn how the Aboriginal people express their history and stories through dot paintings.  Next? An opportunity to express our own life stories by creating our own dot artwork
11. Enjoyed a progressive three-course camp-fire inspired dinner on top of an open-air vintage double decker bus, listening to amazing stories of pioneering history with the privilege of being the only visitors in the National Park after dark. 

What we didn’t do, but could have?  Enjoy the Red Ochre Spa at the resort; a scenic helicopter flight; relax by the pool and quite a bit more.

Uluru is on the typical “Sydney, Rock, Reef” itinerary for many American travelers.  To do it justice, you should try to spend more than one day here.  The official “Aussie Specialists” at Q Cruise + Travel are happy to help you plan your “Red Earth” discovery!