Australia Closes Iconic Tourist Destination Uluru to Climbers

Last weekend, Australia took the bold step to close its most famous and iconic tourist destinations for travelers, permanently closing hikers and climbers from Ular (aka Ayers Rock). From 26 October, no one will be allowed to scale the sandstone monolith, which has been seen as a sacred site among the country's indigenous people for thousands of years. For decades, huge stone domes have been drawn in visitors from all over the world, many of which have become treks to the summit. But now, this will not be possible, giving local Angu people a reason for celebration.

Yulu has been seen, for human years, as a symbol of how European colonists discounted the rights and beliefs of indigenous peoples in Australia and around the world. For more than a century, its alternative name - Aires Rock - was used by most non-Indigenous Australians to identify the rock slab found in the center of Australia's "Red Center". 

The name comes from Sir Henry Ayers, who was the chief secretary. In South Australia in 1873, when the region was first surveyed by settlers. But 34 years ago, on October 26, 1985, Aires Rock was given back to Angu, along with the land that made up the national park (and the UNESCO World Heritage Site). Those lands continued to be managed by the state on a 99-year lease, with a board made up mostly of UU PF Anungu members. Despite this however, the tourists just kept coming up and stopping.

This was a major insult to Anango, who has always viewed Uluru as a holy land. In his mind, the site should have been off limits for any outsider, as it holds secrets that are only for indigenous people. For them, the giant sandstone dates back to the creation of the world and was brought into existence by powerful ancestral beings. Angu believes that they are descendants of those creatures and it is their responsibility to protect the land. There is no question that these indigenous people have a more solid relationship with those lands and how they are managed for future generations.

Over the last 30 years, attitudes towards Ayers Rock began to change gradually, to the point where it is rarely referred to by that name. Uluru - the original Anangu name - has been restored over time and is generally used to refer to Akhanda these days. But accepting that name has not been the only change, as more and more Australians now support indigenous tribe rights as well as land. It was because of this that climbing was banned in the end to end the endless touristy feet and to understand the summit or without reverence.

As you can probably imagine, last Friday was a very busy day on Uluru. With a climbing ban to go into effect on Saturday, visitors line up to make the last climb to the top. The already worn pavements were filled to see people sneaking inside the time limit or making a final pilgrimage to the sacred stone. As the day ended, and the last of these travelers descended, the Sun marked the beginning of an era in Australian tourism. The next day, an entirely new and better era began in its place.