Ayers rock an Australian miracle. The famous mountain uluru in australia

Located 450 kilometers from Alice Springs in Central Australia, the Kata Tiyuta National Park has many attractions on its territory. Ayers rock (new. Uluru), which stands out in the middle of the Australian desert, is the most famous of them.

What is so special about Mount Uluru in Australia? You can find out about this and some of the facts associated with it by reading the information provided in the article.

General information about the nature of Central Australia

These are endless deserts with thorny bushes and low trees, with salt water lakes scattered everywhere. As you move through these expanses, canyons and mountains with strange shapes can suddenly appear.

In its very depths there is a surprisingly beautiful and mysterious area - the Red Center. It is full of the most unique natural wonders... Numerous tourists from all over the world come to this place every year, although the weather is unusually hot here.

Australian mountain peaks not famous or popular with climbers, however, they are unusual. Any indigenous Australian will name Uluru (Red Mountain) as a symbol of Central Australia.

A bit of history

Mount Uluru is a huge rock formation that arose about 680 million years ago at the bottom of Amadius, an ancient lake. This miracle of nature, destroyed by sharp temperature changes and winds, rises in the very center of the desert area, breaking the monotony of the landscape. European scientists found it and described it in 1873, giving the name Ayers Rock. This amazing red mountain has been home to many tribes. The natives who inhabited these lands 10,000 years ago lived in caves at the foot of the mountain. They revered this rock as the cradle of life. A spring of water gushing from the rock gave them the essentials for survival. And today the inhabitants of this area regularly hold their sacred rites at its foot.

Officially, this rock belongs to the Anangu tribe, who leased this park to the government (for 99 years). The authorities annually pay the Aborigines $ 75,000 with a 20% surcharge for each ticket sold. The indigenous people are happy to support the development of tourism.

Description of Mount Uluru: photo

In its shape, it is similar to a lying elephant. From a distance, the mountain looks absolutely smooth, but when approaching it, all cracks, irregularities, roughness and furrows become visible. Consists of a unique block of red sandstone that can change its color depending on the lighting.

Uluru is the world's largest solid rock. Its length is 3600 meters, its width is about 3000 m, and its height is 350 m. Its sides are vertically cut by furrows, reaching 2 meters deep. On the walls of the rocks today you can see many drawings that have survived from ancient times. They depict deities revered by the aborigines, and some scenes from their lives.

Ancient sacred altars can be seen in the many caves that dot the base of the mountain.

Features:

Mount Uluru is a kind of gigantic monolith that rises above a uniform flat surface. It attracts hundreds of thousands of people with its main feature - the ability to change color during the day. At dawn, in the rays of the rising sun, the black mountain gradually turns into dark purple. Further, as the star rises through the sky, the color becomes blood red, and then pink. When the sun reaches highest point, the rock turns to gold. The play of colors is also celebrated in the afternoon. Only when the sun leaves the horizon does the giant stone block turn black again. It should be noted that during the rain Uluru turns blue with a lilac tint.

The bizarre nature of this area is also due to the fact that under this colossus there are underground lakes that come to the surface only in some places. These are small bodies of water inside the caves.

The peculiarity of the climatic conditions of the area should also be noted. Although the area is a desert, heavy rains and hurricanes are frequent. And the temperature in these places fluctuates quite strongly per day. With a daytime heat of 38 degrees, the nights are very cold here. In connection with these phenomena, many cracks appear on the stone.

Mount Uluru is on the list of UNESCO sites.

Excursions for tourists

In order for tourists to see this magnificent natural show in flowers, special viewing places have been arranged at a distance from the mountain.

After the construction of a high-speed railway through the desert area, tourists flooded here, the number of which is growing every year. Here you can order a walking tour of the surroundings, during which the aborigines tell many local legends. You can also commit tourist route accompanied by an experienced guide to the very top of the mountain, but the journey is not safe. In total, the ascent takes about two hours under the scorching sun. There have been cases when tourists died as a result of sunstroke. Falls from Mount Uluru in Australia are also frequent.

The ancients cave drawings almost disappeared. This is due to the fact that earlier the walls were doused with water by excursion guides so that the image looked clearer. As a result, the bottom of the paintings began to wear off. But this was noticed in time and it was forbidden to perform such actions.

Several versions about what Uluru is:

• "Mountain iceberg", connecting underground with the neighboring Mount Olga.
• A meteorite crashing into the ground.
• A small remnant of the oldest mountain range (Particles of rock have spread throughout the area over millions of years, and the remaining rock, which has undergone erosion, has acquired its current rounded shape).

Australia, Uluru (348 m)

The Aborigines who own the lands of Uluru-Kata Tjuta have long called for local authorities forbid tourists to climb Mount Uluru (the world's largest rock monolith Ayers Rock in Australia), which they consider sacred. Despite protests local residents, annually ascents are made by about 200 thousand tourists, including climbers.

