29^th November (Tuesday)

We had signed up for the Uluru sunrise viewing and the base walk of 12 km around the rock. Unfortunately this meant that we had to be in reception by 4:45am to get our transportation to the viewing area. We were nevertheless offered tea and biscuits at the viewing area and a breakfast pack for the base walk. 

Mike & Sheila at Sunrise

The base walk took around 4½hrs and by the time we had finished the temperature was up to 37C and we had each consumed around 1.5 litres of the water. The terrain is flat and not difficult, although by the last leg it was getting a tad warm. There were a few flies buzzing around but not too much of a bother.  There is quite a bit of vegetation around the rock and even the odd bit of shade.  We even came across a couple of water holes - not at all what we anticipated. We saw some art work on a cave wall but it was very crude compared to what we had seen in Arnhem Land.

Uluru and its terrain

Unfortunately much of the grass is Buffel Grass and this is not the natural grass and very aggressive in colonising the land, difficult to destroy and low in nutrients so provides little opportunity for the native animals to thrive. It is believed to have come to Australia with camels in the 1860s. It is a native of eastern Africa and Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Until 1920s Afghan camel trains carted most of the goods needed by the people settling in central Australia. It is thought that the saddles that the Afghan camel drivers brought with them contained Buffel Grass for padding and that seeds escaped as the saddles got torn or wore out. Many people now believe that Buffel grass is a major threat to biodiversity although the planting of it around Alice Springs has reduced the severe dust storms that plagued Alice in the 1950s and 60s.

There is a limited option to climb up onto the rock at one point but this is not offered every day and one must start early since it can take well over 4-6 hours and can be very hot and windy on top plus it is quite a steep and slippery slope with very limited protection. Generally it is not encouraged but for various reasons it remains in existence.