ULURU 2026
Join Me On This Incredible Experience To ULURU Our EPIC CENTRE The Cultural Heart Of Australia The plan is to stay for 5 nights, Saturday September 19 returning Thursday September 24, at the Desert Gardens Hotel. Over the 5 nights we will try dot painting and create expressive landscape painting using acrylic. We will sketch everyday and fill our Art Journals with the days highlights. Of course, we will make the most of our time there by experiencing as many of ULURU’S unforgettable activities that we can.
ULURU
ART RETREAT & CULTURAL IMMERSION September 19 - 24 2026
Join me on this incredible experience to ULURU our EPIC CENTRE the cultural heart of Australia
Join Me On This Incredible Experience To ULURU Our EPIC CENTRE The Cultural Heart Of Australia The plan is to stay for 5 nights, Saturday September 19 returning Thursday September 24, at the Desert Gardens Hotel.
Over the 5 nights we will try dot painting and create expressive landscape painting using acrylic. We will sketch everyday and fill our Art Journals with the days highlights. Of course, we will make the most of our time there by experiencing as many of ULURU’S unforgettable activities that we can. I have outlined what I think will be unmissable experiences below:
(May to September) and marks the local Aṉangu season of Piriyakutu, which brings milder temperatures and blooming desert life.
Perfect Walking Weather: Daytime temperatures typically range between 20°C and 30°C. This is significantly safer and more comfortable for activities like the Uluru Base Walk compared to the scorching summer months where trails often close due to extreme heat.
Wildflower Season: September is the peak month for wildflowers in the Red Centre. You can expect to see native plants like the honey grevillea in bloom, adding vibrant colours to the desert landscape.
Wildlife Activity: As temperatures warm up, many reptiles emerge from winter hibernation, and birds become more active, increasing your chances of wildlife sightings.
Comfortable Evenings: While winter (June–August) can be freezing at night, late September offers cool but comfortable evenings (averaging around 10°C–14°C), ideal for outdoor dining experiences like the Field of Light dinner.
Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA)
Explore local Indigenous artworks at the Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA), a small art gallery with revolving exhibitions onsite at the Ayers Rock Resort. GoCA works with art centres across Central Australia as well as independent artists to source its artworks, most of which are available to purchase. It's open daily from 9am to 5pm.
Explore more local artwork at the Lawn Gallery, located just a few minutes' walk away. Here, Anangu artists paint and sell their art directly to buyers.
Join GoCA's free Paint Your Own Australian Animal workshop at 9.30am from Tuesday to Sunday, where kids with parental supervision can choose a wooden creature and use stencils and paints to make a piece of unique art.
FIELD OF LIGHTS - Dining
This exclusive dining experience combines the award-winning Sounds of Silence dinner under the outback sky with the unforgettable Field of Light installation, which is celebrating 10 years of lighting the desert landscape with more than 50,000 glowing spheres.
Your evening begins with a convenient hotel pick-up and transfer to the remote desert location with majestic views of Uluru. As the sun sets on the horizon to the music of a didgeridoo, enjoy gourmet canapés and chilled sparkling wine.
As darkness falls and the coloured lights of the 50,000 glass spheres gently come to life, join your table of fellow travellers for an exceptional three-course buffet menu infused with bush tucker flavours. As the night ignites with countless stars, settle back and listen as our resident star talker decode the southern night sky.
Your host will provide insights to the art installation that awaits you, before you’re invited to immerse yourself in the Field of Light, its pathways glistening softly with rhythms of coloured light, beckoning you to explore.
CAMEL TO SUNSET
Meander through the Rich Red Sand Dunes on your Friendly Camel
Enjoy a peaceful one hour camel ride with stunning views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, and watch on as the colours of the desert landscape change as the sun sets. Bringing you closer to nature, the friendly and knowledgeable cameleers will tell you stories of the territory. Return to the Camel Farm at twilight to relax and enjoy Australian beer, wine, champagne and outback bush foods, including freshly baked damper.
Where we will stay at The Yulara Ayers Rock Resort
The township of Yulara is the main base for Uluru visitors, located just a 20-minute drive from the park entrance. I’ve chosen the 4.5 star Desert Gardens Hotel which offers private balconies with desert views and native gardens.
Imagine waking up to a sunrise view of Uluru, blazing red under a sunny Outback sky. Perched within an oasis of native gardens, the hotel’s 218 elegant guestrooms provide a relaxing retreat from a day of adventure and the resort’s only views of Uluru. Accommodation options are diverse, from Deluxe Rock View Rooms to Standard Rooms amidst towering gumtrees and garden beds dotted with native shrubs and flowers. It also has it’s own Swimming Pool, Bistro Bar and Restaurant.
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly, drive or train it on the Ghan, however you choose to get there is up to you. I’d love to experience visiting The Alice by Rail, however the cost is beyond this starving artist’s meagre means. However, if you can afford it, here’s a link (The Ghan Rail Experience) to their website. Please take photos for me so I can experience it vicariously through you!
If, like me, you can’t afford the time or the cost, flying directly to ULURU is a great option. Let me know if you would like me to book your flights to arrive with me. Flights with Virgin direct Adelaide to Uluru (not Alice Springs) fly Saturdays and returning Thursdays.
A non refundable deposit of $1500 is required upon registration. with the balance paid soon thereafter
Fee includes:
5 nights accomodation at 5 star Desert Gardens Hotel, our rooms are top of the range offering private balconies with desert views and native gardens
Buffet Breakfast every day
Entrance to Uluru National Park (3 days)
4 days of painting and sketching workshops 2.5 hours each (includes materials)
FIELD OF LIGHTS - Dining
CAMEL TO SUNSET
Not Included in the fee:
Return Flights from Adelaide, Getting there is up to you, however if you would like me to arrange your flight I will be happy to do so. Be aware that flights direct to Uluru are not available everyday.
Meals (except the Evening we Dine at the Field of Lights - breakfast is included also every day)
Extra Experiences or activities not listed above
Uluru-Kata Tjuta Park is a remote desert landscape with limited mobile reception and water access. Help keep yourself safe by staying on marked trails, notifying someone if heading out alone, and drinking at least one litre of water per hour while walking outdoors. Check weather forecasts before long hikes, as temperatures can change quickly, and start hikes early to avoid the midday heat.
Help prepare for the area by packing:
Reusable water bottle - it’s dry out here and important to stay hydrated
Sturdy walking shoes or boots - ideally with ankle protection over rocky ground
Sun protection - a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
Fly net - flies can hang around in great numbers, especially in warmer months
Mobile phone - with plenty of memory for photos and a working SIM card (Telstra has the best coverage in the area)
Warm jacket - for chilly desert nights
Headlamp or torch - for evening walks, as the area gets very dark.