Attractions

When You See the Southern Cross for the First Time -- Light pollution is extremely low in the Red Centre, so the night sky is a dazzler. At the Ayers Rock Observatory, you can check out your zodiac constellation and take a 1-hour tour of the Southern Hemisphere heavens (they're different from the Northern Hemisphere stars).

To visit the observatory, you must join a tour with Discovery Ecotours (tel. 1800/803 174 in Australia, or 08/8956 2563; www.discoveryecotours.com.au), which provides hotel pickup and a tour. Tours depart twice a night; times vary. They cost A$33 (US$30/£15) for adults, A$25 (US$23/£11) for children 6 to 15. Family rates are available on request.

Discovering Uluru (Ayers Rock)

At Sunrise & Sunset -- The peak time to catch the Rock's beauty is sunset, when oranges, peaches, pinks, reds, and then indigo and deep violet creep across its face. Some days it's fiery, other days the colors are muted. A sunset-viewing car park is on the Rock's western side. Plenty of sunset and sunrise tours operate from the resort. A typical sunset tour is offered by AAT Kings (tel. 08/8956 2171; ww.aatkings.com). It departs 90 minutes before sunset, includes a free glass of wine with which to watch the "show," and returns 20 minutes after sundown; the cost is A$44 (US$40/£20) for adults, half-price for children 4 to 14. AAT Kings offers several other tours around the area, so if large-group touring is what you want, check out their website before leaving home.

At sunrise, the colors are less dramatic, but many folks enjoy the spectacle of the Rock unveiled by the dawn to birdsong. You'll need an early start -- most tours leave about 75 minutes before sunup.

To Climb or Not to Climb? -- The Pitjantjatjara people refer to tourists as minga -- little ants -- because that's what they look like crawling up Uluru. Climbing this sacred rock is a fraught subject, and one which Australians fall into two camps over. Those who have or want to and those who never will. I fall into the latter category. Climbing Uluru is against the wishes of the traditional owners, the Anangu ("the people," a term used by Aboriginal people from the Western Desert to refer to themselves). The climb follows the trail the ancestral Dreamtime Mala (rufous hare-wallaby) men took when they first came to Uluru, something you will hear about when you visit. While tourists are still allowed to climb, the traditional owners strongly prefer that they don't, and you will see signs and information to this effect.

Apart from respecting Uluru as a sacred place, there are several good practical reasons for resisting the temptation to become one of the more than 200,000 people each year who complete the 348m (1,142-ft.) hike. "The Rock" is dangerously steep and rutted with ravines about 2.5m (8 1/4 ft.) deep; and 35 people have died while climbing -- either from heart attacks or falls -- in the past 4 decades. Anangu feel a duty to safeguard visitors to their land, and feel great sorrow and responsibility when visitors are killed or injured.

The climb, by all accounts, is tough. There are sometimes strong winds, the walls are almost vertical in places (you have to hold onto a chain), and it can be freezing cold or maddeningly hot. Heat stress is a real danger. If you're unfit, have breathing difficulties, heart trouble, high or low blood pressure, or are scared of heights, don't do it. The climb takes at least 1 hour up for the fit, and 1 hour down. The less sure-footed should allow 3 to 4 hours.

The Rock is closed to climbers during bad weather; when temperatures exceed 97°F (36°C), which they often do from November to March; and when wind speed exceeds 25 knots. It is closed at 8am daily in January and February because of the extreme heat.

The Australian government recognized the existence of the traditional Aboriginal owners in 1979 and created a national park to protect Uluru and Kata Tjuta. In 1983, the traditional owners were granted ownership of the land and the park was leased to the Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service for 99 years, with the agreement that the public could continue to climb it.

Locals believe public pressure will eventually see the climb closed.

Walking Driving or Busing Around It -- A paved road runs around the Rock. The easy 9.4km (6-mile) Base Walk circumnavigating Uluru takes about 2 hours, but allow time to linger around the water holes, caves, folds, and overhangs that make up its walls. A shorter walk is the easy 1km (.5-mile) round-trip trail from the Mutitjulu parking lot to the pretty water hole near the Rock's base, where there is some rock art. The Liru Track is another easy trail; it runs 2km (1.25 miles) from the Cultural Centre to Uluru, where it links with the Base Walk.

Make time for the free daily 2km (1.25-mile) Mala Walk, where the ranger, who is often an Aborigine, explains the Dreamtime myths behind Uluru, talks about Aboriginal lifestyles and hunting techniques in days past, and explains the significance of the rock art and other sites you see along the way. The 90-minute trip leaves the Mala Walk sign at the base of the Uluru climb at 10am May through September, and at a cooler 8am October through April.

