Longitude 131
Nestled among rich red dunes, Longitude 131° overlooks Australia’s best-known natural icon, Uluru. The welcome open spaces of the central Dune House include a restaurant and bar with ever-changing views of the monolith. This is the backdrop for dining as well as lounging areas in contemporary campaign style, ideal for relaxing with an icy drink and exchanging stories of the day’s adventures in the outback. Longitude 131° is a gathering of sixteen tented pavilions designed to offer both luxurious sanctuary and a profound sense of place. Unparalleled views of Uluru’s changing lights play out from the end of the bed, or on balconies from the warmth of a luxury swag unfurled in the cool night air. Custom furnishings invite stylish lounging, while works by local indigenous artists offer inspiration. Guests observe the sights of the outback through floor to ceiling windows, relax on outdoor decks and sleep under a blanket of stars.
Dining at Longitude 131° brings together the finest, freshest produce from around the country all served with a view to Uluru: beef from Tasmania’s Cape Grim, barramundi from Humpty Doo in the west and shellfish from the pure waters of South Australia. Set among the spinifex and the red sand of the outback, Spa Kinara is a cool, calm retreat reflecting the clever design of a traditional Aboriginal shelter, or wiltja. Kinara means ‘moon’ in Pitjantjara, and offers a spiritually grounding, revitalizing connection between the traditional country and the vast blue-domed sky that cloaks the landscape.
Longitude 131° is a gathering of sixteen tented pavilions designed to offer both luxurious sanctuary and a profound sense of place. Unparalleled views of Uluru’s changing lights play out from the end of the bed, or on balconies from the warmth of a luxury swag unfurled in the cool night air. Custom furnishings invite stylish lounging, while works by local indigenous artists offer inspiration. Guests observe the sights of the outback through floor to ceiling windows, relax on outdoor decks and sleep under a blanket of stars.
Luxury Tent
Custom-designed furniture from Australian designers complemented by works by local indigenous artists offers stylish lounging after a day of exploring the Red Centre. Private floor to ceiling windows yield stunning views of Uluru, quite literally at the end of the bed, opening onto an expansive balcony with day bed, armchairs and fireplace. Sink into our signature ‘Baillie Bed’, the ideal place to rest between busy days exploring remarkable destinations and enjoying world-class wining and dining. An ensuite bathroom offers a generous rain shower, while the complimentary in-suite bar proffers a selection of Australia’s best loved gourmet treats.
Tents offer:
King or twin beds
Ensuite with rain shower
Private balcony with day bed
Feature fireplace
Floor to ceiling glass windows
Unparalleled Uluru views
Dune Pavilion
The Dune Pavilion features two private bedrooms, each with a king size ‘Baillie Bed’ and is ideal for individuals or couples seeking a glamorous retreat, or friends or families traveling together. Ensuites feature rain showers and deep outback-style tubs overlooking the vast desert landscape.Architecturally designed as a modern interpretation of the Australian homestead, the Pavilion is considered the star of the luxury camp. Offering separate living and sleeping areas featuring custom furnishings and artworks commissioned from local artists, outdoor deck with daybed, fireplace and the ultimate in desert style: a private plunge pool overlooking the outback frontier, for a personal nature-meets-luxury experience.
Sunrise Hike
An unforgettable discovery of Kata Tjuta, this early morning adventure heads to the World Heritage-listed site where 36 mighty red rock domes gather in the desert landscape. The group appears mistily on the horizon, glimpsed between desert oaks and spinifex on the approach.
In the company of a Longitude 131° guide, guests learn about the geology and history of the formation, formerly known as The Olgas. The site is sacred for the local Aboriginal people, and kept as a closely held secret as part of Anangu men’s business. Longitude 131° guides are permitted to know and share some of the Tjukurpa, and these stories offer a more personal understanding and connection to this special part of the country.
The guide leads guests through Walpa Gorge, with its towering rock walls and surprising tree-lined creeks and waterholes. From there the tour heads to the Kata Tjuta viewing platform, which offers a step-back view of Kata Tjuta and the chance to capture a panoramic view including Uluru. It’s a magic spot for morning tea, with coffee, tea and freshly-baked goods on the menu.
A visit to the Cultural Centre at Uluru completes a morning of discovery in the Red Centre. The centre is designed by the local Anangu people, with long pathways providing cool refuge. Here, guests learn about the history of the Aboriginal people at Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and about their art and culture. Aboriginal artists often spend time at the centre painting, carving and sculpting.
Mala Uluru Hike
Journey to the base of Uluru and learn about the Aboriginal Mala people. Longitude 131° guides lead guests on a discovery trail along the caves which occur around the rock and whose walls reveal ancient Aboriginal artworks. Learn the significance of each 'room' and the cultural stories each one tells.
A meandering pathway leads through groves of green trees and along boardwalks over spinifex and occasional streams, depending on the weather. At dusk the tour reaches Kantju Gorge, a giant ‘fold’ among Uluru’s rippling surface. There, guests enter a cool reserve lined by trees which leads to a waterhole which the local Aboriginal people use for swimming. As the sun sets, it casts a golden light across the rock faces, striking it a brilliant red against a deep blue sky.
Field of Light
Discover an outback wonderland as the Uluru sunset continues, with the mighty monolith fading slowly to the background as the field of lights takes centre stage.
Guests wander at leisure along pathways through the award-winning sculptor Bruce Munro’s incredible light installation. An outback fairyland, the celebrated open air art phenomenon is made up of some 50,000 individual stems crowned with colorful frosted glass bulbs that bloom and appear to sway as the inky night blankets Australia’s spiritual heartland.
Valley of the Winds
The five-hour round trip Valley of the Winds walk is necessarily started early in the day, to make the most of cooler temperatures. The hike can be taken as a private guided hike or on a self-guided basis with Longitude 131° pickups and drop offs. A wonderful, challenging hike, this trail traverses rocky terrain, cool groves, creeks and canyons before climbing through a steep gorge between red domes to reveal a relief of rolling green plains. Walkers enter the sacred territory of Aboriginal Anangu men, a place where traditional secret men’s business is carried out. Many walkers experience a spiritual connection with the country.
The walk offers an unforgettable experience with the interior of the 36 domed Kata Tjuta site and is categorized as a Grade 4 walk for its rocky track and steep sections. There’s a chance to spot wildlife along the way, from ‘euros’ or rock wallabies to lizards, finches and colorful budgerigars. The hike may be taken on a guided basis or as a self-guided adventure with private vehicle drop off and pickup.
Camel Tours
Join a camel train through red dune country, with Uluru and Kata Tjuta as a stunning backdrop. Most popular at sunrise and sunset, tours are guided by cameleers who share the animals’ quirky names and stories. These meditative tours are a nod to the original Red Centre pioneers.
Helicopter Flights
Take a Red Centre adventure to new heights, lifting off from the lodge’s helipad on a scenic helicopter flight. Most popular is the 30-minute aerial tour of Uluru and Kata Tjuta, ideal as an exhilarating departure experience.
Dot Painting
Maruku Arts offers a fun introduction to Aboriginal art and the opportunity to learn about the symbols and painting styles used by local Aboriginal ladies in their artworks. Join the ladies and with their guidance, create a painting to take home as memento.
