The Aborigines were very surprised when they knew that this monolith was created from sand dunnas by their ancestors. This formation was – within thousands of years - cult centre of Aborigines, living nearby. Finally, the rock was discovered by William Christie Gosse in 1812, and named according to Henry Ayers, South Australian politician. Nevertheless, the Aborigins  worshiped, since time out of mind, these springs, jetting from a rock, as holy or deadly (fatal) water. At slope of the rock, cult rites (ceremonies) were organized. The Aborigines believed that inside the rock, their ancestors could sleep. So, you can meet everywhere many paintings of religious contents. Each scratch into a cliff, each sketched rock-ribs has great importance for all members of local tribes. At present, many tourists from all over the world arrive here, in order to admire the rock, which is arising suddenly from the plateau. Its plain is 350 metres high above the surrounding plain. The altitude is 835 metres above sea level, the plateau width makes 2,4 kms and length makes 3,6 kms. This monolith is not only important with a fact that its roundish formation, with steep walls, differs from local plain countryside, but also with its play of colours during a day and at various changing weather conditions.

When the sky is clear, the rock shines  in red and yellow shade, when there is humid weather and sky is cloudy, the rock has white, brown, black or violet colour shades. Ayer´s Rosck consists of hardly cemented sandstone and so called „arconas“ (i.e.feldspar gravel) which was accumulated  here and connected 600 millions of years ago, within early cambrium time period. Later, when the mountain-range was created, the stratta were laid here nearly in perpendicular position. Anyway, in the course of millions of years, crumbled away settled mountain range was consisted of moderate valleys and mountain ranges, and it was displayed to changing humid and dry climate in Tertiary formation (60 millions of years ago). This climate is similar to those, prevailing in actual tropical or subtropical areas. So, under these specific conditions, there remained rests of elevated places, as witness of former mountain range, so called „island mountains“. So, even Ayer´s Rock belongs to them. It reminds more the bell-formation (or torture´s breast-plate). Mount Olga, 30 kms distant, is a mountain range,divided with abysses and clefts, to separate bizarre mountains. Red colour shade  of stones hangs together with decay process, and with creation of grooves, 2 metres deep, following the areas of harder and more soft stones. So, in narrow scratches, among separate rocks of Mount Olga complex, (as a difference from surrounding areas, where the water is missing) the humidity is kept and the plants grow here. The whole complex makes quite unsual impression at a view from short as well as from far distance. Shortage (shortness) of copse helps also to imposant appearance of Ayer´s Rock. Anyway, systematic crumbling enabled, by means of unsufficient plant covering of soil, accompanied with great temperature changes during day and night, causing crack of highland, protecting the establishment of fertile soil stratta.

So, the plants cannot take the roots here. From time to time, some pieces or sheets of rock, separated or broken away, fell down along rock surface, and remain to be on spot, as for instance, so callen Camel Tail – 200 metres high and 2 metres thick. On places, where sandstone disintegrated into sand, the caves and overhanging rocks are created. The configuration of such holes along north slope of the rock is named as a „Brain“ by white men. Anyway, for Aborigines, there are traces of Karapunua Dog, menacing theire ancestors thousands of years ago. The cave, situated above Mutidjula spring (its water contains magic poison and brings a death, according to the legends) is worshiped as a seat of holy rainbow snake. At present, these places offer a shade. However, they are occupied by tourists. In past, the arrival here was possible from the town of Alice Springs, 473 kms distant. Now, it is much more easier, as you can arrive here by plain from Yulara. This seat was established as tourist centzre, 14 kms distant from the rock only. In the town, you can find luxurious hotels, as well as great camping places.

Text: Jakub Štantejský anf Monumente der Welt

Photo: google earth