Ayers Rock’s Aboriginal Name: 5 Things you probably don’t know

Ayers Rock's Aboriginal Name: What does it mean?

There are five things that the average person probably doesn’t know about Ayers Rock’s Aboriginal name.

Uluru, which is also popularly known as Ayers Rock, is the rock’s Aboriginal name.

Ayers Rock is located in the south of the Australian outback, in the Northern Territory. Consisting of a massive reddish-to-brown coloured rock formation mainly of sandstone, this ancient natural wonder is iconic to Australia and it classified as a World Heritage Site.

Ayers Rock is readily accessible to visitors and tourists, even if it lies 460 kilometres south west of the closest major town, Alice Springs, which is a vibrant tourist hot spot. Today the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a popular Australian tourist destination that features Kata Tjuta and Uluru. 

1. WHO COINED THE NAME ‘ULURU?’
The origin of the Ayers Rock aboriginal name is attributed to the Yankunytjatjara, an aboriginal culture whose territory covers the Ayer Rock’s location.

In addition, ‘Uluru’ (Aboriginal pronunciation: [uluɻu]) is a Yankunytjatjara word. Uluru, aside from referring to the country where Ayers Rock stands, is also the designation for the area where a specific Yankunytjatjara sub-group or estate group resides.

Although most of the rest of Australia refer to this great rock formation by the Ayers Rock aboriginal name, Uluru, the local community of the Pitjantjatjara people today call Ayers Rock by the term ‘Uluru’. The word is said to have no specific meaning in the Pitjantjatjara language but the people also regard it as a native family last name of the elderly Traditional Owners of Uluru.

 2. TWO NAMES ONE ROCK

The famous Australian landmark officially became known as Ayers Rock on July 19, 1873 courtesy of William Gosse—a surveyor who named the huge sandstone formation after Sir Henry Ayers, who was the incumbent Chief Secretary of South Australia during that time.

Although most people identify the landmark with its Anglicized name, the dual-naming policy—which officially recognizes two names of both English and Aboriginal origins—only came into effect on December 15, 1993 through the appellation ‘Ayers Rock/Uluru.’

This was the Northern Territory’s first attraction officially possessing a dual name. However, on November 6, 2002 the joint names were reversed to ‘Uluru/Ayers Rock’ as a result of a proposal by Alice Springs’s Regional Tourism Association.

 3. MEANING

What does ‘Uluru’ mean anyway? Here’s where the plot thickens. A lot of interpretations have sprouted all over the web, most of which only complicate the issue rather than clarify it.

Some say that the translation of ‘Uluru’ in English is ‘big rock,’ while others weave lofty denotations into the aboriginal name the likes of which are ‘rainbow dreaming’ and ‘heart chakra dreaming.’ Nothing can be farther from the truth or more ridiculous.

Other than to generally denote a place, the name has no further particular meaning.

However, the aboriginal name has several connotations in the Yankunytjatjara language that connote ‘crying/wailing,’ ‘shade’ and ‘shadows.’ According to anthropologists who are experts on aboriginal culture in the Northern Territory, several aboriginal languages in Central Australia regard the phonetic sound ‘ul’ as shadow or shade, while a few features of the south western portion of Ayers Rock have names that can be understood to mean shadows or shade.

 4.  ONE ROCK MANY PARTS

Similar to individual parts of the human body, Ayers Rock features several named places too. Rock caves, springs and water holes are examples of distinct features that the Aboriginal people gave names to. Since they considered Uluru as a sacred site, they also provided individual names to distinguish one spiritual site from the other. Tjunkurrpu, Kantju, Taputji are just some examples.

 5. OWNERS

The ‘Anangu’ (this is a word in a group of Aboriginal languages that just means ‘person’. It is NOT the name of an Aboriginal tribe!) are considered as the traditional owners of the Ayers Rock. Anangu people are in fact, Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people.

I’ll repeat: Anangu is NOT THE NAME OF ANY ABORIGINAL “TRIBE”. IT IS A WORD THAT MEANS “PERSON” IN SEVERAL ABORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

Please help to spread the truth and email website owners who write rubbish about Aboriginal culture on their sites!

The Australian government returned ownership of Uluru to Aboriginal people on October 26, 1985 under the condition that they would lease the Uluru back to Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Agency for 99 years jointly managed. The Ayers Rock aboriginal name means so much more to its original owners since it will always consider the Rock as a spiritual landmark.

Visiting Palm Valley

Palm Valley is an amazing outback oasis located 120 km west of Alice Springs.

It’s part of Finke Gorge National Park – and if you’re heading to Red Centre, then it’s one of those ‘must-see’ places.

Palm Valley is a famous for its groves of Red Cabbage Palms – unique to this part of the world- along with stunning gorges and cliffs.  These Palms have drawn people from all over the world both as tourists and scientists to see them.

