Arrivals & Departures Bush tucker takes centre stage at Uluru

The huge variety of native herbs, spices, fruits, seeds, insects and wildlife that Indigenous Australians have been eating for tens of thousands of years is now at the fingertips, and on the taste buds, of guests of Ayers Rock Resort.

The resort has launched Bush Tucker Journeys, a program of native flavour experiences and tastings celebrating Indigenous food and culture. 

The program began recently with the inaugural Uluru Feastival Tasting Dinner presented by Bush Tucker Journeys ambassador Mark Olive. 

Guests dined under stars in a unique experience in the heart of the Australian Desert.

The Bush Tucker Journeys program includes a free daily bush food experience for resort guests to learn about native Australian ingredients, ancient food preparation techniques and a demonstration of how these ingredients can be used in modern cooking as they learn to make wattle seed shortbread.

Also free to guests are the daily Bush Yarns explaining the skills of the hunter, or the Garden Walks where guests can learn how Indigenous people traditionally lived by using the bush for food and medicinal purposes.

Each of the resort's 10 restaurants now feature menus that celebrate bush ingredients, from the croc-dog at Outback Pioneer's BBQ Bar to Indigenous herb-crusted steak at Desert Gardens Hotel's Arnguli restaurant.

The native ingredients also take centre stage at each of Uluru's under the night sky dining experiences.

Most sought after is the outdoor dining experiences of Tali Wiru, fine dining on a remote sand dune overlooking Uluru and limited to 20 people per evening.

The Uluru Feastival, a quarterly weekend culinary event celebrating Australia's native flavours, will be held on August 18-20 and November 3-5.

Fact File

ayersrockresort.com.au/bushtuckerjourneys