Uluru

The cooler months, from May to September, are the most comfortable, with warm days and cold nights, sometimes below freezing. Summer, from December to February, is extremely hot, often above 40 °C, and some walks close in the heat. Rain is rare but spectacular, when waterfalls cascade down the rock.

Ayers Rock Airport, near the resort town of Yulara, has flights from Sydney, Melbourne and other cities. A car gives freedom to explore the park and Kings Canyon; shuttle buses and tours are also available. Alice Springs is about five hours' drive away.

• Buy a national park pass online or at the park entrance.
• Don't climb Uluru; the climb is permanently closed.
• Respect signposted sacred sites and photography restrictions.
• Carry at least a litre of water per hour of walking in warm weather.
• Bring a fly net for your face; flies can be relentless in warm months.
• Most visitors need a visa or electronic travel authority to enter Australia.
• Fuel and supplies are limited outside Yulara; plan long drives carefully.
• Book sunrise and sunset tours, and the Field of Light, ahead in peak season.
• Wear sturdy shoes, a hat and sunscreen; the sun is fierce year-round.
• Mobile coverage is limited outside the resort.

Food is available at the restaurants of Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara, from casual cafés to dinners under the stars with views of Uluru. Some menus feature native ingredients, known as bush tucker, such as kangaroo, wattleseed, quandong and finger lime. Supermarket and barbecue facilities in Yulara make self-catering easy, and a picnic at the sunset viewing area is a memorable way to end the day.

All accommodation near Uluru is at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara, from campgrounds to luxury hotels. Longitude 131°, a luxury camp with views of Uluru, is the most exclusive. Kings Canyon has a resort and campground nearby.

The Anangu have lived in this region for tens of thousands of years. Their law and knowledge, called Tjukurpa, explain the creation of the land and guide how people should live. Visitors can learn about it through ranger walks, Aboriginal-guided tours, dot-painting workshops and the Cultural Centre, and by respecting the places that are sacred.

With no city lights for hundreds of kilometres, the desert sky over Uluru is one of the darkest in the world. Astronomy tours at Yulara use telescopes to show planets, star clusters and the Southern Cross, and explain how Anangu read the stars as stories and seasonal markers. In winter, the Milky Way arches overhead in astonishing detail.

The desert around Uluru is surprisingly full of life. Look for red kangaroos and dingoes at dawn and dusk, thorny devils and goannas, and birds such as zebra finches and budgerigars around waterholes. After rain, wildflowers cover the red sand. The park's desert oaks, spinifex grasses and mulga trees are adapted to extreme heat and drought.