Walking amongst them, it’s hard to believe that you’re actually in Central Australia. The tall, slender palm trunks extend up to 15 metres in the air, and are topped by a mop of cool, shiny fronds. The earth around the palms is often wet, fed by a permanent spring.

Running right through Palm Valley is the Finke River, which is supposedly the oldest river in the world (this is a misnomer: it’s the oldest river in the world that’s continually followed the same course!).

Because there’s a permanent water supply here, Palm Valley really is an oasis in the outback. There are over 400 species of plants in Finke Gorge National Park. About 30 these classed as rare, or like the Red Cabbage Palms, are found nowhere else.

Aboriginal people from the Western Aranda language group have also lived in the area for several thousand years. They call the valley Pmolankinya and the landscape is full of the tracks of Dreaming ancestors and sacred sites.

There is a great campground at Palm Valley, complete with showers, toilets and free gas BBQs. Booking isn’t necessary, and its costs only $6 per night (p.p) to stay there.

There are a number of walks in and around the valley, so an overnight trip is recommended. As well, it’s a great place for photography and birdwatching.

How to Visit:

The Park is about 140 km west of Alice Springs, and takes about 2 hours to drive there. You will definitely need a 4WD!

If you’re leaving from Alice Springs, follow Larapinta Drive for 120 km to Hermannsburg. At Hermannsburg, cross the Finke River and turn left as soon as you come up out of causeway.

It’s 20km from the turnoff into the valley itself. For most of the way, the track is actually in the bed of the Finke River.

The last 16 km of this track is quite rough. For this reason, you absolutely have to have a 4WD. After rain, the road is impassable and the Park can be closed.

If you don’t have access to a 4WD, then there are a number of tours which run out of Alice Springs that go to Palm Valley. Try Palm Valley Tours here if you’d like to take a tour.

Further information: call Finke Gorge National Park (08) 8956 7401.

Also, check out the Parks and Wildlife website here.

Uluru for Cheapskates: How Locals Save Money Visiting Ayers Rock

Going to Ayers Rock can be very expensive. Even we locals balk at the costs.

Hotel rooms cost up to $900 per night, and all of the accommodation there is own by a single company.

Shameful as it is, lots of overseas (and Australian visitors) get totally ripped off when they Ayers Rock during your Australian vacation.

So we’ve come up with a few sneaky, dirty tricks to help us avoid the Ayers Rock robber barons. 

1. Drive, join a tour or fly?

Ths might seem like a strange tip, but believe us, it’s critical to consider this before you go. Ayers Rock is a long, long way from all of the major capital cities in Australia, just getting there can a BIG cost.

If you’re short on time, flying to Uluru could be your the best choice. If you’re willing to fly in and fly out on the same day, you’ll save 100s of dollars on hotels and car hire expenses.

Of course,  you won’t be able to climb the Rock or have much time for sightseeing… but you will get to see Ayers Rock.

2. GO in the Low Season

The best way to save money at Uluru is to avoid the peak travel season in April-October.

You can get cheap accommodation at Ayers Rock through the hotter summer months of November – March. Sometimes, it’s possible to get special discounts of up to $200 per room, per night in summer!

(DON’T FORGET: Australia’s summers are the opposite of those in the US and Europe.)

The downside of a summer trip is that it’s very hot, there’s lots of flies, and you definitely won’t be able to climb Ayers Rock if you’re planning on doing it.

The upsides of going in the summer is that if you just want to see Uluru and take photos, then you’ll be able to save 100′s of dollars.

3. How LONG TO Spend There?

As we’ve said above, you can spend one day at Uluru and see all the main sights.

But most people find that 2 or 3 nights are all they need. Really, staying for 2 nights that you’ll be able to see the main sights and still have time to kick back and relax.

Take our tip: 2 nights is all that most people need at Uluru.

4. Accommodation: The Biggest Rip Off

Now for the bad news: there is no cheap accommodation at Ayers Rock.

There are two ways to overcome this if you’re not planning on camping:

• go in the off season
• get a group 4 or 5 people and book a cabin in the campground ($150 per night). This might mean you pay as little as $25 per person, per night

5. Camping: The only REAL Budget option

If you really want to beat the Ayers Rock robber barons, then you really need to think about camping.

You can save serious money if you camp AND do the following things:

• Camp in the Ayers Rock Resort campground – it’s only $20 p.p per night
• If you don’t mind driving, you can camp for only $2 per night at Curtin Springs (80km east/50min drive from Uluru). The downside over doing this is that once you’ve spent the day at Uluru/Kata Tjuta, you’ll have to drive back Curtin Springs in the evening
• Camp along side the road, but make sure that you’re outside of Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. You are able to camp legally within the road reserves in the Northern Territory (within about 50 metres either side of the road), provided you’re out of the National Park, and you’re not on Aboriginal Land.

