Ayers Rock Resort

New Free Indigenous Guest Experiences and $38m refurbishment revitalise Ayers Rock Resort

The introduction of a suite of free Indigenous Guest Experiences and a premium under the stars dining experience, together with a $38 million refurbishment, has revitalised the tourist experience at Ayers Rock Resort. The Resort is also celebrating success of its National Indigenous Training academy and a significant increase in Indigenous employment.

The Free Indigenous Guest Experiences take place in an area that is central to all of the hotels at Ayers Rock Resort and include Indigenous Art Classes, Bush Tucker Yarns, Spear and Boomerang throwing lessons, guided garden walks as well as daily performances from the Wakagetti Cultural Dance troupe. Also available are interactive didgeridoo performances and Indigenous Art Markets.

Guests receive a daily activity schedule that allows them to plan their time around other activities and tours around Uluru. The timing of the program has been designed to fit in around the majority of activities that take advantage of sunrise and sunset.

“The new daily Guest Activity Program has also been designed to cater to all guests – whether they are adults or children, Australian or overseas visitors and no matter which property they are staying at,” said Executive General Manager Sales and Marketing Ray Stone.

Tali Wiru, an exclusive dining experience under the stars, launched in April to overwhelming success. Limited to an intimate group of 20 people, guests enjoy the sunset over Uluru while listening to the didgeridoo and enjoying French Champagne and canapés. At sunset they are led to the to the dune top for a Table d’hote four-course dinner, matched with premium Australian wine. With an option to sit at tables of 2, 4 or 6 people guests can make a special intimate occasion on the event. After dinner a local Indigenous storyteller shares celestial creation stories around a campfire while coffee, tea and hot chocolate is served.

The menu includes Native Thyme and Garlic Grilled Darling Downs Wagyu Fillet, Wattleseed Rubbed Kangaroo Carpaccio, Macadamia and Lemon Myrtle crusted Barramundi Fillet and Dark Chocolate and Chilli Mousse. The dishes have been carefully paired with famous Australian wines such as Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz, Tasmanian Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley Merlot, Hunter Valley Botrytis Riesling and Rutherglen Marsanne.

“We are genuinely excited about launching Tali Wiru. Sounds of Silence has been an extraordinary success through the years so it’s great to offer something which builds on that success and caters to a fine dining market,” said Mr Stone”

The $38 million refurbishment of the premium Sails in the Desert hotel including the redevelopment and expansion of the conference facilities is nearing completion. Designed by leading hospitality interior design specialists, Chada, who have created striking contemporary interiors that reflect the Indigenous heritage of the location, the refurbishment at Sails in the Desert includes a complete interior fit out of all guest rooms which are now complete. All reception and food and beverage areas are also being totally renovated which will result in a new configuration of dining areas due for completion in October 2012.

The conference facilities, newly named Uluru Meeting Place in acknowledgement of the local Anangu people, include a new ballroom that can comfortably seat 420 people but that can also be sub-divided via acoustically rated walls into separate smaller meeting spaces. There is also a second ballroom that seat over 300 that can also be split to create an integrated conference arena. When combined these two rooms create a large area that is ideal for events and trade shows.

A new www.ulurumeetingplace.com.au micro-site features an interactive virtual tour as well as conference, incentive and events itineraries, a range of experiences including sunrise, sunset and Indigenous tours and full details about all the redeveloped conference venues, resorts and how to get there.

The National Indigenous Training Academy launched in October last year is having great success with 53 trainees currently enrolled. In addition to this there is a further 73 Indigenous workers employed at the Resort resulting in a dramatic increase in opportunities for guest engagement.

“The combined result of these initiatives is that Ayers Rock Resort is now living up to its potential as a destination that offers a true Australian desert experience and cultural engagement that is being met enthusiastically by both guests and the travel industry,” said Mr Stone.

For more information or to make a booking guests can go to www.voyages.com.au

About Uluru –Ayers Rock

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is inscribed on the World Heritage List for both its natural and cultural values.Rising from the broad desert plain in the deep centre of Australia. Uluru/Ayers Rock is Australia's most recognisable natural icon.

The famous "Rock" stands348 metres high and, like an iceberg, has most of its bulk below the surface. It is located 440 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Forty kilometres to the west of Uluru/Ayers Rock is Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas. This massive pile of rock domes dates back 500 million years.

Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have great aboriginal cultural significance for the Anangu traditional landowners, who lead walking tours that inform about the local flora and fauna, bush foods and the Aboriginal Dreamtime stories of the area.

About Ayers Rock Resort

Ayers Rock Resort provides a variety of accommodation from the premium Sails in the Desert Hotel, Award-winning Desert Gardens Hotel, self-contained Emu Walk Apartments, the authentic Outback Pioneer Hotel and Lodge and Ayers Rock Campground, offering powered campsites and air conditioned cabins. Ayers Rock Resort is managed by Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia and owned by the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC).

Media enquiries – Karena Noble, Director of Public Relations, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia,

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