Australian Aborigines plan to conduct a traditional ceremony in order to replace hundreds of rocks stolen by tourists from Uluru.
In recent years visitors from around the world have been posting back to Australia bits of blood-red rock they picked up from the monolith at the geographical heart of the country that was called Ayers Rock by European explorers.
Many are convinced the souvenirs have brought them nothing but bad luck. Some even believe they have been cursed.
One Englishman wrote to national park authorities: 'Things were good in my life before I took some of Ayers Rock home with me, but since then my wife has had a stroke and things have worked out terribly for my children. We have had nothing but bad luck.
'I am so sorry I took the rock. Please return it to its rightful place.'
Rangers at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park keep the returned rocks and sachets of red sand in plastic boxes.
The largest rock ever returned weighs 9kg, while a lump weighing 7kg was posted at considerable expense from Germany.