If you plan your trip to Uluru with these tips, you’ll be able to slash costs on your outback trip.

Keep in mind, however, that Uluru is situated in an extremely remote place, so transport costs add more prices of food, services and accommodation.

7 Things You Need to Know Before You Visit the Outback

Is visiting Australia’s Outback scary? Or just too expensive?

Lots of people would like to visit the Outback.

However, few people actually ever make the trip. Most people see a documentary, or a movie or an amazing photo of Ayers Rock at sunset, consider it for a moment, then move on. They generally don’t do anything else because they think it’s too scary or too far out of their reach. Only adventurous or rich people can go there, not them.

So what exactly is the truth here? Why should anyone care?

Let’s take a look at 7 things that you really should know about visiting Australia’s outback before you decide to go. This advice could save you money, time and lots of disappointment!

 1. Perishing in the Outback, Spiders, Snakes and other Myths

 O.K. You’ve heard that people die in the Outback from thirst and that Australia is full of poisonous snakes, spiders and dingos! 

And I agree, you have a valid point. But let’s look at the facts!

Fewer than one person per year actually dies of thirst in the Outback. Those that do die do so because they have ignored the most basic facts about Outback travel, like stay with your car if it breaks down, carry at least 20 liters of water with you and tell someone reliable where you’re going and when you expect to be back.

Furthermore, only a handful of people are bitten by snakes and spiders in Australia every year. Most snakes are frightened of humans and will slide away -as far away- as they can possibly get. In 20 years of hiking and camping outback, we’ve only seen about 6 or 7 snakes – and believe me, we go to some very remote places!

Whilst spiders are common, there is only one spider that you need to worry about: the Sydney Funnel Web spider. And guess what? They DON’T live in the Outback!

Dingoes are wild animals! Do not feed them!

Likewise, dingos are shy and very wary of humans. Adults don’t get attacked by dingos in the Outback unless they are feeding dingos – which you’re not supposed to do. If you’re travelling with children, then you just need to keep an eye on them.

Remember, dingoes are not cute puppy dogs! They are wild animals!

2. Outback Australia is only as expensive as your tastes in travel!

Airfares to Australia can be expensive (unless you use this secret tip), but there are plenty of ways to save money once you’re here.

To begin with fresh food is very cheap in Australia compared to Europe or America – and it’s very high quality. So, if you’re prepared to cook your own meals whilst you’re here, you’ll save lots of money.

Secondly, avoid expensive 5 Star (and often disappointing) hotels. I’m sorry, but I don’t get the whole luxury travel scene. Why pay $900 per night for a room when you could pay $45? Or better still, camp?

3. Don’t underestimate the amount of time you’ll need.

One mistake many overseas visitors make is to try and see Australia all at once. I want to go to the Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock, Cairns, Sydney and Broome … in a week!

Let us tell you now: Australia is HUGE. You will need a week in each place if you want to see it properly. We simply don’t understand people who fly in to Ayers Rock overnight and fly out the next day, for example.

Our advice is to allow a minimum of 5 days to visit the Outback.

4. Fly in to Alice Springs NOT Ayers Rock!

If you want to see the very best of the Outback but don’t have a lot of time, the best thing to do is to fly in to Alice Springs and book yourself on an Uluru tour.

This will allow you a day or so in Alice Springs, Australia’s most famous outback town, and then you’ll get to see the REAL outback as you travel to Ayers Rock, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and then back to Alice Springs.

Take a camping safari tour, and you’ll see even more, but for less money!

5. Don’t carry too much luggage.

Australia is a modern Western nation. You can buy almost anything you need here.

The same applies for a visit to the Outback. Anything you forget or need, you’ll be able to buy in Alice Springs. The town has 8 supermarkets alone!

Please, please, please: do not buy massive hiking boots, photographer’s vest or those awful tourist ‘Outback’ hats. Ayers Rock can be climbed in a pair of cross trainers or runners. Photographer’s vests and all-leather ‘Outback’ hats just make you look silly – besides, locals don’t wear them anyway!

6. If you really want to save money, visit in summer.

However, be prepared for some very hot weather and lots of flies! Whilst the flies can be overcome with a fly veil worn over a hat, the heat can be more challenging. Drink plenty of water and avoid outdoor activities between 10am and 3pm.

7. Ditch the Cliches!

Forget the glossy brochures and cliches about outback cowboys and crocodile hunters. The Outback is so much more: it’s full of vast landscapes that will have reeling in disbelief at their size and beauty, Aboriginal culture is everywhere, there’s incredible arts and cultural festivals like DesertArt, the Wearable Arts Awards, and quirky one like the Alice Springs Beanie Festival.