AS tourists we love to climb stuff.
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There’s great views from the top; it’s good exercise getting there and even a sense of achievement when we come back down to earth.
We buy the T-shirt or, the present-day equivalent, post it on our social media accounts.
But if people ask us nicely not to climb on their stuff, we more than likely wouldn’t do it.
And if people ask us nicely not to climb on their stuff based on historical and culturally significant reasons, you hope we definitely wouldn’t do it.
Otherwise, it would be inappropriate at best and arrogant at worst.
Yet look at what happens at Uluru, day in, day out.
The UNESCO World Heritage site in the Northern Territory is sacred to the Anangu people, the traditional Aboriginal landowners in that region.
The climb has always been discouraged by the Anangu people but scores of tourists still climb the rock every day.
They do it despite the clear warning signs at the base.
And if people ask us nicely not to climb on their stuff based on historical and culturally significant reasons, you hope we definitely wouldn’t do it.
We, the Anangu traditional owners, have this to say: “Uluru is sacred in our culture, it is a place of great knowledge. Under the traditional law, climbing is not permitted.
“This is our home: As custodians, we are responsible for your safety and behaviour. Too many people do not listen to our message. Too many people have died or been hurt causing great sadness. We worry about you and we worry about your family.
“Please don’t climb: We invite you to walk around the base and discover a deeper understanding of this place.”
In the past 60 years, 37 people have lost their lives making the climb including a Japanese tourist who died from a heart attack at the top in July.
Twelve months ago the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park board of management announced that tourists would be banned from climbing Uluru from October 26, 2019.
Fittingly, it coincides with the 34th anniversary of the Uluru hand-back to its traditional owners.
It’s a long overdue breakthrough, which will sadly spark an influx of people trying to beat the ban deadline.
Uluru isn’t a walk in the park though; the climb is tough, steep and slippery after rain with only a single chain to connect visitors to the rock face.
For the three-hour trek, climbers are advised to carry three litres of water to avoid dehydration.
There is nowhere to rest on the way up or down, meaning weary tourists sit down and cling on to the single chain while others scramble over the top of them to pass by. Others are too tired to descent on foot and slide down by the seat of their pants. It’s a freakish sideshow.
We wouldn’t scale the Wailing or Western Wall in Jerusalem or desecrate the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in India because they are sacred places too. We would be cranky if tourists weren’t reverent while visiting the Australian War Memorial.
The Anangu people want Australian and international tourists to continue experiencing Uluru in other ways.
The free, daily guided base walk reveals ancient Aboriginal rock art, an outdoor classroom for young men learning traditional lore and flora and fauna conservation programs. There are bikes and segways for those who want to make their own way.
Viewing platforms offer stunning views of Uluru from sunrise to sunset.
There are desert dinners, bush tucker walks and camel treks in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park while helicopters and skydiving give a bird’s eye view.
It would be hard not to be touched by the magic of Uluru regardless of your cultural, social or economic background.
You really don’t need to conquer the monolith to appreciate its beauty.
Sadly, the only ugliness in the landscape comes from tourists who leave their rubbish at the top of the rock and, worse still, when they realise there are no toilets within coo-ee.
Reminds me of a sign at the Tumut swimming pool back in the 1980s: “We don’t swim in your toilet so please don’t pee in our pool.”
There are dozens of reasons not to climb Uluru, but like in everything, you really only need a single, rock-solid one.
#donotclimb