Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Outback Australia

See One of Australia’s Great Aussie Symbols - Uluru from the New Viewing Platform.

This week, a new $21 million viewing area at Kata Tjuta National Park Uluru was opened by Uluru’s Aboriginal traditional owners and the Environment Minister Peter Garrett.

Tourists visiting Uluru will now get a spectacular, elevated view of the famous monolith from board walks and a viewing platform from the Talinguru Nyakuntjaku (meaning "place to look from the sand dune" - in Pitjantjatjara, a traditional Aboriginal language of the area) viewing area on the eastern side of Uluru.

The construction of the stunning $21 million viewing area, high above the desert sand dune, included building 11 kilometres of new roads and 1.5 kilometres of walking trails, a car park, toilet facilities and shade areas. The Anangu traditional owners who have been involved in selecting the site and in the construction process, hope that the provision of these new facilities will provide a better tourist experience for the 300,000 annual visitors to Uluru. They hope this will, in turn, encourage visitors to appreciate how the magnificent, ancient Uluru is embedded in, and belongs to, the surrounding cultural landscape, and is not just a massive rock sitting in the middle of the desert.

Photographers will now be able to take panoramic photos with both Uluru and Kata-Tjuta (the 36 head shaped dome, also known as the Olgas) in the same picture.

The local aboriginal owners want to share their ancient culture with the world, yet would appreciate some cultural protocols being obeyed. They hope that this new cultural and environmental experience will discourage tourists from climbing the sacred site and hope that the people might learn more about their culture and the environment, and appreciate their request not to climb the 348 metre high monolith.

Next year a final call will determine whether tourists will be able to continue to climb Uluru.

At Uluru and Kings Canyon there is plenty to do and see. See Uluru and Kings Canyon Travel Guide, which includes accommodation and activities guide. There is a large selection of accommodation at Uluru, ranging from camping to 5 star luxury resorts, mostly at nearby Ayers Rock Resort which is the focal point for the township of Yulara. There is accommodation available to suit most budgets.