I have faced the legendary Rock of Gibraltar and Sigiriya rock fortress in Sri Lanka. Now, I stand in front of the Uluru Rock in central Australia and sense similar feelings of awe and exhilaration. Perhaps even more, because this natural wonder has supposedly existed as the spiritual embodiment of Anangu indigenous people for as long as 40,000 years and geologically holds the title of the world’s largest monolith.
Jutting 348 metres above the plain, it’s taller than the Eiffel Tower. The sandstone monolith covers an area of 3.3 sq km with a border of 9.4 km around the base and runs underground for unknown kilometres.
European explorer William Gosse discovered the rock in 1873. He named it Ayers Rock, after Sir Henry Ayers, an eminent bureaucrat of the time. In 1995, the Australian government renamed it Uluru, as called by the Anangu people.
My first glimpse of the structure was through the aircraft window, when it appeared like a huge, bacon-red protrusion, dominating a red-soiled landscape with nothing around it other than a few patches of green. The second glance was from a rising sand dune close to my accommodation at the Ayers Rock Resort, still distant. It struck me like a giant elephant thrusted half in ground.
From a distance, the surface appeared reasonably smooth, but up close, it was corrugated and scarred, studded with holes, cracks and ridges. Climbing to its summit is possible, but not recommended, because of its religious significance to the natives. Moreover, it's dangerous. Better explore the geological break-ups on foot or bike the trail at its base.
Led by an omniscient guide, I went on a Segway ride tour, visited waterholes and caves. I heard stories connected with the rock, the lingering ones being that of Liru, the poisonous snake; Kuniya, the woman python, and Mala, the rufous hare-wallaby. I was intrigued by the indigenous people, their lifestyle and culture.
A visit to Uluru Culture Centre proved fruitful. An ensemble of interactive displays, video shows and artwork provided insights into the lives of the traditional owners of the land. A range of activities at my resort talked of the region’s history, art, geology, flora and fauna.
What draws millions annually to this iconic Aussie heartland is the rock’s extraordinary ability to change of colours in a day.
The first rays of the sun illuminating the greyish surface of the rock with yellow, orange and soft-red stripes was a truly dreamlike experience. As the sun moves from east to west, the colours on the rock transforms to varieties of red, oxblood, scarlet, dull burnt ochre to even purple. At dusk, the place livens up. Busloads and even camel loads of tourists gather at vantage points to bid adieu to the sinking sun with a glass of wine in their hands.
As the darkness grips, another kind of illumination lights up the landscape as far as one can see. It’s called the Field of Light, a lighting exhibition that has become a crowd-puller ever since its opening in April 2016. Created by famed British artist Bruce Munro in 1992, the solar-powered installation comprises over 50,000 slender stems crowned with radiant frosted glass spheres, covering an area bigger than the size of seven football fields. Pathways through the lighting arenas bring visitors closer to individual lights, which appeared to me like blooming tulips. This artistic exhibition will close on March 30, 2018. Do not be disappointed, because Uluru will still remain. And it’s magnificent.
Fact file
Getting there: Fly Air India (www.airindia.com) direct from Delhi to Sydney, then either Virgin Australia (www.virginaustralia.com) or Jetstar (www.jetstar.com) to Ayers Rock