Since Uluru was opened for ascents in the 50s, 50 people have died trying to climb it. Unfortunately, many tourists try to conquer it without any experience.

The height of the mountain monolith is 348 m, with a diameter of 9.4 km. This national park was twice listed “ World heritage”UN - in 1987 as natural monument, and in 1994 - as a cultural memorial. Uluru is also considered the 8th wonder of the world. The first European, Gosse, saw this mountain in July 1873. He noticed through the fog in the middle of the desert a giant rock of bizarre shape and unforgettable beauty. He climbed on her barefoot and said “ This rock, whenever I look at it, seems to me even more delightful.”.

Geologists believe that Uluru is at least 600 million years old, and consider it the world's largest sandstone monolith. Only the top of the dome protrudes to the surface, and the monolith itself lies at a depth of several hundred meters, hidden by sediments that formed the surrounding plain.

For a long time the rock was called Ayers Rock, but gradually returned to the original name "Uluru". Uluru-Kata-Tew-ta National Park was founded in 1958 as Ayers Rock National Park and renamed Uluru National Park in 1977. In 1985, the land was returned to its original owners, the local aborigines. A trained climber, the climber is able to climb Uluru, but indigenous Australians view climbing on the massif as a terrible sacrilege. The huge dome, built by ancient sandstones, plays an important role in the mythology of the Aborigines. Each crack, depression, bend has a special meaning. Indigenous Australians are against even hiking Uluru and declare that those who climbed the mountain will not be lucky in later life. But despite these laws, there is also hiking trail to Uluru, well equipped and trodden. There are signs at the foot of the mountain warning that the ascent can be dangerous. In hot sunny weather, the air temperature can exceed more than + 36 degrees, and in the rain, the mountain slopes become too slippery.

The tourist trail to Uluru is equipped with special handrails

The Australian authorities have decided to ban climbing Mount Uluru (Ayers Rock). The protest was presented to the authorities by the indigenous leaders of Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and its purpose is to protect sacred mountain from vandals. Most tourists come to Uluru not to climb, but to admire the beauty there. Currently, only 20% climb the mountain. Nevertheless, the tourist and sports activity in the area is gradually increasing. The Aboriginal plan envisages limiting the number of those wishing to climb the mountain to 35% of all climbers who come here, otherwise insisting on a complete ban on climbing the sacred mountain. Indigenous communities and tour operators have already begun looking for alternative solutions to visit the mountain without touching its surface.

Mount Uluru has another name - Australia's vibrant heart:

When the rays of the setting sun illuminate the summit of Uluru, the giant monolith is a breathtaking sight. Aboriginal people believe that the rock has not changed at all since the time of Dzhugur ("Time of Dreams"). At close range, the rock demonstrates the gracefulness of the forms, created by wind and rain.

Uluru Falls July 1st, 2014

This place is one of the main attractions in Australia. Uluru is a large sandstone rock formation that is orange in color due to the presence of iron oxide.

The rock has an oval shape with a diameter that ranges from 3 to 3.5 kilometers. Uluru is located almost in the very center of the green continent. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. About half a million tourists come to this rock every year. However, only a few thousand manage to see unique phenomenonwhen streams of water cascade down from the cliff. During rainy periods, from November to March, even in such arid areas, a considerable amount of precipitation falls. It is they who form these temporary waterfalls.

Let's take a closer look at this place ...

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Uluru rock, or Ayers Rock, is a 350-meter oval rock. Uluru (accent on the last syllable) is located in the heart of Australia. It is over 3.5 km long and about 3 km wide. The base of the rock is cut by caves, and the caves themselves are decorated with ancient rock paintings and stone carvings.

Once in the center of the continent, a mountain range rose, representing an island in the middle of Lake Amadies. The products of destruction of rocks were deposited at the bottom of the reservoir, forming a rock. In appearance, Uluru resembles a giant elephant lying on its side. From a distance, the monolith looks completely smooth, but near the surface, irregularities, cracks and grooves are clearly visible.

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The desert climate is characterized by temperature fluctuations: the nights are cold, and the midday heat reaches 40 degrees. The stone expands when heated, and contracts when cooled, which causes its cracking. The unique mountain giant consists of red sandstone, the special properties of which allow it to change color depending on the light during the day. At dawn, the black silhouette of the mountain brightens, acquiring a dark purple hue. The sun rises higher, and Uluru flashes purple-red, then glows pink, and turns golden by noon. The fantastic play of color continues throughout the day.

