Right to Climb

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.

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

Farewell Disneyland The 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 decl...

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 lodg...

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 thousan...

Interview with Andrew Bolt, Bolt Report 2 May 2019. With just 6 months to go till those nonsensical bans are enforced, it was great to discuss the facts with Andrew Bolt.  Video: https://weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/national/author-challenges-uluru-climb-ban/video/3bc1c481d3b50d257dbaf788a4a76ef7 Podcast: http://more.skynews.com.au/podcasts/the-bolt-report-podcast/

Climbing Tales  This series celebrates Uluru climbing experiences posted online. #10 Lewis Family Climb We made it to the top. Wonderful post from the Lewis Family about their visit to Ayers Rock and the Olgas.  It was truly an amazing experience!  We stayed up here and just breathed it all in!  Why? I have wanted to climb the rock for as long as I can remember since I was very young. I think it is something most Australians aspire to do at least once in their life and I was very excited about being here and ticking another item off my bucket list! It’s not that I don’t respect the Indigenous Culture but I was born in this great country and I am Australian too and I believe the rock belongs to all of us! Parks Australia push a false message. The Ranger showed up for the 8am Mala guided walk and the climb still wasn’t opened so we decided to do the tour with the throngs of other people there who were waiting to climb the rock as well! The wal...

Summit Cairn 1962. There are few photos online showing the survey cairn erected by National Mapping Surveyor Reginald Arthur Ford in 1958. This photo from the Film Australia Collection shows the cairn in 1962. The dog (kelpie?) a sign of the less regulated nature of the National Park in the 1960s. I understand it is a still from a short film " Äppointment with Alice "-- see below. Credit: National Film and Sound Archive.  Appointment with Alice A description of the tourist attractions of Central Australia. Series:  Australia Presents |  Episode:  1 |  Year:  1962 |  Total Duration:  15 Minutes CU "brain" crater marking in Uluru (Ayers Rock) and high angle WS of the huge "Womens Cave" dwarfing visitors. Tilt to roof of cave with eroded sandstone forming hanging rocks. VS "Roo Tail" rocky outcrop on Uluru with VS of tourist climbing between it and the rock. LS then GS couple and dog climbing up the western slope o...

This series of posts showcase the contents of the Last Logbook on Ayers Rock. Part 6: Cover and pages 91-110. Last July when I climbed the Rock with my daughters I left a blank 192 exercise book in a tupperware 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...