What American could go to Oz without seeing the Rock? Now called Uluru, this huge sedimentary outcrop is a natural superstar whose image is ubiquitous Down Under. Visitors come from around the world for the ritual sunset and sunrise viewings. Some still climb the rock using the metal railing provided for this purpose, though the park posts numerous notices entreating visitors to refrain out of respect of aboriginal beliefs. Some simply walk around the Rock. It is fully three-dimensional, not a paper foldout as it sometimes appears from photos. Wind-scoured caves dot the cliffs. Signs at the cultural center advise that many of these are held sacred; some are viewed as scars left over from a vicious battle with a giant serpent at the beginning of time. The near total absence of vegetation on the rock gives viewers little sense of its scale, large or otherwise, making it appear a other-worldly even from up close. Who can read the safety warnings without imagining a deadly plunge from a high cliff while scrambling after a wind-blown lens-cap. Uluru: Ritual. Mantra. One hell of a big red rock.

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