Uluru

Operating a Resort in the Desert

Middle of nowhere or middle of everything?

By road, we’re located 450km from the nearest large town, Alice Springs. To some, that might seem like the middle of nowhere. We like to think of it as being in the middle of everything. Surrounded by desert plains, under a sparkling sky, home to thousands of plants and animals – there’s truly no better place to live, work, and play, if you ask our team (but we might be a little biased!)

When it comes to operating a large resort in the middle of the desert, we’ve had a few years of practice, and we’re proud to say we have a pretty good system under our belts. Of course, we’re always open to new ways of doing things, becoming more efficient and sustainable, and sharing our experiences with even more guests and staff. Welcome to Ayers Rock Resort – here’s an insider’s peek at how we operate here in the heart of the Outback.

two indigenous men
people on a deck with Ayers Rock in the background
Uluru aerial
accommodation at ayers rock resort
Tjintu solar field
three Voyages staff members

Quick Facts

  • The road trains that travel 1,663km from Adelaide to the Resort twice a week are three trailers long with a total length of 55m and carry 66 pallets of goods each trip
  • Each year, 85,716L of milk, 348,300 eggs, 14.79t of watermelon and 33,496,960 pieces of toilet paper are transported to the Resort
  • 730 employees every year fly or drive great distances to start their new job at the Resort
  • The Resort’s technical services team responds to over 35,537 maintenance requests each year and services a fleet of 137 vehicles
  • The Resort runs its own rubbish dump with over 6,058.50 m3 of waste going to landfill in 2016/2016 and 2649.84t is transported 1,663km to Adelaide for recycling
the lost camel artwork

Anangu Art – Symbols

Anangu paintings are created for religious and ceremonial expression and for teaching and storytelling. Several rock shelters at the base of Uluru provide visitors with the opportunity to observe evidence of this ancient tradition. The symbols and figures in the caves at Uluru are similar to those found at many sites throughout Central Australia, including geometric symbols such as concentric circles, figures representing animal tracks, and the outlines of animals. Artists can use these symbols to represent different meanings.

The concentric circles symbol is a good example of how artists often use the same symbol to represent many things. In some paintings, concentric circles may mean a waterhole or a camping place. In others, the same symbol may indicate a tjala (honey ant) nest, or ili (native fig). The symbol usually represents a site that is a part of an intricate story being recorded and told by the artist. The true meanings of the rock paintings at Uluru rest with the artists and their descendants.

Making indigenous art; three people making Australian indigenous art by hand

Anangu Art – Colours

Anangu make paints from natural mineral substances mixed with water and sometimes with animal fat. They most commonly use red, yellow, orange, white, grey and black pigments. Red, yellow and orange pigments are iron-stained clays called ochres. Calcite and ash are used to make white pigment and calcite and charcoal are used to make black pigment. Calcite is a chalky mineral which occurs naturally in calcrete deposits common in this area.