Before setting off on any walk, it's a good idea to arm yourself with the self-guided walking notes available from the Cultural Centre.

Most companies offer base tours. As an example, Discovery Ecotours (tel. 08/8956 2563; www.discoveryecotours.com.au) conducts a 5-hour guided base tour that gives you insight into natural history, rock art, and Dreamtime beliefs. It's scheduled to coincide with sunrise. The tour costs A$115 (US$104/£52) for adults and A$87 (US$78/£39) for children 6 to 15, but it's not suitable for kids under 10. The company also runs a 4-hour sunset trip to the Olgas for A$97 (US$87/£44) for adults and A$73 (US$66/£33) for kids.

Flying Over It -- Several companies do scenic flights by light aircraft or helicopter over Uluru, Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), nearby Mount Conner, the vast white saltpan of Lake Amadeus, and as far as Kings Canyon. Helicopters don't land on top of the Rock, however. Professional Helicopter Services (tel. 08/8956 2003; www.phs.com.au), for example, does a 12- to 15-minute flight over Uluru for A$115 (US$104/£52) per adult, and a 25- to 30-minute flight, which includes the Olgas, for A$220 (US$198/£99). Kids under 13 usually pay half-price (depending more on their weight than on their age).

Motorcycling Around It -- Harley-Davidson tours are available as sunrise or sunset rides, laps of the Rock, and various other Rock and Kata Tjuta tours with time for the Olgas walks. A blast out to the Rock at sunset with Uluru Motorcycle Tours (tel. 08/8956 2019) will set you back A$155 (US$140/£70), which includes a glass of champagne. The guide drives the bike; you sit behind and hang on. If you have an open class motorcycle license, you can hire a Harley for a few hours, a half-day, or a full day, at a hefty price. Rates start at A$275 (US$248/£124) for 2 hours, plus a A$2,500 (US$2,250/£1,125) insurance deposit.

Viewing it on Camelback -- Legend has it that a soul travels at the same pace as a camel; it's certainly a peaceful way to see the Rock. Anangu Tours (tel. 08/8950 3030; www.ananguwaai.com.au) makes daily forays aboard "ships of the desert" to view Uluru. Amble through red-sand dunes with great views of the Rock, dismount to watch the sun rise or sink over it, and ride back to the depot for billy tea and beer bread in the morning, or champagne in the evening. The 1-hour rides depart Ayers Rock Resort 1 hour before sunrise or 1 1/2 hours before sunset, and cost A$95 (US$86/£43) per person, including transfers from your hotel. All tours leave from the Camel Depot at the Ayers Rock Resort. Shorter rides are also available.

Travel Tip -- Most tourists visit Uluru in the mornings and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) in the afternoon. Reverse the order (do the Valley of the Winds walk in the morning and Uluru in the afternoon), and you'll find both spots a little more silent and spiritual. Some areas of Uluru and Kata Tjuta are sacred, as they are essential to the creation stories and to traditional knowledge of law, relationships, plants, and animals. In these areas, access is banned and photography forbidden. Signs will give you warning.

Exploring Kata Tjuta

While it would be worth coming all the way to Central Australia just to see Uluru, there is a second unique natural wonder to see, just a 50km (31-mile) drive away. Kata Tjuta, or the Olgas, consists of 36 immense ochre rock domes rising from the desert, rivaling Uluru for spectacular beauty. Some visitors find it lovelier and more mysterious than Uluru. Known to the Aborigines as Kata Tjuta, or "many heads," the tallest dome is 200m (656 ft.) higher than Uluru, and Kata Tjuta figures more prominently in Aboriginal legend than Uluru.

This part of Australia's red heart was first discovered in the 1870s by English explorers. Ernest Giles named part of Kata Tjuta "Mount Olga" after the reigning Queen Olga of Wurttemburg, while William Gosse gave Uluru the name "Ayers Rock" after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia.

Two walking trails take you in among the domes: the 7.4km (4.5-mile) Valley of the Winds walk, which is fairly challenging and takes 3 to 5 hours, and the easy 2.6km (1.5-mile) Gorge walk, which takes about an hour. The Valley of the Winds trail is the more rewarding in terms of scenery. Both have lookout points and shady stretches. The Valley of the Winds trail closes when temperatures rise above 97°F (36°C).