Journey to Mount Augustus, the world's biggest rock

FOREVER in the shadow of its famous little brother, Mount Augustus is steeped in dreamtime mythology

Mount Augustus

As the sun sinks to the west of Mount Augustus in outback Western Australia, the world's biggest rock flushes crimson like an exaggerated version of its better known little brother, Uluru.

Mount Augustus, or Burringurrah, is twice the size of Australia's more famous outback icon, rising 715m out of the parched plains of the Gascoyne region, 850km north of Perth.

Burringurrah is an environmental treasure steeped in Dreamtime mythology but one that remains little known to most Australians.

Unlike Uluru, which is a monolith (a single block of stone) and was exposed as the surrounding landscape weathered away over millions of years, Burringurrah is a monocline – a fold in the rock layers – and was pushed up as the earth buckled about 900 million years ago. Only about one-third of the rock is said to be visible, the rest remaining below the surface.

To get to Burringurrah, it's a long journey over wide red-dirt outback roads with bulldust-fi lled pot-holes and sandy-bed river crossings.

Along the way, the baked earth is littered with flat stones the size of a clenched fist that glow reddish and dark purple in the soft morning light but can shimmer into the distance like a black lake in the harsh afternoon sun. Native grasses struggle for survival but flocks of galahs defy the unforgiving terrain.

It doesn't rain very often, but when it does road access can be cut for months at a time.

The area around Mount Augustus is the traditional lands of the Wajarri tribe who named the rock Burringurrah. (The last Wajarri tribesmen left the rock camp in the 1960s to work on the surrounding cattle stations and a new community was established nearby in the mid-'80s.)

During times of hardship the springs around the base of Burringurrah provided a sanctuary for the indigenous people. Their stories are recorded in rock carvings in the cool stone overhangs and caves, which still provide welcome shelter from the stifl ing heat.

At dawn, Burringurrah begins the day in a purple blue haze. As the sun rises, the rock glows desert orange and in the afternoon light it appears to be shrouded in low mist due to the green/grey tree-line that hugs its base.

As night falls the trees seem to disappear as Burringurrah blushes darkly before falling into shadow under a starlit sky. After rain, the desert blooms with the purple, yellow and pink of wildflowers such as mulla mullas and eremophilas.

Unlike Uluru, hiking on Mount Augustus is not discouraged. There are several walking tracks, including the 12km-return Summit Trail, which takes an average six hours to complete and provides extensive views over the surrounding plain and distant ranges.

The Summit Trail is broken into four sections, a 1.5km gentle start followed by a 1.5km steep gradient, a 2.7km gentle slope and a final 300m of hard going.

All trails in Mt Augustus have only basic markings and range from easy-to-navigate to unmarked trails that require rock scrambling. Along the way walkers are sure to see clouds of small birds, as well as lizards, kangaroos and possibly a python.

To get there

Mount Augustus is a 430km drive from Carnarvon via Gascoyne Junction, and 360km from Meekatharra. For further information see www.westernaustralia.com

Pick up a copy of The Weekend Australian to read The Oldest Rainforest