Experiencing the red beating heart of Australia, The Red Centre

by guest blogger Dan Mullins, radio presenter of ‘The Bush Telegraph’ on Alan Jones’ Breakfast Show on 2GB 873AM

I was lucky enough this week to embark on the trip of a lifetime.

I travelled to Uluru and the Red Centre thanks to our friends at AAT Kings.

You can’t really do justice to the landscape on the written page, but I’ll do my best. The spirit of the area is all-encompassing and you simply can’t take your eyes off Uluru.

We arrived at lunchtime on day one and joined soon after an afternoon trip to Kata Tjuta – also known as The Olgas. The trip includes one of two walks into the Valley of the Winds – I chose the longer walk which took about an hour and a half. The scenery was breathtaking as you approach the huge monoliths jutting out of the red desert.

The highest point, Mount Olga, is 1,066 m above sea level – about 550m above the desert plain. I remembered seeing pictures of the landscape I now walked and no photograph can truly capture what it’s like in the flesh.

Here's a time-lapse film capturing the retreating sun over Kata Tjuta

The following morning we headed to Uluru for sunrise. A group of fellow early-risers were there to capture the changing light and sky patterns. Again, it’s breathtaking and Uluru looms larger than life in the mostly barren landscape. It can change colour right before your eyes.

We later joined a tour led by local Indigenous Guides and they explained the cultural and spiritual history of the area. The tour was well worth it, as it lent a deeper understanding to what the area means for its original owners.

Later that evening we returned to Uluru to see the sun set and it was there we saw the quintessential view of the Rock. It was the postcard shot – and we joined other travelers in sharing a glass of bubbly looking at the Australian icon dip and weave in colour and light right before our eyes.

It was both mesmerizing and awe inspiring.

Sunset over Uluru

Later that evening we dined beneath the stars at AAT Kings’ exclusive Uluru barbecue enjoying kangaroo, garlic prawns and a mixed grill. Did someone say ‘heaven’? Later we dimmed the lights to best view the extraordinary canopy of stars in the outback sky and enjoyed a tour’s guide of what we were seeing. I thought days later it was the highlight of my trip.

The following morning we were up early and excited to be climbing aboard a ‘ship of the desert’ for an Uluru experience with a difference – a camel ride.

Sunrise camel ride

They move so gracefully and quietly through the landscape, providing the perfect platform to see across to Uluru and Kata Tjuta. It capped off a perfect end to a perfect three day tour.

If you want to go somewhere unique, exciting and awe-inspiring, head to Uluru – and if you want to go with the best tour company out there, go with AAT Kings.

You’ll have the time of your life.

Visit the Red Centre for yourself. Check out these amazing holiday experiences.