Uluru is the most iconic and worldwide recognized Australian landmark. This makes Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park a very popular place all year round. It is literally flooded with international tourists, as well as interstate travelers. We’ve been planning (and postponing) this trip for 5 years. And finally in July 2025 it happened. We travelled to Uluru from Perth via The Great Central Road (which was an interesting experience). Now we can put a tick on our bucket list and forget it about this trip. We certainly did appreciate the beauty of the famous rock. Its rich Aboriginal culture and significance impressed us. However, we were disappointed with many rules and regulations. The commercial aspects of this remarkably beautiful place also let us down.
Photography rules and regulations
Visitors should know that Uluru is a sacred Aboriginal site. Therefore, there are strict restrictions on photography. Some parts of the rock are out of reach, while at others photography is prohibited. You can generally photograph parts of the rock. However, you are not allowed to publicly share the pictures. You must buy a special media permit.
We are not running this blog for profit. Therefore, it was not sustainable for us to buy a permit ($20 per day). This is in addition to the entry fee ($38 per person, valid for 3 days).
Sunrise and sunset over Uluru
Seeing the rock illuminated with light during sunrise is advertised as one of the highlights of any trip to Uluru. Sunset is another popular time to visit the rock So, of course, it was on our list too. We did go to see the sunrise over Uluru at sunrise viewing platform. We had to get up at 5am (in July) to secure the parking. Then we queued at the entrance to the park. Then, we joined the crowds at the viewing platform. There were many people there – bus loads of tourists plus many more arriving by cars.
At 8am, when the sun rose, everyone left. We were the only ones in the car park, having our breakfast. Looking at Uluru, we realized that it appeared so much nicer now. It was more beautiful than at those early hours of the morning. We had to share a spot with crowds of people to get a glimpse of the famous rock then. So, if you want good pictures, get there just after sunrise, when all the tour buses are leaving. You will have a lot of space and much nicer colours of the rock.
Uluru or Ayers Rock?
It is a controversial question. These days, since the times of reconciliation, more and more names of places are changed to Aboriginal names. Ayers Rock became Uluru in 1993 to show respect to the original owners of the land. To be more correct, this place has officially dual name – Uluru/Ayers Rock (sometimes written the other way round). To the new generations and migrants, it is mostly known as Uluru. The older generations prefer to use the name Ayers Rock. They sometimes get too emotional about “incorrect” naming of the rock. We found that out after posting our pictures referring to the rock as Uluru only.
