ADThe ascent was permanently closed to climbers late in the afternoon, while those already on the rock had until unset to find their way down. ADJanet Ishikawa flew from her Hawaiian home to central Australia to make the climb on the final possible day. “I am happy and sad, two ways,” said Kevin Cooley, a resident of the Mutitjulu indigenous community in the rock’s shadow who collects the Uluru tourists’ garbage. Signs around the rock have long discouraged climbing, describing Uluru as a “place of great knowledge” and noting that Anangu traditional law prohibits climbing. ADGrant Hunt, chief executive of Ayres Rock Resort operator Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, dismissed predictions of a significant decline in tourism.

Source: Washington Post October 25, 2019 01:15 UTC