Celebrations were held on Sunday to mark the closing of the controversial Uluru climb as the last tourists to scale the monolith were blasted as ‘selfish’.
Eight people climbed the sacred rock together on Friday morning only to wait a the summit all day, eventually descending just after 7pm.
The stunt meant they ensured they were the last people to climb the rock.
NITV correspondent Ryan Little who is an Anangu man, and NITV host John Paul Janke slammed the tourists.
‘It was just ridiculous,’ Mr Janke told the programme.
‘It’s kind of selfish for those last climbers to make the event about them… it’s very self-centred.’
The two men described the group’s actions as a little ‘ego trip’ and revealed that rangers’ safety had been put at risk while they waited for them to come down.
Anangu people partied alongside non-indigenous people at a celebration on Sunday at which rock stars such as Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett (pictured), Goanna frontman Shane Howard, and local indigenous bands and artists performed
Before the party kicked off. NITV correspondent Ryan Little and NITV host John Paul Janke blasted the behaviour of the final group of climbers during a program celebrating the closure of the climb on October 26
On Sunday, Anangu people partied alongside non-indigenous people to celebrate the closure of the climb.
Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett, Goanna frontman Shane Howard, and local indigenous bands and artists performed in front of jubilant crowds.
Garrett, the political activist and former Labor federal minister, received cheers performing hits about indigenous people such as Beds are Burning and The Dead Heart, backed by Aboriginal choir singers.
‘This is a terrific opportunity and I feel like a weight has been lifted off the nation now we’ve got people off the rock,’ he told reporters.
‘Traditional owners have never wanted it, now they’ve had their wishes respected at last.
‘It’s time for a new relationship with Aboriginal and Islander people, honouring the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Both Prime Minister (Scott) Morrison and the opposition leader (Anthony Albanese) need to get together and look closely at this document.
‘That is so that Aboriginal and Islander people can take their rightful place in a nation which was theirs and still is.’
An inclusive party was held to mark the closure of the controversial Uluru climb which saw indigenous and non-indigenous people come together
Aboriginal people performed a traditional dance at the celebration before rock stars sang live
Among the final group to climb Uluru was James Martin of Wodonga in Victoria.
It was the third time in a week he had made the climb.
Dressed in a Superman t-shirt Mr Martin had spent over nine hours sitting under an umbrella at the top of the rock to be the last person down.
Mr Martin declined to revealed his occupation but told reporters ‘I prefer to spend all of my time alone,’ and that he had been ‘enjoying my peace and quiet’.
‘I am a big fan of the world. The entire planet is for all of us to enjoy,’ he said.
He did, however, reveal that he had brought all his rubbish, including his urine, down off the rock with him.
Another of the last group was American Jayson Dudas from Las Vegas, who flew to Australia specifically to climb the rock.
‘This is a big thing for me, and being last is also part of it,’ he said on Friday.
‘I know there’s a big controversy. I respect the first nations but since it’s an optional thing to do I decided to do it.’
A group of eight scrambled up to the summit of Uluru and stayed there until they stepped off the rock about 7pm, local time, on October 26 – in what the two men described as a ‘little ego trip’
‘It was just ridiculous,’ Mr Janke told NITV during the celebration program. ‘It’s kind of selfish for those last climbers to make the event about them… it’s very self-centred’
Among the final group was James Martin (pictured) of Wodonga in Victoria, who was the last tourist to ever climb Uluru. It was reportedly the third time this week he had made the climb
Uluru is a sacred site and of great spiritual significance to the Anangu people, the traditional owners of the land.
The National Park board decided in 2017 to ban the climb, in what park operations manager Steven Baldwin said on Friday was a ‘triumph’ of joint management and the Anangu people bravely showing they were not beholden to government or tourists.
Traditional owners were at the site to witness the historic closure of the climb after a decades long battle.
Elder Nelly Patterson said she was overjoyed the climb had been closed.
‘Really good, I’m really happy,’ she said to the gathered crowd.
‘I was worrying all the time because a lot of people climb here… go in and make a mess for the toilet and everything, rubbish mess,’ she said.
‘That’s why a lot of people pass away, everyone pass away, all the elders people, that’s why I worry and today I’m really happy,’ she said.
‘No more climb today … close it. Thank you very much.’
Anangu traditional owner elders who were part of the fight for the hand back of the rock to them on October 26, 1985, were delighted to see the ban enforced.
Uluru is a sacred site and of great spiritual significance to the Anangu, and related to their creation myths, cultural beliefs and laws known as Tjukurpa.
The National Park board decided in 2017 to ban the climb, in what park operations manager Steven Baldwin said on Friday was a ‘triumph’
Traditional owners were at the site to witness the historic closure of the climb after a decades long battle