We arrive at the central square of Ayers Rock Resort, Town Square, where Maruku Arts organizes a dot painting workshop every day with an Aboriginal artist. Today, it's Samantha Brumby, an Anangu artist, who speaks about her culture and traditions before creating a dot painting in front of us, rich with Aboriginal symbolism, deeply connected, as she explains, to the land and her culture.
With each precise brushstroke, circles, wavy lines, and vibrant symbols emerge, slowly breathing life into what was to start only a black canvas. Living in the remote community of Mutitjulu in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, she draws inspiration from her deep-rooted heritage. Having learned the art of painting from her mother and grandmother, she now carries forward these ancestral techniques, infusing each canvas with stories of the Dreamtime passed down through generations.
Over the course of ninety minutes, we are guided through the intricacies of Aboriginal art, before being invited to connect ourself with the heart of Aboriginal tradition, creating this time our own personal artwork imbued with ancient meaning. A window into the spirit and resilience of an ancient art form, still alive in the red heart of the Outback.
It’s a magical dinner show that awaits us this evening, just a ten-minute drive from Ayers Rock Resort. A bus picked us up from Desert Gardens Hotel in the late afternoon to take us into the ochre and wild bush surrounding the resort. A path led us to a vast sustainability-built wooden platform with a stunning view of Uluru on one side and Kata Tjuta on the other. An aperitif with cocktails and canapés is served as Uluru transforms under the setting sun, shifting from ochre to red before disappearing into the darkness. Sublime.
Then, a second show begins, this time immersing us in Anangu culture. We sit in an amphitheater that extends from the platform, enjoying a gourmet hamper celebrating native ingredients, paired with a choice of Australian wine or beer. As night falls, drones, lights, traditional music, and the Pitjantjatjara language bring to life an important Aboriginal Dreamtime story, the Mala story, under the Milky Way with Uluru as the backdrop. This fascinating sound and light show creates an immersive storytelling experience. It was designed by RAMUS, a world-renowned media architecture studio, in close collaboration with Aboriginal elders, the custodians of the land, who played an integral role in the creation of the show.
The Mala story is a tale that continues to be passed down by the local Anangu people, who maintain a deep connection to Uluru and its surrounding lands. It revolves around the Mala, a group of ancestral beings who traveled to Uluru long ago and were attacked by the evil spirit Kurpany. The story recounts the Mala's attempts to defend themselves and their eventual tragic fate. The marks and formations on Uluru are said to be, even today, the physical manifestations of this ancient story. (Photos Wintjiri Wiru by Getty Images for Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia).
** More information about Wintjiru Wiru by clicking here **
A coach picks us up this morning from the hotel at 5:45 am to take us to the same floating platform we visited for Wintjiri Wiru, this time for Sunrise Journeys, a sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta highlighted by a sound and light show. Inspired by the artwork of three renowned local Anangu artists, this new immersive experience, launched in August 2024, aims to transport people 'through the past, present, and future' of the Country. Projected light and music gently move across the landscape as the glowing silhouettes of Uluru and Kata Tjuta are slowly revealed, using the vast desert landscape as a natural canvas.
Seated in the amphitheater overlooking Uluru, we watch the artwork recreated in the bush below, using cutting-edge laser and light projection technology. Indigenous iconography — similar to those commonly seen in dot paintings — gently ebbing and flowing across the land.
The artwork used as part of this Sunrise Journeys experience is titled Ngura Nganampa Wiru Mulapa, meaning 'our Country is truly beautiful' in the local Pitjantjatjara language.
Following the display, we enjoy a hearty breakfast of native flavors paired with Australian chai tea.
The show runs daily and is timed to fit within visitors' schedules before departure flights. An amazing way to start the day and end a trip to Uluru !
Description: The Dot Painting workshop lasts 1.5 hours, led by a local Anangu artist and interpreter. Maruku, a not-for-profit art and craft corporation, is owned and operated by Anangu (Aboriginal people from the Western and Central Deserts). With over 30 years of experience, Maruku is one of the largest Indigenous-owned organizations, with a warehouse in Mutitjulu, a gallery at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre, and a market stall in Yulara's town square.
Group size: 5-32 people
# Morning Dot Painting Workshop
- Months: April-September (Daily except Sunday) - Departs: 11.00am | Returns: 12.30pm
- Months: October-November, March (Daily except Sunday) - Departs: 10.00am | Returns: 11.30am
# Afternoon Dot Painting Workshop
- Months: April-September (Daily except Sunday) - Departs: 2.00pm | Returns: 3.30pm
- Months: October (Daily except Sunday) - Departs: 1.00pm | Returns: 2.30pm
ECO Certified - Advanced Ecotourism | ROC Certified / Operated by Ayers Rock Resort
# Wintjiri Wiru Sunset Dinner
- Operates: Year-round (Daily) - Duration: 3 Hours
- Departure: Approx. 1.5 hours before sunset
Inclusions: Cocktail & Canapés, Gourmet Hamper, Australian Wine & Beer, Return Hotel Transfers, Wintjiri Wiru Mala Story, Children’s Catering
# Wintjiri Wiru Twilight
- Operates: Year-round (Daily) - Duration: Approx. 1.5 Hours
- Departure: Approx. 30 minutes before sunset
Inclusions: Return Hotel Transfers, 20-Minute Sound & Light Show (Mala Story), Unlimited Australian Wine, Cheese & Dessert Hamper
# Wintjiri Wiru After Dark
- Operates: April - October (Daily) - Duration: 1.5 Hours
- Departure: Approx. 2 hours after sunset
Inclusions: Return Transfers, Mala Story Show, Light Refreshments
ECO Certified - Advanced Ecotourism | ROC Certified
- Operates: Year-round (Daily) - Duration: 2 Hours
- Departure: 1 hour before sunrise
Inclusions: Sound & Light Show, Sunrise views of Uluru & Kata Tjuta, Light Refreshments
