1. Australia’s Red Center is made up of hundreds of kilometers of red-sand desert. While the word “desert” often makes us think of empty landscapes, the Red Center is also called Australia’s spiritual center, where some of the world’s oldest tribes have lived for tens of thousands of years.
2. It’s also home to one of the country’s most popular attractions: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The park, which covers about 1,325 square kilometers, was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and welcomes over 250,000 visitors every year, according to Parks Australia.
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3. Visitors are mostly interested in seeing Uluru, which, at nearly 350 meters high, is the world’s largest monolith — or giant rock. Also known as “Ayers Rock,” it is about 500 million years old.
4. But for Australia’s Aboriginal communities, this is more than a national park. The land belongs to the Anangu people, who have lived there for about 30,000 years. According to Aboriginal beliefs, Uluru was made by “spirit people” in the “Dreamtime” — the beginning of time, when life was created.
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5. Rock paintings at Uluru tell stories of the Dreamtime and spirit people, and the Anangu believe certain parts of the monolith help them communicate with their ancestors. Because of its spiritual importance, visitors are not allowed to climb Uluru. But there are other ways to enjoy it, like watching it change color as the sun goes down.
6. You can also walk or cycle around Uluru. And the 36 rock domes of nearby Kata Tjuta offer many great hikes. And make sure to visit the Cultural Center to learn more about Aboriginal history and art.
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