This is an activity for the books. The Field of Light located near Uluru (Ayers Rock) should definitely be on the itinerary when visiting the Red Centre in Australia’s Northern Territory. It is located in Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park.
Uluru is a remote place. It is located on Highway 4, one of Australia’s main highways. But the nearest larger town — Alice Springs — is a mere 450 km northeast.
Many We Tour Australia tours offer you the opportunity to tour Australia’s Red Centre and visit the Field of Light. But what is the Field of Light and why is it in this iconic but remote place?
Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park
British/Australian artist Bruce Mundo decided to visit Uluru after living in Australia for eight years. He and his fiancée (now wife) completed the journey to Uluru in his Toyota Corona, brought for just $1,500, as part of a four month road trip around Australia.
Camping at Uluru, the beauty and heat of the desert astonished and stunned him. The Field of Light idea was born, conceived of a vision of a light based work of art that “would bloom at night like dormant desert seeds responding to rain”.
Mundo returned to the UK and 10 years later installed the first iteration of a field of light in his hometown. Exhibition after exhibition followed.
In March 2016, Mundo brought the idea back to Uluru — the place where it was conceived — fully formed. A group of around 40 volunteers worked for 6 weeks to bring Bruce’s vision to life.
The Field of Light Uluru consists of 50,000 solar-powered stems located 25 km North of Uluru. They all have frosted glass spheres. These are spread over an area of 7 football fields. The spheres are illuminated with changing colours – violet, ochre, blue and white. The aboriginal name for this stunning art installation is ‘Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku’, which means ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ in Pitjantjatjara, the local language of the area.
Panoramic view over the Field of Light and Uluru
Initially, it was intended, like almost all of Bart Mundo’s Field of Lights, to be temporary. However, there has been so much interest that the exhibition has been renewed a few times. In 2018, after receiving approximately 450,000 visitors, it was decided that it will remain an ongoing exhibition. So you can see the spectacular display every day, all year round.
You can only access the field of light of a tour through Ayers Rock Resort, which offers several accommodation options and three tours that you can book: “Field of light”, “Field of Light Star Pass’ and ‘Field of Light Dinner’.
This one-and-a-half-hour tour offers you access to the exhibition, to explore on your own. The coach will bring you to the entrance and return you to local hotels. The Sunset Tour starts 30 minutes after the sun has set or early birds might prefer the Sunrise Tour.
If you choose to rise early for the Sunrise Tour, you can enjoy coffee, tea or hot chocolate 20 minutes prior to sunrise. In total, this experience lasts 2 hours and departs 2 hours before the sun rises.
Field of Light Uluru
Add a visit to an nearby dune top overlooking the field after the sun has set to your entrance ticket to the Field of Light. You’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the Field of Light while sipping on a glass of sparkling wine, beer, or non-alcoholic drink and sampling a selection of outback canapes.
This tour takes approximately 2.5 hours, including return transfers.
Add dinner to your Field of Light experience. The cook will treat you with a three-course tucker menu and some alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, while you take in the panoramic view of Uluru. Meanwhile, live didgeridoo music will entertain you and you will learn everything about the stars of the southern night sky — a quintessentially Australian experience.
You really must make a visit to The Field of Light part of your Uluru visit. Bruce Munro’s website and the website of Ayers Rock Resort offer more information about the experience, while Tourism Australia offers a wealth of information about outdoor art galleries and exhibitions.
We are happy to help you choose a tour that has the Field of Light Uluru Rock on its itinerary. Contact us, read our Guide to Touring the Red Centre, or tell us what you are looking for in an Australian tour for personalized advice. Let’s find your ideal tour!
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