Completing the Uluru Base Walk

When visiting Uluru, one of the most popular activities is to undertake the base walk. The 10km track loops around the rock and is the perfect way to get up close and personal with the monument.

The walk is relatively flat and doesn’t require a significant level of fitness to complete. However, it is somewhat deceptive. The blaring outback heat make this walk much more of a feat than it seems. It’s best to try and finish your walk by 11am to avoid the mid-day heat.

Looking at the rock, you want to start your walk clockwise. This is the best way to see all the different environments around the base. You will follow the footsteps of the ancestral beings that carved out this landscape and get a personal look at the curves and crevices of the rock.

The walk is divided into several sections to help you navigate the walk better. You’ll pass through several diverse ecoscapes and you’ll have the opportunity to spot wildlife and bush tucker.

Some walks close during summer afternoons for the safety of visitors.

• Mala walk

  The Mala walk leaves from the Mala carpark to Kantju Gorge. On the walk, you can enter the caves where the Mala people first camped and see the kitchen where they prepared meals. The Mala are the ancestors of the Anangu people, and their story is very important within the Tjukurpa.

  Along this walk, you’ll see great examples of rock art and get close to the sheer vertical walls of Uluru. The sun illuminates this area in a red hue as light reflects off the rock’s surface.

• North-east face walk

  The north-east face walk is the longest stretch of walk and will open you to mysterious and fascinating formations. Many of the formations you walk past hold chapters of the Anangu creation stories.

  This walk passes through many spiritually significant places, and please refrain from taking photographs in the area.

• Kuniya Walk and Mutitjulu Waterhole

  Sit quietly at the Mutitjulu Waterhole, one of the first permanent water sources near Uluru. The areas here are green and rich in life. It is quite shady and green here. Not only will you see animals such as wallaby, but you can also see bush tuckers growing such as figs, bush plums and bush tomatoes.

  This area is so beautiful that Anangu often bring VIPs here. The British Royals and Dalai lama are such examples of VIPs who have visited. You will feel a deep connection with nature here, and if you are lucky rain may bring waterfalls down Uluru.

  This is the site of the battle between Kuniya and Liru, the creation ancestors. Kuniya and her spirit are there today and protect the area.

• Lungkata walk

  The final track runs directly next to the rock surface. Here you can feel its changing textures and shapes. If you are here near the sunset you can feel the suns warmth radiating from the rock.

  This area is another important Tjukurpa site. Here you will learn about Lungkata who discovered the hard way the dangers of climbing Uluru, as well as why you should not steal from others.

Do it yourself

Whichever section of the Uluru base walk you choose to complete you are sure to be awed by this incredible part of the world.

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