Plan Book Travel Australia

On the approach road to Uluru, Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre provides information on the attractions in the national park. Local Aboriginal history, culture and beliefs are explained through videos, interactive displays, arts, crafts and performance. Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP is jointly managed by the Anangu people (traditional owners of the land) and Environment Australia-Parks Australia North. Uluru (Ayers Rock) is 20km SE of Yulara. Uluru can be explored on one's own or via an organised tour, by Harley Davidson, by helicopter or plane, but probably the most rewarding is with an Aboriginal guide who can explain the deep cultural significance the site has for the local people. The 9.4km Uluru Circuit Walk is popular, as are sunrise and sunset viewings when the monolith undergoes dramatic changes of colour. Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) lies 50km west of Uluru; these 36 weathered domes are spectacular at any time of day. Walking tracks lead through Olga Gorge and the Valley of the Winds. Travel 110km from Yulara on the Lasseter Hwy, and you reach a lookout with distant views of Mount Connor, another large mountain. The Luritja Rd, 136km east, links with the unsealed Mereenie Loop as an alternative route to Alice Springs. A permit is required to tra-vel the Loop as large sections pass through Aboriginal land reserves (it is available from the tourist information centre in Alice Springs, Glen Helen Resort, Kings Canyon Resort and Hemannsburg). The route accesses another major Red Centre attraction, Watarrka NP (Kings Canyon). The 6km circuit Rim Walk features a boardwalk through prehistoric cycads in the Garden of Eden, canyon views and unusual rock formations such as those at the Lost City.