Ayre's Rock

Ayre's Rock n : is technically owned by two local tribes in Australia, namely the Yankunitjatjara and the Pitjantjara. These tribes like the other aboriginal peoples of Australia refer to Ayre's Rock as Uluru.

Situated about 320 kilomentres (200) miles south-east of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia, Ayre's Rock is undoubtedly one of the world's largest natural monoliths, an enormous block of sandstone standing 348 metres (1142 feet) high and up to 3 kilomentres (2 miles) in length. Much of the greater part of the Rock is concealed below ground possibly extending down below the earth, anywhere up to 6 kilomentres (three and three quarter miles).

The aboriginal peoples of Australia hold Ayre's Rock or Uluru as their most sacred of sites. This is reflected in the sacred paintings depicting Dreamtime found in the many caves scattered around the perimeter of the Rock. Tourism and visits to Ayre's Rock are popular as people flock to see its highly photogenic colour changes each morning. Unfortunately this, along with the removal by tourists, of pebbles and rocks for souvenirs, is seen by the aboriginals as a desecration of their ancient site.

Surprisingly enough, many of these souvenirs find their way home often by way of post, returned by tourists claiming to have had nothing but bad luck since the day they took them. It almost appears as if Ayre's Rock or Uluru has its own magical way of protecting itself.

The Dreamtime mentioned above is the aboriginal concept of creation. A time when the world and all of its contents came into being. It was a very magical time, filled full of strange gods, heroes and ancestral beings, whose songs and bodies gave rise to the lakes, stars and mountains; and a time of ancient spirit beings that populated the lands with the unique flora and fauna, still seen in Australia today. The aboriginals have a unique Dreamtime story or meaning invested in almost every pebble, crack and outgrowth on Ayre's Rock.

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