The resort's small shopping center has the pleasant Gecko's Café, which offers wood-fired pizzas, pastas, and sandwiches; a bakery; an ice cream shop; and takeout. Sails in the Desert, Desert Gardens, and the Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge can provide picnic hampers and breakfast backpacks. Kids under 15 dine free at any of the hotels' buffets in the company of an adult. It's a good idea to bring some wine with you, because the place really has things sewn up, including prices.
Dinner in the Desert -- Why sit in a restaurant when you can eat outside and soak up the desert air? Ayers Rock Resort's Sounds of Silence dinner is not just a meal, it's an event. In an outdoor clearing, you sip champagne and nibble canapés as the sun sets over the Rock to the strains of a didgeridoo. Zero in on people you want to sit with, then head to communal white-clothed, candlelit tables and a serve-yourself a meal which will include kangaroo, emu, crocodile, and barramundi (a large freshwater fish). The food is not exceptional, but you are really here for the atmosphere. After dinner, the lanterns fade and you are left with stillness. For some city folk, it is the first time they have ever heard complete silence. Look up into the usually clear skies and an astronomer will point out the constellations of the Southern Hemisphere. You can also look at the stars through telescopes. Sounds of Silence is held nightly, weather permitting, and costs A$153 (US$138/£69) for adults and A$77 (US$69/£35) for children 10 to 12, including transfers from Ayers Rock Resort. Surcharges apply for Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. It's mighty popular, so book as far ahead as you can, even up to 3 months ahead in peak season. Book through the Ayers Rock Resort office in Sydney (tel. 1300/134 044 in Australia, or 02/8296 8010) or online (www.ayersrockresort.com.au).
