Layers of place

Any time I want to transport myself back to Australia’s spiritual heart, I take a dot painting from my wall, flip it around and breathe deeply. The canvas, purchased from Indigenous artists who showcase their skills at the Lawn Gallery at Ayers Rock Resort, is imbued with the fragrant scent of campfire smoke. When I look closely, I can also see the Red Centre’s sand has left its mark. Anangu Country has come home with me – literally and metaphorically.

Over the years, I’ve stayed at Ayers Rock Resort five times, watching it evolve beyond anything I could have imagined – from the days of desert lodgings to a collection of stays acting as a gateway to Uluru. Today, the resort is far more than a place to sleep; it is where community partnerships, cultural learning and elevated hospitality shape every guest moment.

Opening its doors in 1984, the resort sits just outside the boundary of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (separate entry fee required) but within sight of the monolith. Guests come here to experience Uluru, which they can do in a multitude of ways. Beyond the wide selection of tours bookable at the resort, it’s often a surprise when guests realise they can also experience the world’s oldest living culture onsite in fun and hands-on ways. The resort offers world-class cultural experiences that connect with every type of traveller, including didgeridoo workshops, bush tucker talks, stargazing, guided garden walks and bush yarns. At the Lawn Gallery, visitors can meet Anangu artists, watch works take shape, and purchase pieces directly from the artists who create them.

In 2010, just two of the resort’s employees were Indigenous. Today, more than 25 per cent of the young and enthusiastic workforce is First Nations. For many guests, it’s the first time they’ve had the chance to learn about Indigenous culture. Some staff have risen through the ranks of the onsite National Indigenous Training Academy; others are learning on the job at the Kulata Academy Cafe at the resort’s Town Square.

One of my favourite rituals here is to take my morning cuppa – either from the cafe or one I’ve made in my room – to the resort’s Imalung Lookout to admire Uluru in the distance. Visitors quickly learn it’s all about dawn and dusk out here – for that’s when the desert light and Uluru are at their most magical. Pick either end of the day to see British-Australian artist Bruce Munro’s Field of Light – a monumental installation of 50,000 glowing solar-powered bulbs that improbably “bloom” from the sand. Initially, his 2016 installation was to last only a year, but it’s so popular that it was recently refurbished and this year will mark its 10th anniversary.

In 2023, another “light show” arrived at the resort. Wintjiri Wiru was co-created with Anangu and tells an ancient creationi story in an electrifying way – by using lasers, projections and 1,200 choreographed drones against the backdrop of Uluru. It’s the world’s largest permanent drone show, and it tells a chapter of the Mala story spanning from Mutitjulu (the closest community to Uluru) to Kaltukatjara (formerly Docker River, near the West Australian border). Desert oaks seem ablaze, thanks to clever projections. A soundtrack blends music with narration in Pitjantjatjara. Lasers spotlight spinifex, and drones levitate like colourful fireflies. It’s a sight to behold. And if you want to turn the night into something more indulgent, the Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner blends the drone show with a gourmet picnic hamper paired with premium Penfolds wine.

After that, or on any other night, dining around the resort comes into its own. No matter where you’re staying, you can dine at the central Town Square hub (home to casual cafe fare at Gecko’s, among other eateries), in-house or at other places such as the Outback Hotel (camel sausages, anyone?). But the resort’s most famous dining moment happens under the open desert sky.

The Sounds of Silence dinner is so iconic that it’s been included in the Australian Tourism Hall of Fame. Over four hours, hear the low hum of a didgeridoo, chat to fellow guests at a shared table, and savour a native Australian buffet featuring ingredients such as bush spinach, muntrie berries, kangaroo, quandong, wattleseed and desert lime.

Evenings like these linger. And each time I catch the faint scent of campfire smoke on that dot painting, I’m taken back to the resort. A place shaped with Anangu, held by the desert and designed to bring every Uluru moment a little closer.