My quest to climb Ayers Rock
Growing up in Australia in the 1950s, I was inspired by the idea of climbing Ayers Rock, the largest sandstone monolith in the world. Also known as Uluru, this towering outcrop stands 348 metres high, with two-thirds of its immense mass hidden deep beneath the red sand. Recognised as one of the wonders of the natural world, Ayers Rock is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef and the Sydney Opera House, it features prominently in international promotion of Australian tourism. My aspiration to climb this colossus was kindled by Arthur Groom’s 1950 book I Saw a Strange Land. I felt my Australian identity was somehow linked to this iconic natural feature. Historical accounts confirm that Aboriginal men were entirely familiar with climbing the rock and with its geographical features. They happily guided occasional non-Aboriginal visitors who wanted to…
