Rising from the flat desert landscape of Central Australia, Ayers Rock – or Uluru as it’s known to the Aboriginal population – is undoubtedly the most recognisable natural landmark in the country.

This monolithic sandstone formation stands more than 1,000ft high and has a circumference of more than six miles. Large numbers of foreign visitors make their way to this remote location every year to climb and explore this natural attraction and experience the magnificence of the desert sunrises and sunsets.

Located in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Ayers Rock is the main attraction yet it isn’t the tallest peak here. Found to the west of Uluru, and more than 600ft higher, are the massive domes of the Olgas, or Kata Tjuta (the traditional name that means ‘many heads’). The best time to view Uluru and Kata Tjuta is at sunrise or sunset, when both display a dramatic array of colours ranging from gentle and dusky blues and purples to fiery orange and red hues.

After watching the sunset, it’s time to head to one of the popular and award-winning resort, where you can relax and enjoy the serenity of the evening at this desert oasis. Facilities and attention to comfort are found hand-in-hand with architecture that blends with the beauty of the desert.

Whether your choice is the five-star ambience of this type of resort, a mid-range hotel or a campsite, there’s a range of accommodation choices on hand to meet your needs.

Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are spiritually and culturally significant to the Anangu, who proudly lead visitors on walking tours while describing local wildlife, bush foods and the ‘Dreamtime’ stories of their local tribe.

Another significant attraction is the Watarrka National Park in which you’ll find King’s Canyon. Located approximately half-way between Uluru and Alice Springs, the canyon boasts 1,000ft-high sandstone walls, palm-studded crevices, hiking trails and spectacular views across the desert.

There are archaeological findings that document human habitation of the areas directly to the east and west of Uluru at least 1,000 years ago. The first Europeans arrived in the desert of Central Australia in the 1870s, with their arrival made possible by the construction of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line. European explorers made sightings of Kata Tjuta in 1872 and Uluru in 1873, naming the former Mt Olga and the latter Ayers Rock.

Additional explorations followed to determine whether there were possibilities for establishing grazing areas in this arid region. By the late 1800s, the ‘pastoralists’ had attempted to claim rights to the land and establish themselves in the area. Interactions between the newcomers and the Anangu became increasingly frequent and violent.

Grazing and drought were highly damaging to the natural balance of the area, and bush food stores were soon depleted. Police patrols were eventually required to maintain order between the new settlers and the Aboriginal population.

Between the years 1918 to 1921, large, contiguous areas in South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory were dedicated as Aboriginal reserves and became sanctuaries for groups of nomadic populations that had little or no contact with European immigrant settlements. In 1920, Kata Tjuta National Park was made an Aboriginal reserve by the government, under the newly-enacted Aboriginals Ordinance.

The first tourists to visit the park arrived in 1936, and new interest in the area led to a growing community of European immigrants by the 1940s. By 1948, the first track for vehicles was completed and buses began bringing tourists to Uluru in the early 1950s. In 1958, the park area was reorganised as Ayers Rock-Mt Olga National Park; and in 1959, motel leases were granted and an airstrip had been constructed close to Uluru’s northern side.

In 1985, the national government returned legal ownership of Uluru to the aborigines, with the condition that the Anangu tribe would lease it back to Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Department for a period of 99 years. Today the park is jointly managed by the Parks Department and the local tribal council, and the Aboriginal community known as Mutitjulu. The Mutitjulu have a permanent resident population of 300, some of whom help to maintain the park.

The Ayers Rock area of Central Australia enjoys clear blue skies and sunshine year round. Rainfall does occur, infrequently, and its occurrence is unpredictable: it can occur at any time of the year. Rainfall actually depends on the southern weather patterns, and visitors are advised that whenever there’s rainfall, there’s also the chance of flash floods.

The summer season runs from December to February, following the patterns experienced throughout the southern hemisphere. The sunshine and dry heat combine to produce temperatures that can exceed 35˚C in the daytime, dropping to 20˚C at night. March to May constitutes the autumn season, with the weather beginning to cool and daytime temperatures averaging at 28˚C. During the autumn, temperatures at night typically drop to a cool 13˚C.

The winter months are from June to August, when days are pleasantly warm, with an average temperature of 20˚C. Winter nights are chilly, with temperatures dipping as low as 0˚C or below. Spring is particularly pleasant: the months of September to November see wild flowers blooming in the desert, as temperatures rise towards 30˚C during the day, and cool off to an average of 14˚C after dark.