There are a few things one should know about Ayers Rock. First, the rock is part of a national park, owned by the aboriginal people of Australia's Northern territory. The park is called Uluru, and to the natives so is the rock. The second thing to know is that while the rock has a history as a site for climbers, Uluru is a spiritual location for the Anangu (the aboriginal people who own the park) and is a source from which all things in the world come. Climbing the sacred stone goes against their beliefs. It still happens, though it is discouraged. A visit to Uluru is a magnificent experience and the spiritual nature of this ancient place can be felt without climbing to its peak.

Third, while it is tempting to climb, Uluru is said to be a challenging trek. It is big and barren, meaning there is no shelter from the sun for the entire climb. There aren't many things to grab on to should you need it, either, and more than a few adventurers have lost their lives trying to find the plateau.

The fourth interesting point is that the rock is the world's largest monolith. This in itself is impressive considering all that the world offers, but it becomes a little more substantial when considering that only one third of the rock peaks out of the ground. We can see 350 metres of it (high, that is. The rock is more than 9 km around), leaving a lot to the imagination.

The giant sandstone Uluru is also unique in that it appears to change color throughout the day. Bearing that in mind, the last important point is also one of the most memorable. The legendary rock will seem different depending on what time of day you visit, presenting a different face to visitors throughout the day. The rising sun brings with it vibrant red tones in homage to the passing of many days, and many lifetimes. In the afternoon it settles at an ochre brown and the deep shadows created by the cracks and lines running to the top make Uluru seem alive. Old, but alive. Then, as the sun rests, the color deepens and becomes a dark red before fading into a charcoal.