Visiting Uluru in Australia's Outback

Last September my husband Richard and I traveled to Sydney to represent the Sierra Club at the International Union for Conservation of Nature's World Parks Congress. We selected a side trip to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) is a UNESCO World Heritage Area and one of Australia's great natural features. It rises dramatically from the geographical center of the continent.

Aboriginal people, now called Anangu, have lived in the shadow of Uluru for at least 22,000 years and are still its custodians. They lease their land to the national park and serve on a joint-management board assisting the park service in protecting their sacred sites and environment according to traditional law. Young Anangu train to become rangers, studying science and learning more about traditions from the older men and women. The Anangu manage a café, cultural center and shop where we purchased original artworks including a traditional dot painting.

The Australian Park Service provided us with several special tours of the area. Many tours highlight culturally important sites that must be viewed in their original location. We walked all around Uluru with native guides who spoke English but answered some of our questions by drawing pictures and maps in the sand, a traditional way of communicating. Another event was a discussion with Anangu board members who collaborate with the park in its management. A native interpreter made it possible for us to ask questions about their lives.

Our lodging was at the beautiful Sails in the Desert Hotel, a part of the Ayers Rock Resort which is owned by the Indigenous Land Corporation. The resort provides employment and training opportunities for indigenous people. A third of the staff are Anangu and the goal is to increase this.

The resort features a free Indigenous Activities Program, swimming pool and elegant restaurant and bar. We particularly enjoyed trips to specially built viewing areas where one can see and photograph spectacular sunsets and sunrises with Ayers Rock in the background.

The writer lives in Prescott.

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