Tourists rush to climb Uluru before ban

Article in The Times by Bernard Lagan 21 December

Tourists are flocking to Uluru before a climbing ban comes into place in nine months’ time.

The red rock monolith in central Australia, formerly known as Ayers Rock, will be protected by sacred aboriginal site laws and anyone attempting the climb will be liable to fines of up to £33,660 and two years in jail.

However, the impending ban has triggered legal action by outdoor adventure groups and threats to stage an illegal mass climb in protest. There has also been a marked increase in the number of people visiting the site as the deadline draws nearer. Up to 500 people are making the climb every day — up from 50 to 140 a day — despite appeals to respect the wishes of the local Anangu Aboriginal…

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Mount Warning: Aboriginal claims about summit climb are contested

"How can the public experience the spiritual significance of this land if they do not climb the summit and witness creation." Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd RIP NSW NPWS have the following description about Aboriginal attitudes to people climbing to the summit of Mt Warning on their webpage about the walking track: Wollumbin, which means ‘cloud catcher’ to some Aboriginal People, is a traditional place of cultural law, initiation and spiritual education for the people of the Bundjalung Nation. Under Bundjalung law, only certain people can climb the summit. Out of respect for their law and culture, consider not climbing the summit. These claims, including the very name applied to the mountain, are contested and it seems there is another story that NSW NPWS have not properly acknowledged and have long kept from public attention. We came across this article from the Daily News February 24 2007 about Ngaraakwal Elder Marlene Boyd that makes for interesting reading. ...

17th death on the Rock

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Mt Warning closure - 4 years of lies and misinformation

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