Right to Climb

AYERS ROCK DAY 2026  Celebrating the anniversary of the first Climb 20 July 1873.  153 years since the enlightenment arrived, 2460 days since the stone age returned. Climbing legends #2 Series of posts celebrating climbers of Ayers Rock. #2 William Christie Gosse - first documented climb Gosse's sketch of Uluru showing SW corner near Multijuju waterhole, drawn from about -25.35376, 131.03281. For recent photo showing similar view click here . You can read WC Gosse's account of his explorations in central Australia via the Gutenberg Project ( HERE ). In 1872 Gosse was charged with finding a route from central Australia to Western Australia. He came across the rock he named "Ayers", after the SA governor Sir Henry Ayers, on the 19th of July 1873 and was the first European to scale the summit. You can read more about William Gosse at the ANU's dictionary of Australian Biography .  Here's Gosse's diary entry for the 20th of July 1873 documenting his climb to t...

 Uluru-Kata Tjuta Board of Management Lasseter Highway Yulara NT 0872  Subject : Ayers Rock Summit Climb To the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Board of Management and Land Owners We are looking to open a dialogue with Park Owners about reopening the Ayers Rock climb.  The world-renowned walk (climb for some) to the summit of our greatest natural wonder –  Ayers Rock, was closed to the public on the basis of myths and misinformation on Saturday 26 October 2019. This despite promises given at the time of the handover that there would be no change to tourist access!  It's impossible to put a dollar figure on the social cost of the closure - the loss of awe and wonder for 1,000,000s of visitors, but we can estimate the economic damage and it is extraordinary. Figures from Parks Australia show a three year average (2014-2016) of 295,000 visitors prior to the ban being announced in late 2017. Visitor numbers exploded between 2017 and the end of 2019 as 1000s and 1000s of people tri...

Reply from NPWS to an enquiry I submitted back in January.... It's now over SIX YEARS since the closure and they say they still need more time! Absolutely no regard from NPWS for the loss of income to local businesses or lost opportunities for the public to enjoy the wonders of the summit experience. In my view the walk is safe for experienced walkers in its current condition. NPWS are incapable of effectively managing Mt Warning and control should be handed over to a local board that includes local businesses and the bush walking community. Please let Minister Sharpe know how you feel... office@sharpe.minister.nsw.gov.au Dear Mr Hendrickx I refer to your email of 12 January 2026 to the  Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage, the Hon Penny Sharpe MLC , regarding the Wollumbin (Mount Warning) summit track. Your email was referred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) for reply. As you are aware, the ...

  Re-open Ayers Rock Call me a minga, but from where I sat, the only people who resemble ants are the ones below who never experienced the spiritual climbing thrall of this view.  Fred Reiss 2017 Summit July 2018 The world-renowned walk (climb for some) to the summit of our greatest natural wonder Ayers Rock was closed to the public on Saturday 26 October 2019.  It's impossible to put a dollar figure on the social cost of the closure - the loss of awe and wonder for 100,000s of visitors, but we can estimate the economic damage and it is extraordinary. Figures from Parks Australia show a three year average (2014-2016) of 295,000 visitors prior to the ban being announced in late 2017. Visitor numbers exploded between 2017 and the end of 2019 as 1000s and 1000s of people tried to climb before the ban - figures for 2018-2019 show a whopping 395,338 park visitors, just shy of the Sydney Olympic year (2000) record of 396,456! Since the climb closure, tourism in the red center h...

