Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Australia
Uluru, more commonly called Ayers Rock, is the world's biggest monolith and is placed right at the heart of the Australian Desert in the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.
As a sandstone formation some 300 million years old that was once part of an ancient seabed, Uluru rises 348 meters above the desert plain, stretches several kilometers underground, with a circumferential area of about 9.4 km.
This rock is spectacular in the early morning and at sunset, when the colors on it change rapidly from deep red to orange and purple shades. For the traditional custodians, the Anangu, Uluru is sacred and embodies the stories and actions of their creation ancestors, an important part of their Tjukurpa or traditional law.
Cultural Significance and History
For more than 30,000 years, Aboriginal peoples have been living in this area and consider Uluru a spiritual site, with sacred caves, ancient rock art, and ceremonial areas. Many areas around Uluru are restricted due to their sacred significance.
While it is said to have been known to the Europeans as far back as 1872, when explorer Ernest Giles first sighted it, the rock was actually named Ayers Rock until 1985 by a surveyor named William Gosse the following year, after Sir Henry Ayers, a South Australian premier. Uluru was returned to the Anangu people in 1985 to symbolize a landmark reconciliation effort.
Nowadays, it is co managed by the Anangu and the Australian government, climbing the rock has been prohibited as a mark of respect to its cultural importance. The site was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage for its natural value in 1987 and for its cultural value in 1994.
Natural Beauty and Biodiversity
Uluru is known not only for its towering presence but also for the intricate patterns of grooves, caves, and waterholes etched into its surface by weathering over millennia. The surrounding desert supports an incredible variety of life, including over 400 plant species such as desert oaks, mulga trees, and eucalyptus like the centralian bloodwood.
The park is a home for red kangaroos, dingoes, the rare rufus hare wallaby, and reptiles such as geckos, skinks, and the thorny devil. For birdwatchers, there is the chance to see up to 175 species, including budgerigars, falcons, and honeyeaters.
Seasonal wildflowers add splashes of color myrtles and foxtails, among others that testify to the indomitable life of nature in an arid climate where daytime temperatures can be over 40°C and nighttime lows below freezing in winter.
Tourism and Conservation
Uluru is one of Australia's most famous icons, attracting more than 300,000 visitors every year. Most tourists travel to Uluru from Alice Springs, 450 kilometers away, or fly directly to Yulara, a nearby township with hotels, hostels, and campsites.
While climbing Uluru is no longer allowed, the base can be hiked, and there is a well maintained 10 kilometer trail around the base that affords good views of sacred sites and rock art. The nearby Kata Tjuta is a grouping of 36 domed rock formations that provide further opportunities for exploration.
The Uluru Cultural Centre provides visitors with information about the Anangu people and their customs. As a dual World Heritage Site, the park stands as a testament to the successful partnership between Aboriginal communities and conservation authorities in ensuring that Uluru's natural and cultural legacies endure for future generations.
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