Yulara
Northern Territory Town Profiles Our thanks to Paul Kelly, Gangajang, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Warumpi Band and The Castle for the inspiration for Alongside s chapter headings. Thank you to the rangers, community members, shires, NTPFES employees and their families who shared their experiences and expertise with Alongside in the creation of these profiles. Copyright 2017 Alongside All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of authors. To obtain permission contact: Paige Hobbs Email: paige@alongside.org.au Phone: 0439 470 701 Level 16 The Charles Darwin Centre, 19 Smith St, Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following book may contain images of deceased persons. hello@alongside.org.au www.alongside.org.au Design by One Idea
Yulara Yulara
Moving to a new location can be stressful and overwhelming for several reasons, not least because you may be moving to a remote community, or a town you have never been to before. Partners and families of Northern Territory Police are often required to move around the Territory to support a loved one in the job and while Alongside cannot make some of those changes go away, we can help reduce some of the unknowns for you. We understand that moving somewhere new can be daunting. It is our job to offset those feelings the best we can by providing you with as much information possible on the community you are about to call home. The Alongside town profiles are here to help. Designed to provide Northern Territory Police, their partners and families an overview of each location in the Northern Territory, the Alongside town profiles detail everything from the nuts-and-bolts essentials to suggestions of great things to do on the weekend, how to assimilate into local cultures and the general vibe of a place. From all of us at Alongside, welcome to Yulara! Yulara
FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW Town Overview Yulara is an isolated town in the Southern Region of the Northern Territory. It lies in an enclave within MacDonnell Region. Yulara has a permanent population of approximately 900 people, although with tourists visiting this number can increase temporarily by about 2,000 to 4,000 people. It is 18 kilometres by road to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and 55 kilometres from Kata Tjuta (meaning many heads and known as The Olgas ). The Indigenous community Mutitjulu is 24 kilometres from Yulara and has its own police station. Yulara is located in the Northern Territory electorate of Namatjira and the federal electorate of Lingiari. Northern Territory Town Profiles
Heritage Yulara, also known as Ayers Rock Resort, is a service town for Uluru, acting as an accommodation base for visitors to the park. It was constructed in the 1980s and is just outside the national park boundaries. Following the Northern Territory Administration decision to establish a new town near Uluru in 1975 to service the tourist industry associated with Uluru and Kata Tjuta, the Place Names Committee in consultation with Uluru Advisory Committee and local Aboriginals recommended the new town site be called Yulara after the aboriginal word for howling dingo and the associated Dingo Dreaming. The town of Yulara boundaries were gazetted in 1976. The Northern Territory Government transferred most of the land, roads and buildings within the town boundary to Ayres Rock Resort Nominees. Yulara
Northern Territory Town Profiles
Indigenous communities Anangu are the Traditional Custodians of Uluru Kata Tjuta and the surrounding land. Anangu mainly speak Pitjantjatjara, pronounced as pit-jan-jah-jarra, and Yankunytjatjara pronounced as yan-kun-ja-jarra, although, some speak up to six different Aboriginal languages. Yulara
WITH DIFFERENT LIVES, IN DIFFERENT PLACES Climate Yulara has a semi-arid climate and experiences four seasons. In summer, from December to February, the average temperature range is 20 to 37 degrees Celsius. In winter from June to August, the average temperature range is 0 to 20 degrees Celsius. Spring and autumn experience warm days and cool evenings. All The Essentials Yulara is not a dry community, meaning there are no restrictions on the sale or consumption of alcohol. Permits are not required to travel to Yulara, however they are required to travel through the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. There is a fabulous little shopping village in Yulara with an IGA supermarket and a variety of café s, restaurants, gift shops and a newsagent. All shops accept EFTPOS and there are several ATM s available. Northern Territory Town Profiles
There is a petrol station (Shell Service Station) in the resort located on Yulara Drive near the Campground. It isn t open 24 hours so it is advisable to top-up your tank the night before if your planning an early morning departure. Yulara has an Australia Post outlet and offers world-wide mail service, sells stamps and packaging supplies, and acts as an agent for Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and Vodafone. There are a variety of accommodation options and holiday deals for all tastes and budgets, from camping through to five-star luxury accommodation and they are all managed by Voyages. From relaxed dining under a desert sky, to grilling a barramundi steak on the BBQ, you can choose from many dining experiences. There is the Ilkari Restaurant open daily for buffet breakfast and dinner. Walpa Lobby Bar open daily from sunrise until late for light meals, lunch, dinner or drinks. The Pira Pool Bar, open daily from late morning until sunset for light meals or drinks. Mangata Bistro and Bar, open daily for a buffet breakfast, light lunch and dinner, or nightcap at the bar and many more. There is also multiple beauty services in Yulara including Ayers Rock Resort Hair and Beauty Salon, located in the Town Square, offers haircuts, colouring, straightening, styling and salon products, waxing and beauty treatments. There is also the Red Ochre Spa is located within Sails in the Desert Hotel, at Ayers Rock Resort for all your relaxation needs. Yulara
