A flock and a rock: A group of tourists enjoy the view of Uluru during sunset

No one can deny the charm of Uluru, a massive reddish rock in the center of Australia.

The popularity of Uluru, previously called Ayers Rock, is unquestionable. Many people have visited the monolith. These visitors include American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey and, recently, the British royal family.

Australians call the rock '€œthe greatest stone on earth'€. Standing 348 meters high and 3.6 kilometers wide, according to data from Lonely Planet, it is located in the southern part of the Northern Territory (NT).

Uluru is not the only big rock in the region. Fifty kilometers to the west there is Kata Tjuta, a mightier rock formation with dozens of domes reaching up to 500 meters high. These two rocks are located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, which is listed as a World Heritage Site because of its rich cultural and natural value.

Both rocks are sacred sites for the people of Anangu, the local Aboriginal tribe, who have resided in the area for thousands of years. Before the 1980s, the people knew the rocks by different names. The first white explorers named Uluru Ayers Rock after the South Australian high-ranking officer, Sir Henry Ayers. Meanwhile, Kata Tjuta was called Mount Olga.

Scientists and historians have different opinions about the origins of the rocks. The consensus is the rocks were formed during hundreds of years of geological changes in the area, but as to how they were formed from both geological and historical perspectives remains a mystery. The mystery may be another thing that has drawn tourists to visit the place.

When visiting the rocks in early December, at the beginning of summer, in the hopes of avoiding extreme weather, the temperature climbed up to 41 degrees Celsius one day.

When landing for the first time in Uluru, it seemed this place was so different from other parts of Australia. A surge of hot weather greeted us when we descended from the airplane and it was all red as far as the eye could see as we touched the soil.

We stayed at the Ayers Rock Resort, the only accommodation provider in the area, located some 20 km from the rock in a small town called Yulara, which means '€œcrying'€.

People joke that the cry refers to what happens when they see their hotel bills. However, the resort actually offers a range of options for accommodation, from a five-star hotel to the cheapest one at the Ayers Rock campground. We chose the campground because it comes with access to a swimming pool and playground.

The resort offers a free shuttle service for visitors, taking them to and from the airport and around the resort area. The bus operates daily from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m and 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. But to go the rocks, people need to join tours, which offer different packages, using different types of transportation from airplanes and buses to motorbikes.

Renting a car is the most ideal option for going around Uluru. Not only is it cheaper, it also allows people to go at their own pace. Unfortunately, we couldn'€™t rent a car because the rental companies require a valid driver's licenses and we did not have one.

We spent the first day visiting the resort'€™s town square and visitor center. The town square is filled with restaurants and souvenir shops. There is also one supermarket located at the back. After we had lunch, we went to the Visitors Center to arrange our trip to Uluru the following day.

We opted for the Kata Tjuta-Uluru sunset package. The trip covers visits to both ancient rock formations. We picked this package because it is said that the best time to view both rocks is during sunset and sunrise, as during these times the sunlight creates vibrant colors on the rocks.

 On the second day, we walked to the Uluru Camel Tours It is one of attractions in the place. They actually offer a camel riding tour to Uluru, but they don'€™t allow children under 5 years old.

After a short trip with the camels, we returned to the town center to visit the museum and the art center. We also watched a contemporary theater performance telling Aboriginal stories with 3D effects. The day before we watched a traditional indigenous dance performance in the front yard of the town square.

Visiting the mighty rocks needed a lot of preparations. The rules are pretty strict, especially during summer. Every visitor must bring 1.5 liters of water, sunhats and sunscreen. If they fail to show water bottles, visitors are not allowed to enter the bus. The regulation is aimed at avoiding dehydration during the tour.

We left at 3:30 p.m. to go to Kata Tjuta. The trip included the Walpa Gorge walk, which took us on a trail between two high domes. It is a one-hour walk covering a distance of 2.6 km. There is another track within the sites, called Valley of the Winds, but we chose the Walpa Gorge because it is shorter.

 Walking toward the domes and between them, we realized how big the rocks were. Their bright red colors contrasted with blue sky, providing magnificent views all along the track. It was quite exhausting especially in such hot weather. Luckily, along the track there are many benches for resting. From there, we were taken to two other spots to view the entirety of Kata Tjuta.

Then we headed to Uluru to view the sunset. We had the chance to circle the monolith to get a closer look before going to the sunset viewing spot. There, many people from different tour operators crowded the place.

We had to squeeze our way in to get a good view of Uluru. However, amid the crowd, we still enjoyed the majestic view of the rock, the color of which changed beautifully as the sun was descending toward the horizon. It was indeed the perfect closure to our journey in the land of giant rocks.

'€” Photos by JP/Ika Krismantari

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