Ayers Rock Articles

Tourists still free to climb Uluru

TOURISTS will be able to climb the World Heritage-listed Uluru for several years to come, after Environment Minister Peter Garrett deferred a decision to ban people from climbing the rock.

Selfless life of teaching and caring for children off the beaten track

JOAN EILEEN ASHTON TEACHER 11-12-1920 — 10-7-2009

We'll box smarter, vows GPT in wake of $1.2b half-year hit

THE GPT Group has reported a $1.19 billion loss for the half year to June 30, up from a year ago, but has vowed it intends to "get better, not bigger".

Azaria lawyer 'a loss to Australia'

IT WAS dubbed Australia's "trial of the century" and John Harber Phillips was charged with defending the woman at the heart of it, Lindy Chamberlain.

Climbing Uluru triggers views far and wide ... but no answers

I have no particular desire to climb Uluru, but I grow tired of people such as Steve Ellis (Letters, July 10) saying it should be banned because it is the equivalent of a church.

5 Hot Properties in Uluru

Ayers Rock

Ayers Rock is one of Australia's most famous landmarks. Located in the Kata Tjutu National Park in the south of Northern Territory, the spectacular sacred, large sandstone rock is also referred to as 'Uluru'.

The rock, marked with waterholes and cave paintings, is sacred to the Pitjanjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Indigenous tribes. Ayers Rock stands 348 metres high with a 9 kilometeres circumference and it's estimated that two thirds is beneath the ground.

Ayers Rock is unique for its ever changing colour depending on the time of day and year and has lots of native wildlife - this includes endangered species, the Mulgara. There are also marsupial moles, Woma pythons and the Great Desert Skink.

Ayers Rock wildlife

There are seven species of bats, four species of frogs and many reptile species, as well as pushes to reintroduce extinct animals including the Malleefowl and Common Brushtail Possum at Ayers Rock.

Equally, there is an abundance of flora at Ayers Rock, the Mulga tree, the Centralian Bloodwood and endangered species - the Adder's Tongue ferns.

Ayers Rock other attractions

When you're at Ayers Rock, you can visit the Ayers Rock Campground Gallery and go on tours led by Indigenous people of the area to gain a better understanding about Ayers Rock's significance. While you're at Ayers Rock, venture to the Olgas, another rock spectacular that consists of 36 large rock formations that spread out over 35 kilometres.

Ayers Rock climate

Ayers Rock has a maximum temperature of 37.5 degrees Celsius, a minimum temperature of 3.4 degrees Celsius in July and an annual rainfall of 330.5 millimetres.