Sounds of Silence dining experience Northern Territory Town Profiles
The Ayers Rock Medical Centre is unique since it is the only Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) site to operate road ambulances. The centre had consultation rooms, emergency facilities and a paramedic service. Aircraft from the RFDS Alice Springs base are used for emergencies and patient transfers as required. General medical practice services are provided by the centre s doctors and nurses and a range of ancillary services are available on a regular basis by appointment. There is no pharmacy available within the resort, however, the IGA does stock a basic variety of medical supplies. Plugging into the outside world can be done via the Telstra network and service is guaranteed, however you may experience some patchiness if on a non-telstra (Optus/Vodafone) network. Yulara receives the Centralian Advocate newspaper, and there are six radio stations available, including Triple J, ABC Radio National, Classic FM and local Territory Radio. Yulara
Yulara School provides education services to students from preschool to middle years and largely caters for children of families working in Yulara. According to the 2016 Census there are 62 students enrolled. Nyangatjatjara College is an Anangu College in Yulara. It provides secondary education across three remote communities (Docker River, Imanpa and Mititjulu) and primary education in one (Docker River). All students are Anangu and almost all speak Pitjantjatjara as their first language. The college is the only secondary education provider in the Northern Territory south of Alice Springs. The Charles Darwin University Yulara centre offers short and longterm courses in the trades and vocational education and training (VET) sector. Courses are conducted in conjunction with the Alice Springs campus. Yulara Multifunctional Child Care Centre provides Long Day Care, mainly for children up to school age. Northern Territory Town Profiles
Yulara
IN CONVOYS OF SILENCE THE CATTLE GRAZE Sport and Recreation There are a number of sporting and social activities available including walking, camel riding, scenic flights, guided tours and live performances. There is a giant chess set located at Ayers Rock Campground and a playground at the Sails in the Desert. With over 65 tours and experiences on offer at Uluru and around the Resort there is lots to pick and choose from to guarantee your days off are action-packed. There are a host of events held throughout the year in Yulara, such as the Uluru Festival, wellness retreats, Astronomer in Residence, Tjung Festival held in April, Uluru Camel Cup held in May and the Australian Outback Marathon held in July. Northern Territory Town Profiles
Must see places to explore; Kata Tjuta. Kata Tjuta are also known as the Olgas. They are a group of large domed rock formations. Hike around the soaring rock domes at sunset and watch them glow and change colour with the surrounding desert landscape. Valley of the Winds and Warlpa Gorge Walk. You will need to be reasonably fit for these two walks. Theviews are breathtaking making it well worth the effort. Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park. Walk along the red rock cliffs and take in views of the forest of palms below. Lookouts. There are three lookouts in the 'town' area of Yulara, which provide breathtaking views out onto the National Park. They are Emu Lookout, Pioneer Lookout and Imalung Lookout. Arts Maruku Art Centre has for over 30 years shared stories of culture and country of the local people. The name Maruku, literally means belonging to black. Approximately 900 artists make up the collective that is Maruku. Commonly the centre stocks paintings and wood carvings. Additional to the retail arm, Maruku offers tours, workshops, demonstrations, traditional ceremonies and exhibitions. Yulara
Northern Territory Town Profiles
I M TOLD I M GOING PLACES Travelling to Yulara from Alice springs is a 450-kilometre trip, approximately a four-and-a-half-hour drive on sealed roads. You can also drive via Kings Canyon, which is 306 kilometres, or a three-anda-half-hour drive from Yulara. Yulara lies just outside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, 20 kilometres from Uluru and 53 kilometres from Kata Tjuta. Ayers Rock Airport is conveniently located just six kilometres from Voyages Ayers Rock Resort. There are complimentary return airport transfers to meet all scheduled commercial flights. In accordance with the airlines and airport regulations the coach transfer departs hotels approximately two hours before scheduled flight times. You can fly daily from Perth, Sydney, Cairns and Alice Springs direct to Ayers Rock Airport. Flights from Darwin, Brisbane and Melbourne connect from Alice Springs through to Ayers Rock Airport. Avis and Hertz have car rental offices at the airport. Coach transfers are available and operate services between Alice Springs, Kings Canyon, and Uluru. Distances out of Yulara; Uluru...20km Mutitjulu...25km Imanpa...185km Erldunda...245km Alice Springs...450km Darwin...1950km Yulara
Northern Territory Town Profiles
PLACES TO START Tourism NT tourist site has fantastic information of all parts of the Northern Territory, and everything you could ever need to plan for your trip or relocation to the Northern Territory, city, rural and remote included. www.northernterritory.com/plan The Ayers Rock Resort tourist site has information on the resort itself as well as Yulara and its surrounds, including accommodation, activities, itineraries, maps and getting around. www.ayersrockresort.com.au The Northern Territory s Bushtel website has profiles on all communities in the Northern Territory. The profiles provide a quick snap-shot of information on each community. www.bushtel.nt.gov.au The Maruku Art Centre website has information on tours and workshops that they run. www.maruku.com.au/about/ Yulara
Northern Territory Town Profiles
Yulara
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