Uluru ban: What do locals think of the final rush to climb?

For decades, hundreds of thousands of visitors to Australia's desert centre have trekked up Uluru, the ancient red monolith formerly known as Ayers Rock.

But from Saturday, the climb will be banned. Uluru is a sacred site for the local indigenous custodians, the Anangu people, who have long asked tourists not to go up.

Most already follow those wishes - only 16% of visitors undertook the climb in 2017, when the ban was announced.

In recent weeks, however, park officials have reported a surge in visitor numbers. Pictures of crowds crammed on to the rock have sparked anger, but also debate about the looming change.

The BBC asked local residents for their thoughts.

Anangu man Rameth Thomas grew up in Mutijulu, a community very near Uluru. From his home, he can see the 348m (1,140ft) rock - taller than the Eiffel Tower - rising from the desert.

"That place is a very sacred place, that's like our church," he tells the BBC.

Mr Thomas adds tourists should respect it as a place of lore.

"I've been telling them since I was a little boy: 'We don't want you to climb the rock,'" he says. "All of our stories are on the rock. People right around the world... they just come and climb it. They've got no respect."