But the days of climbing Ayers Rock, or Uluru as it is now known, could be about to come to an end.The Australian government wants to ban tourists from clambering up the 1,141ft sandstone monolith to protect it from environmental damage and out of respect to its Aboriginal owners, who consider the rock sacred. They are also concerned for the safety of the 100,000 people who take on the daunting challenge each year.
Britons make up a large proportion of the annual 350,000 tourists who travel to central Australia to stare in awe at the 550million-year-old towering rock.
Reaching the top can be a demanding experience, with at least 35 deaths - mainly from heart attacks - in the 25 years up to 2000. But if the park authorities responsible for the icon have their way, climbing could be banned within 18 months. The proposal sparked heated debate among tourism groups, politicians and Aborigines when it was made public yesterday.
Chris Burns, tourism minister for the Northern Territory that is home to the rock, is opposed to a ban. But a spokesman for the traditional Aboriginal owners, Vince Forrester, said he was 'relieved' that it was now one step closer to becoming a reality.
'The rock and the ground around it is sacred to the local Aboriginal people and traditional owners have wanted the climb closed since the land was handed back to them in 1985,' he said. (Daily Mail)
