Uluru and Kata Tjuta - Kata Tjuta - TravBuddy

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is made up from two major features - Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Uluru is an enormous monolith that rises nearly 350 metres above the flat plains. Kata Tjuta is a series of 36 domes, up to 546 metres above the plain. The area around them is semi-arid, alternating between trees and grasses, to saltbush, to dry sand and rock, depending on the years rains.

The site is sacred to the Angura people, and many important Tjukurpa legends (also known as dreamtime legends) are based at Kata Tjuta and Uluru.

From 1872 to 1993 Uluru was also known as Ayers Rock, and Kata Tjuta was also known as the Olgas. Ayers Rock was named by Ernest Giles in honour of Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers, while Kata Tjuta was named by Ernest Giles in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg. In 1993 the original aboriginal names was recognised, resulting in a dual naming policy.

The local aboriginal people are the official custodians of the park. They encourage travellers to visit, but request that the site is treated with respect, that Uluru is not climbed, and that certain sites around Uluru and Kata Tjuta are not photographed.

There is only one place to stay at Uluru, and that is the Ayers Rock Resort - ranging from expensive to extremely expensive depending on which of their hotels you stay at. The alternatives are to camp in the camping grounds or to stay in Alice Springs, which is a 4-6 hour drive from the park. With the advent of an airstrip at Uluru it can be cheaper to pay the extra to stay at the resort rather than to fly in to Alice Springs, use cheaper accommodation and travel yourself to Uluru.

Regardless of the price, Uluru and Kata Tjuta are worth it - they are two of the most stunning sites in Australia. Sunrises and sunsets are magical, and the skies and plains seem endless.