460 km south west of Alice Springs. We’ve all seen the travel poster pictures, but the real thing is something else. At sunset (and to a certain extent at sunrise) the red rock takes on an almost hallucinatory quality as its colour becomes transformed in the frail light. It’s easy to understand how the local Aborigines invested the rock, which they call Uluru, with a deep spiritual significance. For more than 10,000 years (more than twice the age of the Pyramids) this has been a sacred spot. Previously known as Ayers Rock after its 19thC European discoverer, the preferred name is now its original Aborigine one, in line with the new awareness in Australia of Aborigine rights. Even geologically, Ayers Rock is out of the ordinary. The original rock layer was formed over 500 million years ago, when Australia was still part of Africa and India. Since then, movements in the earth’s crust have tilted this slab of rock vertically. Ayers Rock rises to almost 350 m, yet it projects twice as deep below the surface, plunging far into the bowels of the earth.

You can fly direct to Ayers Rock Airport (Qantas flights daily from most major Australian cities). Or you can fly to Alice Springs and drive from there. The rock is now part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park managed jointly by its traditional Aborigine owners and Parks Australia.

The entry point to the Park is on the road from Yulara. A permit will set you back at $25 for a three-day adult pass. It’s open from half an hour before sunrise to sunset.

Aboriginal art galleries have proliferated at the Ayers Rock Resort (www.ayersrockresort.com.au) and it’s debatable whether this is still the best place in the region for Aborigine art at reasonable prices. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the best Aborigine art doesn’t (and shouldn’t) come any cheaper than any other kind of respectable art. Prices for some of the craftwork can, likewise, be unconvincing. At present, the Mulgara Gallery is the dominant outlet.

Those who don’t fancy climbing the rock can set off on one of several walks around the rock – details from the Visitor Centre in Hartley Street. Note: parts of the foot of the rock occupy Aborigine sacred sights and these cannot be visited – they are fenced off. The brochures tell you about the mythological significance of the your particular walk. You can also see some cave paintings. Not surprisingly, many find themselves receptive to the sacred aura of the rock. The complete circuit is around 9 km.

The climb to the peak and back is just over 3 km, and you can usually complete it in less than two hours. The initial climb is by far the hardest, and you get a real sense of achievement when you reach the summit, 867 m above sea level. Here you get a windy wow of a view, and the opportunity to swap climbing stories with other mountaineers. Then it’s downhill all the way.

It’s no fun coming all this way without taking at least one of the many walks, but the major experience is undoubtedly the sight of the rock itself, especially as it glows and radiates in the sunset.