Uluru

Uluru (also called Ayers Rock) is a large rock formation in central Australia, in the Northern Territory southwest of Alice Springs, located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It is the largest monolith[?] in the world, more than 318 meters (986 ft) high and 8 km (5 mi) around. It also extends 2.5 km (1.5 miles) into the ground. It was described by explorer Ernst Giles in 1872 as "the remarkable pebble".

Uluru is notable for its quality of changing color as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight. It is sacred to the Aborigines and has many storied springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings.

Ayers Rock was the name given to it by European settlers, after the Premier of South Australia Henry Ayers[?]. Uluru is the Aboriginal name, and since the 1980s it has been the officially preferred name for it (although many people, especially non-Australians, still call it Ayers Rock.)

Uluru is adjacent to an Aboriginal settlement, and to the tourist town of Yulara (pop. 3000). It is not far from the Olgas[?].

In 1985 the Australian Government returned ownership of Uluru to the local Aboriginal people, the Anangu[?], who then leased it back to the Government for 99 years as a National Park.

Climbing the rock is a popular attraction for a large fraction of the many tourists who visit it each year. A rope handhold makes the climb easier, but it is still quite a long and steep climb and many intended climbers chicken out part-way up. The Anangu regard the rock as sacred and would prefer that visitors did not climb it. They however have not attempted to have climbing banned but instead attempted to persuade visitors to respect their wishes and not do so.

External Links

• Ayers Rock, Uluru (http://www.crystalinks.com/ayersrock.html)
• Photos (http://home.a-city.de/christoph.schmidt/uluru/uluru.htm) (link non-existent as of March 22, 2003.)