Experience Sunrise and Sunset at Ayers Rock, Australia

Sunrise and sunset. Those are the goals of a visit to Ayers Rock, otherwise known as Urulu, in the Australian outback. Smack in the middle of sheer desolation, you fly into a small airport. Hit in the face by the smoldering heat of the day as you walk off of the plane onto the tarmac, you feel fortunate that you have a bus waiting to whisk you to the desert resort area. The Rock experience is very controlled in that there are not an unlimited number of beds in this area. Urban sprawl has not claimed this vacation destination. Mindful of the sacredness of this Aboriginal area, the resort area blends neatly into the desert with a modern swooshing design and bland yellows, tans, and sand colors. Folks who work here live on premises. There is not an outskirts of town. You bus from the airport to the resort to the ROCK and back again. You see the lone bicyclist, but that is the only other sign of civilization.

After check-in and exploration of your resort, it is time to board the bus for the afternoon/sunset trip. Mile after mile of scrub and desert, your eyes tire from looking for kangaroo or wildlife. However, it is too hot and still too early in the day for animal activity. Bleary eyed, you blink and realize there is a huge formation in the distance. This is the Olgas - a set of rock formations that impressively arose from earth movements thousands of years ago. You get out of the bus to stretch your legs and once again face the wall of heat. If you visit in the summer, (December, January, and February) you can expect temperatures over 100 degrees F. Like a hairdryer, the wind blows even hotter air, but you are happy for the wind to keep the huge black flies from your face and body.

After a drive around the Olgas and hearing the Aboriginal story of the three sisters and how they became a rock formation, you are headed to Ayers Rock. You can see it in the distance from the Olgas, but only until you pull up in the bus do you realize how immense is this rock. You can see folks attempting to climb the Rock. This harsh red formation is massive and steep. There is a teensy handrail and a small collection of grave markers for climbers who did not achieve their attempt. The Rock is a sacred site for the Aborigines and it is requested that you do not climb the rock. You decide to honor the request and stay alive. You join the tours surrounding the rock area and see Aboriginal wall paintings depicting hunting and food sites. The Rock is overwhelming in its size and relation to the desert around it.

The sky, a brilliant clear blue all day, is slowly layering in colors of pinks and off blues. The bus tours lay out a spread of wine, cheese, and crackers. Folks have huge cameras on tripods and the only sound is the constant clicking of shots as they chart every second of the sunset. Shadows fluctuate and the Rock glows a bright red. Then click! Like a light switch being turned off, the sun sets behind Ayers Rock. There is a collective gasp and applause. You have witnessed sunset at Ayers Rock and it is worth the heat, flies, and bus ride.

The ride back to the resort is uneventful. Murmurs of some kangaroo sightings come from sides of the bus, but it is now too dark to see far off the narrow road. Back at the resort, you gaze up at the starry sky. Then you look at your watch and head for bed. The four fifteen A.M. alarm will ring very soon.

Far too early, a solemn tourist crowd line up for the five a.m. bus. Everyone is marching on autopilot and the intense excitement of the sunset is a memory. The pitch-black ride keeps everyone quiet and you file off the bus solemnly. A table is set with coffee, tea, and some pastries and fruit. As folks leap for their caffeine, you jostle into a good spot for the sunrise. Camera shutters click and the light slowly comes up. The shadow variations on the rock announce another day. Sunrise lacks the drama of sunset but it is definitely worth taking the full day to appreciate a huge symbol of the Australian outback.