Ayers Rock Resort

Ayres Rock Resort is not a resort.  It is an area made up of many types of accommodation including a very large campground, apartments and hotels.  While that provides a broad range of options, every option is owned by the same company, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, creating a monopolistic situation.  Voyages is based in Sydney and is a subsidiary of the Indigenous Land Corporation that is given an annual budget of around 118 million by the Australian Government to assist Indigenous people in the acquisition and management of land.

What creates confusion is that once was an ‘Ayres Rock Resort’.  It was situated within close proximity of what was then called, Ayers Rock (now renamed Uluru).  Near that resort was the original airstrip that was built by Eddie Connellan who, in the 1950s, converted his Alpine Eagle Rolls Royce into a flat-bed truck to help construct the airstrip.  His Rolls Royce is now on display at Alice Springs Airport.  As well as the resort and the airstrip, there was the camping ground made famous (or infamous) for being the place where in 1980, six-week-old Azaria Chamberlain was taken by a dingo.  In 1985 custodianship of Uluru was handed over to the Aboriginals and that deal included all the improvements – the resort, airstrip and campsite.  Today a community of around 400 Aboriginals live in the original Ayers Rock Resort which is an area off-limits to non-Indigenous.

A new tourism destination was built 15km from Uluru in an area called Yulara.  The ‘resort’ is around 8kms from the new Ayers Rock Airport, (also known as Connellan Airport).  Yulara has been purpose-built for tourism.  It is in the middle of nowhere with a population of just over 1000 of mostly transient working-holiday enthusiasts who are spending a few months or so working in a very unique and special part of the world.

To book any of the accommodation options that include Sails in the Desert, The Desert Gardens Hotel, Outback Pioneer Hotel, Emu Walk Apartments, and the Ayres Rock Campground, Voyages provides a centralised call-centre that is in Sydney, not Yulara.

My experience with booking accommodation did not go well.  Between Christmas and New Year, Voyages advertised a sale at Sails in the Desert that ended on New Year’s Eve.  On New Year’s Eve I tried to make a booking for five nights at a price of $320/night including breakfast.  There was a glitch in the website and my booking was unable to be finalised.  I phoned Voyagers but my call went through to an answering machine stating the hours the office would be open the next day.  I called back on New Year’s Day but there was only a recorded message that cut you off as soon as the message was finished.  I phoned the next day and explained what had occurred.  The person I spoke with explained the message on the answering machine was incorrect (office closed New Year’s Day), but would not honour the sale price on the accommodation stating the advertised sale was now finished.  The new rate was more and didn’t include breakfast so I was encouraged to upgrade to a terrace room that included breakfast at around $500/night.  I agreed to the terrace room but this did not turn out to be very good value at all.  More on Sails in the Desert in my next post.

How to describe the ‘resort’…  The Town Square and all accommodation options are spread out in a circular shape with a road on the inner circle linking you to all there is to offer.  Right in the middle of the circle is a raised area of desert where as a pedestrian you can traverse from one side to the other.  In the middle there is a lookout which is very popular for watching the sun set over Uluru.

One evening after dinner at Gecko’s we walked up to the lookout so we could watch the sunset.  As we approached we could see the viewing platform was crowded with tourists.  We were about 10 metres from the viewing platform when we saw a snake slither across the platform through the crowd then launch itself onto the sand and make haste towards us.  I made haste away from it.  Unbelievably, a small group of Asian tourists started chasing after it with selfie-sticks trying to get close-ups.  The snake turned out to be an Inland Taipan, the deadliest snake in the world.  The only reason those tourists are still alive is that while the venom of the snake can kill you within 20-minutes, the Inland Taipan is very shy and not aggressive so fortunately, being bitten by an Inland Taipan is extremely rare (unlike Australia’s brown snake which is very aggressive).

The Town Square has a few shops including a small supermarket, a post office, a gallery, and a few eateries.  The Ayers Wok Eatery serves takeaway Asian food that is good for something cheap and cheerful.  It’s not the best Asian you’ve ever had but it’s okay.

Kulata Academy Cafe trains Indigenous people for careers in hospitality.  It provides snacks and light meals but is not open in the evenings.

Gecko’s Cafe is where we mostly went for dinner.  It’s very family-friendly and has a comprehensive menu of medium-priced meals.  An added bonus is that the staff are welcoming, friendly, polite and professional, and when not run off their feet, will talk to you about their travels and how long they’ve been working in Yulara.  Typical menu favourites are burgers, steak, pasta and pizzas.  Again, it’s not the best food you’ve had in your life, but it’s served with a smile and it’s not outrageously priced.  Something to remember is that Yulara provides no food for itself.  All provisions are freighted in from Adelaide, a city 17-hours away.  Everything you purchase has the cost of freight added to the price.  As well, with one company having the monopoly of owning all restaurants and eateries, consumer-driven pricing is prevented and disabled.

There is only one bottle shop in Yulara and it’s located in the Outback Pioneer Hotel.  If you would like to make a purchase you not only have to be over 18 years of age but also you need to prove you’re a guest of one of the hotels.  The bottle shop has a limited range and my advice would be to pack your favourite drop and bring it with you.

The Wintjiri Gallery at the resort is definitely worth a look.  As well, it’s air-conditioning provided welcome relief from the summer heat.  We were fortunate to hear a talk from an Indigenous man about Aboriginal culture, the history of the area, the arrival of pioneers, the development of tourism, and the native flora and fauna.  There is no cost for the tour/talk.  Our little guy particularly liked the taxidermied animals in glass cases.  If you like Aboriginal art, the best and most well-known artists have their work displayed for purchase.  Some of the prices are staggering.

The resort has a small supermarket with a limited range but it pretty much has everything you need.  Prices are inflated due to the distance all goods have to travel to get to Yulara.

The complimentary shuttle bus leaves every 20 minutes.  You can walk around the resort but as we were there in the height of summer, it was so hot we preferred the comfort of the air-conditioned bus.

Ayres Rock Resort is where you need to stay if you wish to see and experience Uluru.  The resort with its accommodation, restaurants and supermarket, charges premium prices.  There are no bargains at this resort.  With Voyages in charge of the entire area, you have no other options or alternatives.

Despite the monopolistic situation, this is a part of Australia you definitely need to see.