Ayers Rock (or Uluru in the native language) is the central place in Aboriginal history, religion and culture. It designates the final resting place of the Rainbow Snake, a mighty ancestoral figure.
Therefor it must be considered a sacrilege to actually climb the mountain (only two choosen priests were allowed to), even though it is by now grudingly tolerated. The whole area was given back to the Aboriginal people only recently and nobody is allowed with the the grounds of the park after dark. Yulara is the name of a large resort with hotels and camping places nearby.
Ayers Rock is very interesting from a geological point of view, too. There are many theories about the formation, but none of them is conclusive. Wind and water erode away the fairly soft stone and the temperature difference at day and night add up thermal stress leading to impressive formations.
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