Skip to main content

Posts

Climbing Ayers Rock after the ban?

Climbing Ayers Rock after the ban?


Minimum fine likely to be $630 - see below
While there remains a very remote possibility someone in Parks Australia or some mug sitting on the Park board or in the Minister's chair will see common sense and ditch plans to ban the World's most iconic hill climb, the most likely outcome is that the immoral ban will go ahead as planned on 26 October this year. Without bags of money legal action to prevent the ban is unlikely to proceed. Also, despite being protected by World Heritage provisions and conditions in the lease agreement (17-2), the Philistines that manage the Park will also likely destroy the climbing infrastructure including the life-saving chain, 50-year-old summit monument, memorial plaques and remove the white painted lines that safely guide people across the summit plateau. It's likely that a new fence will be erected around the western climbing spur complete with warning signs (Klettern Verboten!) and fines will be issued to…
Post a Comment
Read more
Recent posts

Climbing Tales #11 Jeff Carter

Climbing Tales
This series celebrates Uluru climbing experiences posted online.
#11 Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter (5 August 1928 – 25 October 2010) has taken some remarkable photographs of Ayers Rock. The National Library includes many of his photographs in its catalogue including this wonderful snapshot of the old summit cairn in 1970.

A photo opportunity at the top of Uluru, Northern Territory, ca.1970 by Jeff Carter
We came across a wonderful article by Jeff in the April 1972 issue of Walkabout that is available for viewing via the National Library.  
4WD Swagman Part 2: Warned off by an angry Bushman The second part of the article recounts experiences climbing our wonderful Rock, the article ends:  "No one, no one (unless his name is Hillary) climbs and descends Ayers Rock without putting it close to the top of his list of unforgettable experiences. And it isn't the view from the top they remember, but the experience of climbing up and coming down - especially coming down. Ask anyo…
Post a Comment
Read more

The Last Logbook of Ayers Rock. Part 8 - Pages 131-150

This series of posts showcase the contents of the Last Logbook on Ayers Rock. Part 8: Cover and pages 131-150.

Last July when I climbed the Rock with my daughters I left a blank 192 exercise book in a container at the summit memorial. The front cover looked like this:

The text on the cover reads:
Signing the summit logbook has been an important cultural institution at Ayers Rock since the 1890s. Sadly, since the late 1980s Park Management have denied Australians and International visitors the opportunity to record their achievement. The first climbers to leave a note marking their achievement were Allan Breadon and W Oliver on March 4, 1897: “We added a few stones to the pile and left two wax vesta boxes (tins) with names and date thereon.”
Glass coffee jars held the names of climbers between 1932 and the 1950s. In September 1950 the jars held the names of about 70 climbers.
Formal log books, termed the “Achievers’ book”, replaced the assorted collection of jars and tins lodged at the summ…
Post a Comment
Read more

Climb the Rock while you still can!

My recent article in Quadrant Magazine has been posted to the Quadrant website and is now availble for everyone.


In a few months time one of the most exhilarating, awe-inspiring experiences of the natural world, the climb up Ayers Rock, will be banned. With the ban, Australia will become the only nation to outlaw awe and wonder. The park board ignores the actions and words of past traditional owners who climbed the Rock and supported visitors climbing. What sort of malicious organisation would ban access to a place that has generated so much joy?

Read the rest at Quadrant!
Post a Comment
Read more

Macca, Marc and the Rock on a Sunday Morning

I recall sometimes listening to Macca on the ABC on Sunday mornings. I never thought I'd get the chance to go on his show. The link below to our discussion this morning (June 2) about the Ban on climbing Ayers Rock.
https://soundcloud.com/user-256364995/abc-australia-all-over-with-macca-2-june-2019
Australia all over with Macca. Full show available HERE.
Post a Comment
Read more

Interview with ABC

I spoke with ABC's Elias Clure for about 20 minutes about issues surrounding the Ban on climbing Ayers Rock in November last year. The interview was never broadcast. One wonders why?

It's now available on soundcloud...
https://soundcloud.com/user-256364995/abc-interview-with-elias-clure

Shadow on the rock July 2018.


Post a Comment
Read more

Talking with 2GB's Ben Fordham about the Ban on climbing Ayers Rock

I had the great pleasure of discussing the coming ban on Climbing Ayers Rock with 2GB's Ben Fordham last Friday. Thanks Ben! I hope he gets a chance to climb before 26 October.

Link below will take you to a podcast of it.

https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/geologist-marc-hendrickx-on-uluru


Post a Comment
Read more

Farewell Disneyland

Farewell DisneylandThe text and slides below are from my Presentation at this year's Friedman Liberty Conference given on May 24, 2019. 
Ayers Rock is not remotely reminiscent of Disneyland but if it was, what sort of mongrel would seek to shut it down?
On the 26th of October in just 155 days the Board of the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park with the blessing of Parks Australia will ban the climb to the summit of Ayers Rock. Along with the ban on climbing Park Authorities will also be removing the Summit monument, chain and 5 memorial plaques on the Rock. In breach of the lease agreement that requires Parks Australia to preserve, protect and manage cultural heritage to the highest possible standards we are about to see one of the greatest acts of cultural vandalism in recent history and barely a whisper has been raised in opposition. The exhilarating climb that reveals world heritage listed views has been undertaken by over 7 million visitors since the Park was declared in 1958. The…
Post a Comment
Read more

The Last Logbook of Ayers Rock. Part 7 - Pages 111-130

This series of posts showcase the contents of the Last Logbook on Ayers Rock. Part 7: Cover and pages 111-130.

Last July when I climbed the Rock with my daughters I left a blank 192 exercise book in a container at the summit memorial. The front cover looked like this:

The text on the cover reads:
Signing the summit logbook has been an important cultural institution at Ayers Rock since the 1890s. Sadly, since the late 1980s Park Management have denied Australians and International visitors the opportunity to record their achievement. The first climbers to leave a note marking their achievement were Allan Breadon and W Oliver on March 4, 1897: “We added a few stones to the pile and left two wax vesta boxes (tins) with names and date thereon.”
Glass coffee jars held the names of climbers between 1932 and the 1950s. In September 1950 the jars held the names of about 70 climbers.
Formal log books, termed the “Achievers’ book”, replaced the assorted collection of jars and tins lodged at the summ…
Post a Comment
Read more

Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban

Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban
Eric Löbbecke's wonderful cartoon a fitting abstract for my Opinion Piece published in The Australian Newspaper 3 May 2019.
Text below. Tradition belies excuses for the Uluru Climbing Ban

It’s about six months until the government agency Parks Australia locks the gate on one of the world’s most iconic experiences of the natural world – the Climb up Uluru-Ayers Rock. The ban on climbing will put an end to a 30,000 year old tradition and will endanger the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park’s World Heritage listing, as the awe-inspiring summit views listed in the 1987 nomination will no longer be accessible.
The ban is possible thanks to a decade’s long campaign by Parks Australia, which handles the commonwealth’s national parks, to simplify management of the Park and reduce its risks. This has involved locking visitors out of many places that were previously open, maligning the Climb and ignoring its rich history. Tens of thousands of ye…
Post a Comment
Read more