Uluru: Audience with a rock star

Australia's spectacular and spiritual poster child deserves its legions of admirers.
Australia's Red Centre is a one-of-a-kind experience. As our plane descended on final approach to pint-sized Ayers Rock Airport, a glimpse out the window revealed the sprawling expanse of this incredible landscape - a landscape of sweet surrender and isolated splendour.
Home to just several thousand locals, including 2000 indigenous Anangu people, Ayers Rock is a popular destination, now luring half a million visitors a year. No matter how many photos you have seen of the rock, nothing quite compares to admiring Australia's monolithic poster child in person.
In deference to the national park's shared-ownership status, the landmark is now referred to as Uluru. Like many tourists, I had every intention of attending to my tick-list by climbing the rock, but after seeing it in the flesh (and noticing how vertiginous the walking path actually is, which has witnessed almost 40 deaths by falling), my best-laid plans were eclipsed by the overwhelming sense of spiritual and cultural reverence that Uluru evokes.
This mighty lump of sandstone exudes an intangible je ne sais quoi. Be sure to take a guided tour around its base and you will be enriched with a welter of mythological tales. For example, the Anangu believe Uluru was built by two boys who played in the mud after rain. That's quite some mud pie!
Most guided tours are incorporated into the daily sunrise and sunset pilgrimages, which are supremely arresting. From the first crack of light that pierces the dawn horizon to the brushstrokes of a blazing sunset, Uluru and the surrounding desert dance daily through a kaleidoscope of greys, russets, reds, browns, mauves and purples.
The adjoining tourist town of Yulara is home to the Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, which caters to all budgets. The resort is the base for all of the area's guided tour operators and boasts its very own shopping centre.
For premium tastes, Sails in the Desert is a five-star hotel with a special focus on Aboriginal heritage, including the Mulgara Gallery where you can converse with Anangu artisans. Sails has fully appointed rooms, beautifully landscaped grounds, a leisurely pool area and tantalising dining options.
Another recommended choice is the Desert Gardens Hotel, which is surrounded by magnificent ghost gums and flowering desert shrubs and features beautifully furnished rooms. Request a balcony room for a front-row view of Uluru.
For budget travellers, the Outback Pioneer offers a range of low-cost accommodation options as well as a highly sociable atmosphere. You can swap stories with fellow travellers over a beer and outdoor barbie.

Dinner in the desert a star-spangled delight
Upon arrival at Ayers Rock, you soon realise  you could kiss goodbye to thousands of dollars on the myriad adventure tours and activities on offer. Scenic helicopter flights,  camel treks through the desert, high-octane Harley  rides ... the options are dizzying.
But the one signature Uluru experience is the Sounds of Silence dinner. It will set you back nearly $200  a person - but it's worth its weight in gold.
Your journey begins in the late afternoon as you are transported to a lone sand dune with an unblemished 360-degree view across Uluru's desert canvas. As the sun sets in a blaze of reds, the haunting warble of the didgeridoo is performed and your dinner party is served canapes and bubbles.
Then you are escorted to your desert dinner setting, complete with crisp white linen, fine wines and a three-course buffet. Authentic Australian fare is to the fore, with deliciously cooked barramundi, kangaroo and crocodile all on offer.
At our table, a lovely family from Canberra swapped tales about the  insipid chickpea salad we all had the misfortune of being served by Qantas on our  flights to Ayers Rock. Surrounded by a such a feast  in the desert, the plane food seemed like a bad dream. After dinner, a local stargazer took us on a highly entertaining  tour of the southern night sky. The heavens glistened like opals and we learnt plenty.
A truly unforgettable night under the stars and in the shadow of spectacular Uluru.
TOP TIPS
Voyages Ayers Rock Resort is the beacon of hospitality in the desert, boasting six accommodation options. For  more information  and  bookings, go to www.ayersrockresort.com.au
Award-winning tour company AAT Kings operates a wealth of half- and full-day sightseeing excursions in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Top billing must go to its fascinating guided cultural walk around Uluru, which  precedes viewing the sun rise over the landmark. For  details and bookings, go to www.aatkings.com.au