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In the XIX century. Mount Uluru was first seen by European Ernest Giles. He noticed a rock from the shores of Lake Amadies, but could not reach it. A year later, the English explorer William Goss climbed to the top of the miracle mountain. He named the block "Ayers Rock" after the Secretary of State South Australia Henry Ayers. The name "Uluru" was given to the rock many centuries ago by local aborigines. This word does not mean anything. Archaeologists believe that the aborigines inhabited the areas adjacent to Uluru 10 thousand years ago. Thanks to the spring gushing from the ground and caves, Uluru has been a refuge for ancient tribes for hundreds of years.

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Tourists began to visit this place only in the middle of the last century, after the completion of the construction of a highway through this area. Since 1985, Uluru has officially belonged to the Anangu tribe, however, the stone giant was leased to the government for a period of 99 years to be used as national park... Annual rent is $ 75K plus 20% of each entrance ticket... The natives are interested in the development of tourism and, in accordance with the agreement, do not interfere with visiting the Uluru peak, to which their sacred path leads.

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Rainfall pouring down from the unusual stone surface of Ayer Rock creates a beautiful sight, which was captured by photographs of the bad weather over Uluru National Park. During bad weather on October 14, 7 cm of precipitation fell. In this area, 15.5 centimeters of precipitation falls per year.

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Photos show streams of water rolling down the stone slopes of Ayer's Rock. The area is known as the driest point in the Red Center of Australia with a stone hill towering 350 meters above sea level, which the local aborigines call Uluru.

The pictures were taken after a rainy night when the rain was gushing and about 7 centimeters of rain fell.

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The pictures show that the stone slopes under the influence of water flows and illumination change their color from dark burgundy to purple. A truly magnificent sight was the stony slopes of Ayers Rock with rolling streams of water, which was photographed for us by Peter Carroll.

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August 21, 2014

The eighth wonder of the world, Red Mountain, a sacred place - all these words are said about an amazing mountain located in Australia. Uluru or Ayers Rock is one of the recognizable symbols of the Green Continent. Uluru Rock, reminiscent of a huge resting elephant, is incredibly beautiful, and is rightfully considered one of the most wonderful natural wonders of our planet.

Chameleon Rock Ayers Rock

The fantastic Red Mountain is 450 km from australian city Alice Springs. Its height is 838 m, and its length is 3.6 km. This red sandstone is cracked everywhere. Some of them reach a depth of 2m. It is the properties of the sandstone that allow the rock to go all day. At dawn, the mountain looks dark purple, during the day it takes on a golden hue, and towards evening it becomes completely dark.

Mysteries of the ancient mountain

Millions of years ago, there was an island-like mountain range in the center of Australia. The rocks gradually collapsed, subsided and formed a giant rock. It is interesting that Uluru lies in the middle, but hurricanes constantly rush around it, which rain heavy rains on the surroundings. This is how deep cracks appear on the surface of the mountain. The alternation of heat and heavy rainfall causes the sandstone to shrink and expand. This process does not stop.

Sacred mountain Uluru

Scientists believe that the amazing mountain is over 6 million years old! The base of the rock has testimonies about the life of ancient people. In found rock paintings depicting ancient deities: the mistress of Mount Kuniya, the Brown Snake Lyra, the patron saint of mammals, the Hare Kangaroo.

Place of pilgrimage for tourists

After the construction in the 50s of the twentieth century, the highway leading to amazing rock, the real pilgrimage of those wishing to see the eighth wonder of the world began. But the topography of Uluru's surface is so difficult, cracks and slippery places after rains, plus high temperatures, make it difficult to climb the mountain. In the first 15 years, only 22 people climbed to the top. Currently the number is in the thousands.

Since 1985, Aires Rock has been officially leased by the Anangu tribe as a national park. The natives are interested in the development of tourism associated with the chameleon rock. They set up a path along which you can go up. There is a certain place where you can climb the stone. These precautions prevent accidents that have occurred before. The scorching sun and bumps are a danger to travelers. Better to follow the advice of the guides.

UNESCO recognized the sacred rock of Uluru as the Eighth Wonder of the World and inscribed it on the World Heritage List. It is difficult to imagine Australia without the famous Red Mountain, which can often be seen on the covers of travel guides and photo albums about the most interesting places planets.

Mount Uluru in Australia photo

Uluru is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the main natural attractions in Australia, which attracts more than 400 thousand people every year. Uluru is an orange-brown rock (the orange hue of Uluru is given by the iron oxide contained in its composition), capable of changing color at different times of the day. At dawn, the silhouette of the rock brightens, acquiring a dark purple hue. The sun rises higher and Uluru blazes with a purple-red color, then lights up pink, and turns golden by noon.

The mountain is located in central Australia. Height - 348 meters, width - 3 km, length - 3.6 km. Thanks to seismic shocks (three hundred million years ago), the mountain received its vertical layers.

