\u201cBut isn\u2019t it just a rock?\u201d If we\u2019re gonna get technical about it, Uluru is a sandstone monolith which is defined as a single giant rock. But places like this don\u2019t fall within dictionary definitions\u2014not when there are 500 million years of geological history and 60,000 years of First Nations culture to uncover.<\/strong><\/p>\n I recently returned from\u00a0Intrepid\u2019s Best of Uluru & Kings Canyon trip<\/a>\u00a0with self-proclaimed lawyer-turned-funtrepreneur Sarah Davidson \u2013 aka\u00a0Spoonful of Sarah<\/a>. Sarah\u2019s most recent Intrepid adventures were to Antarctica, Morocco and Egypt, so this trip was much closer to home. (Australia\u2019s massive, so when I say \u2018closer\u2019, I mean there\u2019s *only* 2,300 kilometres between Melbourne and Uluru.) But sometimes exploring your own backyard is just as, if not more, eye-opening than jetting off to far-flung destinations.<\/p>\n I sat down with Sarah to chat about her experience travelling to the heart of\u00a0Australia<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had the privilege of doing loads of global travel, but I realised I\u2019ve not spent nearly enough time exploring our incredible country. I had the attitude that Australia will always be here, and I can see it whenever. Domestic travel was the only option for a little while during the pandemic, and it was a big wake-up call to what\u2019s on our doorstep. It\u2019s so beautiful and diverse, and we\u2019re missing a huge opportunity by jetting off overseas.<\/p>\n My identity beforehand was very much Melbournian, and the more domestic travel I do, particularly to places like the Red Centre with deep historical and cultural significance, the more I understand and appreciate what it means to be Australian.<\/p>\n I kept saying I would do it later, but that\u2019s a non-productive way to approach travel (and life in general). I\u2019d been to the Northern Territory before and I always thought I could go via Uluru, as if it was just a short train ride away. Every time I\u2019d been close, I was still so far away that I would\u2019ve only been able to do it in a cursory way. It\u2019s easy to forget how big Australia is!<\/p>\n The last time I was in Alice Springs, I decided I would plan a dedicated trip to Uluru to give it the credit, appreciation and headspace it deserved. While it\u2019s possible to fly in and out for a day or two, I wanted a deeper experience.<\/p>\n I was awestruck. I literally had to catch my breath. There are a lot of beautiful places that are grand in scale, but then there are places that are magnetically or energetically different \u2013 and Uluru\u2019s one of them. I felt quite emotional thinking about the all-knowingness of it and the things it must\u2019ve witnessed throughout history.<\/p>\n Photos can\u2019t capture the scale and how it feels to be there. They\u2019re often focused on Uluru itself, but if you zoomed out, you\u2019d see the surrounding terrain is completely flat aside from the neighbouring (and equally impressive) Kata Tjuta\u2014a collection of 36 giant rock domes which are even wider and taller than Uluru. I remember thinking, \u201cHow on earth did this gigantic thing get here, and how does it happen to be in the geographical heart of Australia?!\u201d It\u2019s mind-boggling. Driving to Uluru from Alice Springs also made me more aware of how random it is.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve got a photo of people standing at the base like ants with Uluru towering into the heavens above them; I don\u2019t think anyone can experience this and not feel amazed.<\/p>\n It was all so special, but the wow moment was sunset at Uluru. We\u2019d spent the day walking around the base and learning about Anangu creation stories, so I didn\u2019t think I could feel more awe inspired. But nothing can prepare you for that red glow. Sometimes things aren\u2019t as colourful in real life because cameras can pick up different refractions of colour or photos are brightened up with filters, so it took me by total surprise.<\/p>\n It was brown for ages, and I remember thinking how the red colour on people\u2019s photos must\u2019ve been edited. But then, in a split second, it turned fluorescent red. It was like someone had flicked a switch. We only got a few moments to appreciate it before it turned brown again; the fleetingness of it made it even more special.<\/p>\n Another highlight was the people \u2013 not only the other travellers on our Intrepid trip but also those who live and work in the roadhouses and the remote Outback communities. It\u2019s fascinating how there are people whose entire world revolves around this mighty rock.<\/p>\n Most Australians grow up seeing photos and videos of Uluru so we\u2019re a bit desensitised to it. We know where it is and (we think we know) what it looks like, so it doesn\u2019t feel mysterious. You expect an element of familiarity when you get there which might impact your initial reaction, but I couldn\u2019t have been more captivated.