  Mt Warning to reopen - THANKYOU! Speech at SOS meeting Mt Warning Hotel 25 January 2026 It’s nearly 6 years since this beloved mountain walk was closed.  The fight to have this magnificent mountain reopened has been a long one, fought on multiple fronts across the community. This closure should never have happened and I put the whole saga down to gross mismanagement by our National Parks and Wildlife Service. There should be mass sackings and a complete change in direction across the board.  We wait and see if there will be any repercussions for those responsible. Don’t hold your breath! Australia Day 2026 - celebrating the announcement and the day (Photo Andrew Flanagan) SOS meeting Mt Warning Hotel Jan 25 2026 (Photo Steven Gibbs)  Just before New Year  I got a text from Jeremy Pierceof the Courier Mail . “Have you heard the news?” he asked. “No”,  I responded. He texted  “I hope you’re sitting down.” “Am now”, I wrote. “They’re going to reopen the...

On face value this announcement (Mt Warning to reopen) is good news but I'm waiting to see what conditions are attached. If it means people can walk up without paying as they used to then great, a small fee or the need to join a tour group then not so good/unacceptable. The timeframe for reopening remains ridiculous - Mt Warning summit track could easily be reopened to tourists by Easter 2026. All that is required is a minor clean up of fallen trees that you can currently scamper over or walk around. The summit lookouts require some minor maintenance. The chain is not required and any move to replace it can wait (or it could be replaced/restored in that timeframe). As reported by Jeremy Pierce in the Courier Mail: Mt Warning shock: Summit trail to reopen after controversial closure Courier Mail: Wollumbin/Mount Warning summit trail to reopen after years-long closure. The controversial “temporary” five-year closure of the Wollumbin/Mount Warning trail is to be overturned, but there...

Bungabbee State Forest is a small state forest between Casino and Lismore in northern NSW. Prior to these recent events from a recreational perspective, it was used by 4WD groups, trail and mountain bike riders, bushwalkers and campers. It was formerly also a working hardwood forest managed by the NSW Forestry Corporation. Small parts of the forest were flagged for logging as recently as late 2020 but these plans were blocked by conservationists.   Location of Bungabbee State Forest So this was a productive forest being well managed for the benefit of the whole community. Like many forests, a place of work and recreation. The forest is being handed over to the Wijdabal Native Title Body Corporate as part of a native title settlement (ILUA) negotiated by the previous state Liberal government. After the legal formalities are completed, likely early next year, it will become the private property of that group. There will be no community benefit and a loss of a community recreatio...

Report in The Australian by John Ferguson gives some hope that the anti-climb attitude of the divisive Victorian Socialist Labor government is changing. This is a large part due to the efforts of ACAV who have fought the bans from day 1. Simon Carter sums it up: “They have to declare the Grampians open to rock climbing again,’’ he said. “Otherwise it’s all talk.” Article text below: Parks Victoria drops blanket rock climbing bans as hope rises for consensus at sites John Ferguson 5:17PM October 17, 2025 For more than six years Australian rock climbers have been hanging upside down waiting for Parks Victoria to address its bungling of draconian access bans in two of the nation’s chief outdoor adventure destinations, Mt Arapiles and the Grampians. Now, for the first time, there are signs new Parks Victoria boss Lee Miezis has shelved the hardline approach of his predecessor and is clearing the way for climbing to be largely saved at Arapiles – also known as Dyurrite – and has dumped ...

  The Australian Climbing Association (NSW) (ACANSW)   has some dire news regarding access to climbing areas at  Mt Alexandra crag near Mittagon g. Seems the local Wingecarribee Shire Council (WSC), without consultation with any climbing organisation, has enacted closure of Mt Alexandra crag near Mittagong. This despite years of work by  ACANSW consulting with local custodians about access to these amazing climbing areas. Please write to the Hon Mark Banasiak MP (Shooters and Fishers Party NSW) who is chairing the NSW inquiry into public access to public lands in NSW and voice your objections.  His email: mark.banasiak@parliament.nsw.gov.au  Link to  ACANSW post...  https://www.acansw.org.au/index.cfm?module=news&pagemode=indiv&page_id=3122600 Even expensive gates put up blocking access on a public trail (below).  Enough of this nonsense - these places are for ALL to enjoy. What can you do in the meantime?  Call WSC as sugg...