There are different points of view of what Uluru really is. Some write that this is the second largest (after the Australian Augustus) monolith in the world, others argue that Uluru is not a monolith at all, since underground Uluru is connected to Mount Olga (the mountain was named after the daughter of the Russian Emperor Nicholas I - the Grand Duchess Olga), located 25 km from Uluru.

Thanks to a spring gushing in this area, the area near Uluru has been inhabited by people for 10 thousand years (even ancient cave paintings have been preserved here) and the aborigines have their own version of what Uluru is.

The amazing colors that the mountain shines with are simply mesmerizing. Given the red sandstone of which the rock is composed, and the rays of the sun falling at different angles, it changes its color from dark purple to golden.

Someone also calls it a lump or rock, perhaps because it stands confidently in the center of Australia, in the desert (once the bottom of an ancient sea), in a sacred place. And it seems that the mountain is as lifeless as everything around. But no, after desert thunderstorms, drops of water flow down the mountain, which feed the local plants. The source at the foot of the mountain saves animals and natives from thirst.

The mountain has two names: Uluru - symbolizes the connection with the earth, it was the aborigines who considered it a living part of the natural world; Ayers rock - got its name in honor of Henry Ayers, then the governor of South Australia.

Mount Uluru keeps legends about itself. From generation to generation, local aborigines on the mountain performed rituals, telling about the birth of the world, and their rituals kept a secret for outsiders.

The Anangu tribe is the guardian of Uluru, which even now does not allow tourists to climb the mountain, thus protecting them from the spiritual and physical pollution of the sacred place.

The aborigines of Australia live in harmony with nature, they inherited such an attitude from the spirits who lived on the ancient rock of Uluru, which is considered a sacred place and keeps rock paintings of antiquity.

Local legend says: on the sunny side of Uluru lived the Mala tribe (people - hare kangaroos), on the shady side lived another tribe - Kunia (snake people). Once, both of these tribes were invited by the Windulka tribe to a holiday, but the invitees were attracted by the lizard women who came to visit them.

As a result, the owners of the holiday, to which no one came, got angry and sent angry dogs without hair with huge teeth (sometimes they say that they were dingos), as well as poisonous snakes that lived near Mount Olga (the aboriginal name of the mountain is Kata -Tute).

As a result, a grandiose battle took place near Uluru and both tribes (Mala and Kunia) were exterminated. Uluru rose from the earth and enclosed the souls of the lost tribes. There is a belief: whoever takes even the slightest part of Uluru will be cursed, and many tourists confirm this belief: after the misfortunes that have fallen on them, people are trying to mail pieces of the ominous rock back to Australia.

Curious are the calls of the aborigines, written on the walls of the center, urging not to climb Uluru in sacred places and not even take pictures of them. Although one of the points of the contract, according to which local communities receive more than 700 thousand dollars annually for the use of the Red Stone, is the permission to climb the Ayes Rock anywhere, excluding religious ones.

Although it is not easy to climb on it, Uluru is a smooth pebble of enormous size, turned by time, red. Try to climb this one!

Even at close range, Uluru looked absolutely smooth, with smooth flowing lines, reminiscent of dunes forever frozen in stone. Its surface is covered with gray and red blotches, which strongly reminded us of large scales. It is not for nothing that the aborigines often associate this rock with either a giant snake or a huge lizard.

In 1872, the first European, Ernest Giles, a traveler, visited it. In 1985, the Australian government leased Uluru to the local Ananga tribe for 99 years, so the Australian aborigines are the official owners of these places. Aborigines do not impede the flow of tourists to Urul, because this is a good opportunity for the tribe to make money.

The admission ticket, valid for three days, costs A $ 25 and 20% of each ticket goes to the Anangu tribe. Aborigines do not like it when tourists climb Uluru (its height is 348 meters) and have repeatedly appealed to the Australian government with a request to prohibit climbing the sacred rock for them.

In addition, climbing Uluru is unsafe: 35 people have already died while trying to conquer the rock. If the aborigines have not yet achieved a ban on climbing, then one ban is very strict: you cannot take pictures in two places in Uluru, where initiation rituals take place.

There is no tourist complex directly next to Uluru, so those wishing to visit the famous rock stop in the town of Yulara, which is 18 km away. from Uluru. If you try to translate from English ( official language Australia) the word "Uluru", then nothing will come of it, because this word is from the language of the local aborigines. However, scientists have not figured out the origin and meaning of the word "Uluru" in the aboriginal language.

Sometimes this word can be used as a surname among a tribe living near Uluru. From 1873 to 1993, the official English name for this rock was Ayers Rock. In 1993, the Australian government decided to introduce dual names (English + local) for Australian natural sites and the rock was named Ayers Rock / Uluru. In 2002, at the request of Aboriginal people, the rock was officially renamed Uluru / Ayers Rock.