The only suite in Australia with views of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta is just one of a wealth of exquisite indulgences on offer at the achingly stylish luxury desert lodge Longitude 131°. Bush life has never been so bougie.
Lounging stylishly amid swaying desert oaks and ochre dunes, exclusive wilderness lodge Longitude 131° is a whisper but also a world away from the Red Centre’s main tourism hub of Ayers Rock Resort. It’s intimate, secluded and resolutely rustic, yet offers all the luxuries of a large, high-end hotel. First opened in 2002, this elegant oasis was designed by leading Australian architect Philip Cox, and elevates glamping to another level, with 16 marquee-sized pavilions – including one wheelchair-accessible tent with king or twin beds – offering unparalleled views of Uluru through vast panoramic windows and from private decks.
South Australian architect Max Pritchard has overseen a three-stage, multi-million dollar transformation since Baillie Lodges took over the property in 2013, and his subtly sumptuous, sustainable design has elevated Longitude 131° to become one of the most sought-after properties in the Luxury Lodges of Australia portfolio.
After a short private transfer from Ayers Rock Resort – there’s no parking at Longitude 131° – we were offered a welcome drink in Dune House, the cool and airy lounge and dining room where we would take our meals during our stay. With Elysian views across the plains to Uluru, Dune House set the scene for our desert adventure, with exquisite Aboriginal art, carvings and ceramics (many for sale to help support Indigenous communities), a small collection of travel books and telescopes trained on the heavens for stargazing. This basecamp soon became our home-away-from-home. There’s a well-stocked, self-service all-inclusive bar, comfy sofas to catch up on reading or make friends, and a large terrace for capturing photos of the world-famous rock, as its colours shift from vermillion to indigo throughout the day.
Assistant Lodge Manager Chris Jones talked us through our itinerary, which featured Longitude 131°’s signature experiences plus bespoke options to explore more. Included in the lodge’s various package tariffs, signature experiences are intimate, small-group guided adventures, offering the chance to enjoy the best of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park in various ways. From watching the sun sink over Uluru with canapés and champagne, to viewing wandering British artist Bruce Munro’s solar-powered Field of Light installation before an open-air dining experience and astronomy talk at Table 131°, to listening to Aboriginal creation stories at Kata Tjuta, each is carefully curated to encourage deeper immersion into Indigenous culture. Bespoke experiences can be privately arranged at extra cost, and include a range of guided hikes, dining on the lodge’s exclusive Dune Top deck with your own butler, a scenic helicopter ride over Uluru, or a charter flight to Australia’s oldest Indigenous arts centre, Ernabella Arts, across the state line in South Australia.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Adventurer | AYQ | GMT +9.5 |
| While you’re Out There |
| Don’t leave the Red Centre without seeing the epic Kings Canyon – filming location for the 1994 classic The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert – which lies within Watarrka National Park. Check in to a Deluxe Spa Room at Discovery Resorts Kings Canyon, a few miles from the entrance to the park, and set out early to hike the 3.7-mile Rim Walk, which offers spectacular views of the gorges’ vertiginous red walls. At sunset, enjoy native-inspired canapés and drinks, before wandering the mesmerising multicoloured maze of Light Towers, an immersive sound and light installation by British artist, Bruce Munro. |
Unlike other hermetically sealed resorts with no sense of place, at Longitude 131° there’s no mistaking you’re in the desert. Red sand, spiky spinifex grass and swaying oaks are in constant view, even from the rain shower in your bathroom, and don’t be surprised to see a prehistoric perentie lizard digging for its breakfast as you head to the Dune House for yours.
Each of the pavilions is named after an Australian pioneer – ours was the Conway, honouring the cattle-rancher family that founded the Red Centre’s Kings Creek Station – and feature huge, canopied ‘Baillie Beds’ facing Uluru. A balcony with day beds doubles as a deck for a traditional Aussie swag at night, so you can sleep under the stars in front of a toasty al fresco fire after a nip from your personal pavilion bar. Even with our luxe Baillie Bed beckoning, we slept out for both nights of our stay, the pull of Uluru and the Milky Way proving stronger.
More tempting still, the one-of-a-kind Dune Pavilion is the country’s sole property to offer views of both World Heritage-listed sites, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, from the incredible villa’s two en-suite bedrooms, terrace and private plunge pool.
The cuisine is unquestionably Red Centre, too, combining contemporary Australian dishes of meat and fish with seasonal ‘bush tucker’ flavours from quandongs, or native peaches, to citrusy finger limes, the leafy vegetable saltbush and paperbark, the fibrous bark of a Melaleuca tree. For vegetarians, there’s a dazzling diverse array of dishes, from smoky pan-seared halloumi with bush tomato chutney, feta and almond, to grilled corn rib with polenta and celeriac, and desserts drawing on desert flavours, like caramelised pineapple with native wattleseed, coconut and oat crumble. There’s a cheeky Indigenous twist to the cocktail list too, with citrusy lemon myrtle zinging up gin and saltbush adding an Outback tang to tequila.
After a hike, head to the outdoor pool or retreat to the sanctuary of Spa Kinara for a pamper that draws on desert marvels like scented emu bush and desert lime, coloured clays and botanical blends from First Nations remedies. Or for a tonic of the Australian grape kind, sip a glass of one of the country’s finest wines on your deck, as you ponder the passing of time in this ethereal, ancient landscape.
Photography by George Apostolidis and couresy of Baillie Lodges
