Aerial of Kata Tjuta / The Olgas, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Region, Northern Territory

by PlanBookTravel — last modified 2008-01-18 01:24

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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP, covering 1325km, is perhaps the most talked about national park in the country. The home of Uluru (Ayers Rock), as well as the magnificent Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), this national park has a distinctly spiritual heritage with Anangu Aboriginal history dating to at least 22 000 years. The rock itself, some say, is an incomparable beauty, dwarfing the surrounding desert landscape with its immensity. Around 9.4km in circumference and rising 350m above the plain, Uluru is a giant monolith amidst the flat, arid desert plains. Kata Tjuta is a group of 36 enormous weathered domes, described by explorer Ernest Giles as "monstrous pink haystacks", the highest rises 546m into the sky. Giles named them after Queen Olga of Wurttemberg. The domes cover an area of 35km and may once have been a super dome larger than Uluru. Their Aboriginal name, "Kata Tjuta" means "many heads". Each feature of the 2 landforms has great cultural and spiritual significance to the traditional Anangu owners. A basic knowledge of the Aboriginal mythology surrounding these sacred places and their true spiritual meaning will greatly enhance any visit to the area. Information on the area is widely available in tourist offices and visitor centres throughout the Territory. Whilst certain ceremonial sites in the national park have been declared out-of-bounds for tourists, there are special guided tours hosted by local Aborigines that are worth experiencing.