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Standing some 873 metres high and visible from space, Uluru is the palatial heart of Australia’s Red Centre and a natural and cultural attraction that has stood the test of time, without the need to climb it. Rising higher still at 1,066 metres, Kata Tjuta is a sequestered gathering of 36 rock domes. Both landmarks are deeply significant to the Traditional Aboriginal owners, the Anangu people.

Located in the semi-arid desert region, Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park makes for great travelling conditions. Warm, sunny days with minimal rainfall are the norm for much of the year, allowing access to stunning desert landscapes and rock formations. Typical desert weather patterns make for reasonable fluctuations in temperature between day and night. This time of year, between May and September, expect clear days with perfect blue skies, and temperatures of around 20ºC. The nights often fall below 0ºC (30 F) offering a gorgeous contrast. The Anangu have two distinct seasons for the western winter months, Wari (late May to July) is the cold time, when there is nyinnga (frost) and kulyar-kulyarpa (mist or dew) every morning but little rain. The gossamer of frosts cure the grasses, drying and preserving them. This dry fuel feeds the essential fires that can ignite in early summer. Piriyakutu/piriya piriya (August to September) is the name of the warm, steady wind that arrives from the north and west at this time of year. Warmer weather brings many reptiles out of hibernation. Animals start to breed, and food plants such as the honey grevillea begin to flower, fruit and seed.

The Red Centre’s vast outback landscape offers a swag of adventures. A personalised itinerary of guided experiences at Longitude 131° offers guests an introductory understanding to the region’s fascinating geographical heritage and Anangu culture.

Longitude 131° works with several Aboriginal arts communities to source the vibrant local artworks that guests see around the lodge, from ceramics to painted canvases, spears and weavings. The lodge has a special partnership with Ernabella Arts in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands whose artists periodically paint in residence with a backdrop to Uluru.

Longitude 131º offers a guided base walk around the circumference of the rock for guests staying three nights or more, to unlock the hidden features of the park. On this 10km walk, Anangu Tjukurpa reveals the Aboriginal creation stories explaining how Uluru was formed at the beginning of time by Ancestral Beings. Anangu depictions of Uluru, clearly show the rock as a meeting place at the very centre, with many pathways and tracks leading to and from it. Each path tells an important story that teaches a vital lesson.

There’s Australian native ingredients to try, colloquially known as ‘bush tucker’ – ingredients like arnguli (bush plum), ili (native fig) and wayanu (quandong) add a uniquely outback flavour to the menu. Longitude 131° offers the best of contemporary Australian cuisine, with an emphasis on simple, quality produce and local flavours to mirror the tranquil, spiritual outback surrounds. The Executive Chef sources the best produce from around Australia – ideally sustainably produced – to create a world-class taste of Australia, to be savoured with a view straight to the nation’s spiritual heart, Uluru.
 
Exclusive to Longitude 131° guests, Table 131° is one of the world’s most remarkable dining experiences -the remote outback frontier provides some of the most spectacular stargazing in Australia. Free from competing urban lights and pollution, the low humidity in the Red Centre, especially in the winter months, provides perfect conditions for heavenly views to the wide expanse above of countless stars. After dinner, guests sit next to the fire and listen to the lodge’s resident naturalist decode the southern night sky. Locating the Southern Cross, the signs of the zodiac and the Milky Way and learning the significance of the stars and planets in Aboriginal creation stories, which form part of an Aboriginal songline that spans the breadth of Australia.
 
After a day of excursions and exploration, guests have an opportunity to become further acquainted with the landscape, by sleeping outside in nature. Contemplate the spectacle of the Milky Way appearing in the night sky before your eyes and drift off to sleep in the comfort of your swag. Those who brave a night in The Great Outdoors to embrace unparalleled starry views from the warmth of a luxury swag unfurled in the cool night air, delight in the rewarding experience.
 
For further information on Longitude 131º, visit.