Advertisement

Tourists trapped on Uluru despite cultural warnings and its dangerous history

Indigenous Australians don't want people on Uluru for any reason but tourists don't listen.

Indigenous Australians don't want people on Uluru for any reason but tourists don't listen. Photo: Getty

The debate over tourist access to Uluru has been reignited after three climbers triggered a marathon search and rescue mission when they became stranded the central Australian monolith.

The three men, all aged 22, disregarded warnings to stay off the sacred rock and became stuck on a steep-walled crevice for 16 hours on Monday, after they wandered off Uluru’s climbing path.

They were rescued early Tuesday morning, with local police reporting the group was in good sprits and not badly injured.

While it is not illegal to climb Uluru, Parks Australia and local Indigenous Australian groups encourage tourists not to do so.

A Parks Australia spokesperson told The New Daily it urges people to stay off Uluru under all circumstances.

“Parks Australia requests that the public respect of the wishes of traditional owners when visiting Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park,” a Parks Australia statement read. “Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park is jointly managed by traditional owners and Parks Australia.”

The three tourists aren’t the only people to have gotten into trouble on Uluru over the years.

In fact, between 35 and 40 people have died while trying to climb Uluru since 1958. Many others have been injured attempting the climb.

Most recently, in 2015, a 27-year-old Taiwanese man suffered significant injuries when he fell 20 metres into a crevice on Uluru.

He spent the night on the rock with multiple limb fractures and head injuries.

In 2010 a 50-year-old Victorian tourist collapsed after climbing back down Uluru. That was the first death since 2000.

uluru walk

Tourists regularly climb up this track on Uluru. Photo: Getty

The climb to the top of Uluru is a steep 1.6km hike, with most of the way being guided by a chain.

The Parks Australia website carries a message from the local Indigenous community. The same message can be found at the Uluru Cultural Centre.

“That’s a really important sacred thing that you are climbing … You shouldn’t climb,” it reads.

“We [Indigenous Australians] are obliged by Tjukurpa [a sacred force uniting people with the land] to say. And all the tourists will brighten up and say, ‘Oh I see. This is the right way. This is the thing that’s right. This is the proper way: no climbing’.”

The message is from the Anangu people, the custodians of the land on which Uluru sits.

In April the Turnbull government decided against banning tourists from climbing Uluru. Instead it announced that a 100km, five-day desert trek from Amata to Uluru would begin in August 2016.

In 2010 a plan to manage the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park aimed to “work toward the closure of the climb” for environmental, cultural and safety reasons.

Exotic Uluru  performance

Frenchwoman Alizee Sery infuriated the traditional owners and Parks Australia in 2010 when she filmed herself performing an exotic dance on top of Uluru.

At the time, Ms Sery said the show was staged as a “tribute” to Aboriginals and their culture, and to fulfil a lifelong dream.

“I do not mean in any way for this video to offend the Aboriginal culture,” she told The Sunday Territorian. “I am aware that Uluru is sacred in their culture.

“My project is a tribute to the greatness of The Rock. What we need to remember is that traditionally, the Aboriginal people were living naked. So stripping down was a return to what it was like.”

Northern Territory MP Warren Snowdon called for action to be taken against Ms Sery.

A treacherous rescue

Claire Barker, Southern Regional Manager from Northern Territory Emergency Services (NTES), said the vertical-rescue team faced treacherous conditions and were not able to rescue the last of the men until 3:30am.

uluru walk

Rescuers needed a helicopter. Photo: NTES

“They’ve got to put up with the wind blowing them around, and you know often the ropes get tangled and stuck so they have to climb down, fix that and then keep going,” Ms Barker told 783 ABC Alice Springs.

“So they have done an amazing job overnight, and we congratulate them and if it wasn’t for them, the three guys wouldn’t be in a very good condition this morning.”

Ms Barker said the seven-person rescue crew had only their head torches to guide them to the men.

– with ABC

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.