Day 1- Arriving in Uluru
We flew from Melbourne to Yulara Airport which took about 3 hours (without an hour delay...). Top tip: sit on the left side of the plane to get a view of Uluru from the air. We were on the right so asked some very kind people across the aisle to take a photo for us.
After picking up our luggage, there were coaches dedicated to each hotel ready to shuttle people to their accommodation. The drive was only 10-15 minutes and gave a few glimpses of Uluru and the surrounding area.
We checked into our room about 3.30pm and sorted ourselves out before heading out to explore. We first went to the Imalung lookout point as it was close to our hotel and spent a while just soaking in the rock and the fact we were finally in Australia.
We returned to our room and showered before heading out again. We had planned to grab some food from the town square and come up here for sunset, however we didn't fancy walking back through an unlit track knowing there could be snakes in the vicinity. So instead we sat watching the sun disappear before heading for dinner. Even just with a 2 hour difference since being there, the colours on the rock had already changed and provided a new perspective.
Day 2- Uluru Base Walk and Field of Light
We woke up after a great nights sleep- and no jet lag, thankfully- at 5am ready to be picked up at 6 for our sunrise base walk around Uluru. We drove in the dark to the national park and even with no light, the shadow of Uluru could be seen coming out of the darkness.
While I may have regretted the shorts and hoodie seeing everyone else dressed in coats, hats and scarves, the cold morning air was worth it.
We weren't allowed to take photos on the first half of the walk due to it being a sacred site to the aborigines, however it allowed you to fully immerse yourself in the surroundings and our tour guide kept us engrossed in the stories and Dreamtime surrounding the area.
We were given a breakfast pack which was yummy and provided a needed rest halfway round. The walk was mainly flat on a pathed track and took about 5 hours which flew past with all the stories we were told and the amazing sights.
After being dropped back at our hotel about 1pm, we chilled by the pool for a few hours to recooperate from the long walk before getting ready for the field of light trip.
We were picked up from our hotel about 6pm for the star pass and taken to a viewing platform with an amazing view of Uluru. There, we were given canapes and sparkling wine while we watched the sunset over Uluru and the lights of the Field of Light exhibition begin to light up.
We then made our way down the hillside to the entrance of the exhibition. The Field of Light is an installation of 50,000 individual glass blown lights that change colour scattered across an open field. We were given 45 minutes to walk through the lights and honestly, we could have easily stayed there all night. It was so peaceful, calm and awe-inspiring being out in the open. We even did a bit of stargazing with an app.
We were then dropped off back at our hotel where we went to the outback shack to order a pizza and listen to the live music.
Day 3- Flying back to Melbourne.
Waking up refreshed, we packed up our bags (booo) and checked out of our room before heading for an extortionately expensive but yummy breakfast. After, we went for a little wander and found another lookout point with an even better viewpoint of Uluru compared to the Imalung viewpoint. I wish we'd found this sooner. The pioneer viewpoint is situated behind the Pioneer hotel and gives panoramic views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and is the only place in the resort we found that gave this view.
The hotel reception gave us our pick up time but the service was quite disorganised. The buses weren't labelled and we ended up on a bus with people on a day tour to one of the excursions around Uluru, however we were luckily dropped off at the airport on the way. Although I don't think I'd have minded staying longer.
Is Uluru worth visiting?
In a word- ABSOLUTELY!!!! While it is expensive and remote to get to, the stories, history and experiences provide such a memorable experience. 2 days was enough to dip our toes into the area, however I absolutely could have stayed longer!
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