First Light
Wake up with Australia
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
Nobody goes on holiday with plans to set an alarm, but these tours showcase sunrise experiences so extraordinary you’ll be grateful you dragged yourself out of bed before dawn - camera and coffee in hand.
You know how it goes. You're on holiday. You've finally relearned the ancient art of a sleep in, but some well-meaning person - a mate, a guide, your know-it-all work colleague - has said you simply must be somewhere remarkable at a ridiculously early hour.
When the alarm sounds in the dark, don’t just lie there reevaluating your life choices. You really do need to get up.
Here's why.
Painted in light
Northern Territory
It’s always paid to wake before dawn at Uluru, but Ayers Rock Resort has added something that makes it genuinely unmissable. Before the first light creeps across the desert floor, a laser-projected art installation brings to life a painting created by three leading female Anangu artists. The ground pulses with a haunting soundtrack and Desert oaks provide an unusual projection screen for the lights that tell the artwork’s story of Ngura nganampa Wiru mulapa: Our Country is truly beautiful in Pitjantjatjara language.
Wrapped in blankets to ward off the chill and warmed by hot chocolate or native chai and freshly-baked muffins, you’ll be captivated as the dark desert lights up with a gallery of symbols and story. And when the final projections begin to fade, that’s when Uluru itself begins its own naturally spectacular sunrise show.
The Rock at dawn. Worth every second of lost sleep.
Ayers Rock Resort
Sunrise Journeys | Adult from AU$130
Painted in light
Northern Territory
It’s always paid to wake before dawn at Uluru, but Ayers Rock Resort has added something that makes it genuinely unmissable. Before the first light creeps across the desert floor, a laser-projected art installation brings to life a painting created by three leading female Anangu artists. The ground pulses with a haunting soundtrack and Desert oaks provide an unusual projection screen for the lights that tell the artwork’s story of Ngura nganampa Wiru mulapa: Our Country is truly beautiful in Pitjantjatjara language.
Wrapped in blankets to ward off the chill and warmed by hot chocolate or native chai and freshly baked muffins, you’ll be captivated as the dark desert lights up with a gallery of symbols and story. And when the final projections begin to fade, that’s when Uluru itself begins its own naturally spectacular sunrise show.
The Rock at dawn. Worth every second of lost sleep.
Ayers Rock Resort
Sunrise Journeys | Adult from AU$130
The element of sunrise
South Coast New South Wales
Ngaran Ngaran Yuin Retreat is an immersive, two-night, 40-hour experience developed by Yuin guides who share their knowledge and Country to expand their visitor's horizons. After spending a night in the heartland of the Yuin, being introduced to their culture, language and song, you’ll wake in the pre-dawn to celebrate the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.
This is more than just a stunning photo op. You’ll be invited to take part in the Djiringanj sunrise ceremony; a living tradition passed down through tens of thousands of years on this saltwater Country. Ninth-generation Yuin guide Dwayne Bannon-Harrison will share teachings that hit hard at this time of the morning, and in this setting: Each day is unique and must be lived well.
Pack layers. Bring your camera.
Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness
Yuin Retreat (Two nights) | From AU$1,300 per adult
The element of sunrise
South Coast New South Wales
Ngaran Ngaran Yuin Retreat is an immersive, two-night, 40-hour experience developed by Yuin guides who share their knowledge and Country to expand their visitor's horizons. After spending a night in the heartland of the Yuin, being introduced to their culture, language and song, you’ll wake in the pre-dawn to celebrate the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean.
This is more than just a stunning photo op. You’ll be invited to take part in the Djiringanj sunrise ceremony; a living tradition passed down through tens of thousands of years on this saltwater Country. Ninth-generation Yuin guide Dwayne Bannon-Harrison will share teachings that hit hard at this time of the morning, and in this setting: Each day is unique and must be lived well.
Pack layers. Bring your camera.
Ngaran Ngaran Culture Awareness
Yuin Retreat (Two nights) | From AU$1,300 per adult
Yellow Waters turn gold
Northern Territory
When the Dawn Yellow Water Cruise starts making its way through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed river system, the sky is still black. Free from light pollution, the dark increases your other senses. You’ll hear the sound of the water against the hull and the swelling chorus of 280 bird species as the sky begins to lighten. Just as the first gold light touches Yellow Water billabong, the wetlands erupt into life. Saltwater crocodiles (it’s estimated there are 80 crocs per square kilometre) slide from the banks into the water. Giant sea eagles rise from their perches. Forest kingfishers zoom past in flashes of colour.
A senior guide with Kakadu Tourism for more than 12 years, Murumburr man Dennis Miller knows more about this Country than you know about your own backyard. On the two-hour dawn cruise, he shares his culture and stories passed down through generations as the rising sun burns the mist off the water.
Kakadu at dawn. Set that alarm.
Kakadu Tourism
Yellow Water Cruise | Adult from $130
Yellow Waters turn gold
Northern Territory
When the Dawn Yellow Water Cruise starts making its way through the UNESCO World Heritage-listed river system, the sky is still black. Free from light pollution, the dark increases your other senses. You’ll hear the sound of the water against the hull and the swelling chorus of 280 bird species as the sky begins to lighten. Just as the first gold light touches Yellow Water billabong, the wetlands erupt into life. Saltwater crocodiles (it’s estimated there are 80 crocs per square kilometre) slide from the banks into the water. Giant sea eagles rise from their perches. Forest kingfishers zoom past in flashes of colour.
A senior guide with Kakadu Tourism for more than 12 years, Murumburr man Dennis Miller knows more about this Country than you know about your own backyard. On the two-hour dawn cruise, he shares his culture and stories passed down through generations as the rising sun burns the mist off the water.
Kakadu at dawn. Set that alarm.
Kakadu Tourism
Yellow Water Cruise | Adult from $130
Share this article