<\/p>\n The Outback looks like it\u2019s always sweltering, so the cold was unexpected. Even if you\u2019ve been to the desert before and you know it\u2019s chilly in the mornings and evenings, it\u2019s weird to wake up and change into your down jacket and a beanie; I almost didn\u2019t pack these, but I\u2019m so glad I did!<\/p>\n I was also shocked by the remoteness of the communities that live in the Red Centre. For us city dwellers, \u2018remote\u2019 is usually a country town a couple of hours from Melbourne. But in this case, we\u2019d taken a three-hour flight, driven for two days, and that\u2019s<\/em> where they live.<\/p>\n Immersion is the word that comes to mind. Uluru\u2019s one of those places that deserves to be done properly; respectfully. Otherwise you\u2019ll rob yourself of the opportunity to really engage with the history, local knowledge and stories passed down through the generations. It could end up being just a rock if you landed, looked and left.<\/p>\n Having a guide who\u2019d lived in the region for 30 years was reassuring. He knew what time we\u2019d need to arrive to see the light reflecting in a certain way or how to reshuffle things so we didn\u2019t miss out on anything\u2014the kind of stuff you can\u2019t Google. Driving for hours every day also takes up a lot of energy and headspace, so it was nice to sit back and let Graeme, our leader, take care of everything.<\/p>\n I also loved connecting with the other people in our group and seeing Uluru through non-Australian travellers\u2019 eyes. This lovely Canadian couple, Jean and Pierette, had travelled across the world to be there, which reaffirmed how it\u2019s a pretty<\/em> big deal.<\/p>\n You could do Uluru yourself if you wanted to, but my favourite parts of all the trips I\u2019ve done have only been possible because we\u2019ve been with Intrepid.<\/p>\n Read about Spoonful of Sarah\u2019s Egyptian honeymoon with Intrepid<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s impossible to know what you\u2019re missing until you go, so just do it. I\u2019d be surprised for anyone \u2013 particularly Australians \u2013 not to feel moved by Uluru in some capacity. Travelling to Uluru felt like the cultural equivalent of a pilgrimage; it connects you to the place we live and our history beyond what we\u2019re taught. I doubt many people return from Uluru thinking, \u2018It\u2019s just a rock\u2019, but even if you did, it\u2019d still be the most impressive rock you\u2019ve ever seen.<\/p>\n Sarah travelled as a guest of Intrepid on our\u00a0Best of Uluru & Kings Canyon<\/a>\u00a0trip.\u00a0If you\u2019re keen to discover the heart of Australia,\u00a0check out Intrepid\u2019s full range of Uluru adventures<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cBut isn\u2019t it just a rock?\u201d If we\u2019re gonna get technical about it, Uluru is a sandstone monolith which is defined as a single giant rock. But places like this don\u2019t fall within dictionary definitions\u2014not when there are 500 million years of geological history and 60,000 years of First Nations culture to uncover. I recently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":190846,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11760],"tags":[3164,797,73736,74439,73156],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-190845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","tag-adventure","tag-rock","tag-sarahs","tag-spoonful","tag-uluru"],"yoast_head":"\nYou\u2019ve done a fair bit of global travel, so what made you choose the Red Centre?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IntrepidTravel-Australia-NT-Kings-Canyon-rock-ripples.jpg\")
<\/a>Why hadn\u2019t you been to Uluru until recently?<\/h2>\n
What was it like seeing Uluru for the first time?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IntrepidTravel-Australia-NT-Kata-Tjuta.jpg\")
<\/a>What were some of your highlights of the Red Centre?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IntrepidTravel-Australia-NT-Uluru-sunset-smiling.jpg\")
<\/a>Was there anything that surprised or shocked you?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"Travellers](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IntrepidTravel-Australia-NT-Uluru-Sunrise-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Why did you go to Uluru with Intrepid instead of organising it yourself?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n
![\"Travellers](\"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/IntrepidTravel-Australia-NT-KingsCanyon-Karrke.jpg\")
<\/a>What would you say to other travellers who haven\u2019t yet been to Uluru?\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n