Kata Tjuta

Not many people have heard of Kata Tjuta, or even The Olgas (they're the same place!!) even though they're only 20mins from Uluru. From our early morning views of Uluru at sunrise, it was possible to see them on the horizon. .

 

Saying that, they were both discovered separately!! It's a younger formation of rocks that provide huge boulders and chasms for today's visitors to explore. After the mammoth 9.7km walk at Uluru the day earlier, the 6.5km walk didn't phase us so we set off on the longest Valley of the Winds walk..

It was very aptly named as the winds whistled up, down, left, right and anywhere else creating a loud ghostly whisper that followed us as we climbed down the spectacular steps into the base of the formation. It was perishing cold and were again dressed in thermals and extra layers even though the sun was beating down..

 

The Olgas had a much younger and more dynamic feel about it. Tumbled rocks could have fallen a hour before our arrival and the tall formations could have easily have popped up yesterday and were still growing. The wind aided this feeling of growth.

Steep 60degree climbs up rock that brought you out with another stunning view became the norm including one that looked like the opening credits to the Never Ending Story where the valley opened up before you between huge pillars of rock. It was an equally captivating place as Uluru but much more dynamic. It's difficult to explain it but the trails involved much more climbing and taking in the vast landscape.

The formation and type of rock combined to create an Eden for plants and tree by providing natural shelter, water and humidity. Fault lines could be picked out by the swirling patterns of green against the orange rock that not only provided our shade but stunning contrasts of colour.

The walk was a few kms shorter but seemed to go on forever. The steps built outt of the rocks getting more difficult as time ticked on. Views out over the plains were beautiful panoramas that again cannot truely be described in words. The cold clear desert air created a dimension to the walk that was more than weather, it was as though it had wrapped us up and was showing off the landscape to us.

I don’t know why Kata Tjuta has less of a reputation as both of us preferred it to Uluru in terms of the spirituality and presence it has on the landscape but also due to the more exciting walk. Uluru was flat and following the rock round whereas this place was all over the place and not clear on whereabouts you’d end up. Brilliant stuff :)

 

Wicked Red Centre

The middle. The middle is sometimes forgotten as a worthy place to visit in its own right.

We visit service stations en route to places but for some reason always have a funny feeling of excitement when we arrive but never talk about it or in fact make specific arrangements to visit one.  Someone might sit on a fence and be non-committal about a decision but its much more helpful than not saying anything. Why do things always happen in the middle of the night?!



The only exception to the rule is the middle of a jam doughnut (we all love that!) and the middle of Australia. Whilst this trip focussed on visiting places 'down under' and not a culinary adventure, this post is all about Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon, or to some Ayers Rock, The Olgas and Kings Canyon!


The place is associated with many superlatives that even those who haven't been, can relate to. It creates an eerie and strange feeling of deja vu as you begin to talk about the trip that only increases as you get nearer and nearer to being there. You know what you're going to see, just as you know what the film ending for Titantic is going to be, but its scale is beyond belief.

 

 

It's also not until you get there that you're able to comprehend the cultural importance of the land to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people and how they're connected to it; the creation stories that determine how 'The Rock' and The Olgas came to being from their ancestors. Balanced with this ancient belief system are the modern day sciences of geology and capitalism that throws up a lot of issues both for the Aboriginal Traditional Land Owners, visitors and Park Rangers to manage.

To give the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park some perspective, its located approx 500km from Alice Springs and not just down the road, as many predict. This equates to 4-5 hrs continuous drive! It's also accessible by sealed tarmac roads and not bumpy, gravel tracks as many others predict. This give the NP a massive advantage as visitors can choose it as an 'easy' option en route between Adelaide in the South and either Cairns or Darwin in the North.

You can see the distance apart here:

View Larger Map

To make it even easier the town of Yulara (also known as Ayers Rock resort) is right on the doorstop providing all manner of accomodation choices, good toilet and shower facilities, restaurants, bar, supermarket, etc

         
Our mini-adventure around the Red Centre was in a Mitsubishi camper van rented from Wicked Campervans. Wicked are one of a couple of cheap and cheerful backpacker campervan companies that decorate their vans with stylish, garish, rude and funny designs accompanied by either a witty, offensive, rude, funny slogan on the back. Ours wasn't too bad, "3 words a woman wants to hear - I was wrong!"

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There are literally thousands of Wicked Vans dotted around Australia with many more in New Zealand, USA, South Africa (since the WC), Europe and now the UK. There's a good banter amongst drivers with waves and acknowledgements when vans pass each other on the road and also at each location.

 

The internal layout of the van is pretty basic and standard with the rear seats being removed and replaced with 2 compartments for storage, one at each end. The middle section turns upside down and creates an area to have a table. The 'kitchen' area is a basic worktop with 2 open storage cupboards to store a gas bottle & stove and food. An 'esky, or coolbox fits next to that and a water container provides resource for the little sink. Curtains line the inside for additional privacy.



She was a good little runner and we had no problems at all with her. Being slightly higher than a car but just as powerful, the long sealed roads didn't cause any problems and fortunately we didn't need to do any 4WD roads. Petrol prices varied to $1.90 in the most remote areas that works out only just higher than what is being paid in the UK.

The van was ours for 8 days so an itinerary was created to take in the big sights of Ulura, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon as per the standard adventure tour groups schedule albeit at our own pace. It cost us approx $1,000 for the week including hire, accomodation, food and fuel which although seems expensive is comparable to the regular tour of $325each not including food and 5 less days!

 

Driving in the Outback was stunning. The pastel and vivid colours, tones and shadows of the landscape were beautiful that added to the surreal composition of man-made sealed roads, roadhouses and roadtrains. Deep orange and red sand, greens of the shrubs and plants (it was apparently the greenest the Outback has been for 50+ years!!!) and the skies that weren't always uninterrupted blue coupled with the never ending grey roads that looped over each crest over and over again, demonstrated the scale of the environment.



It was one thing that we couldn't have expected, well, based on our past history should have done, but it was grey and cold for the majority of the trip. The fleeces, jeans, extra layers, hats and gloves all made an appearance and pretty much remained on for 5 days. A big thank you to everyone at the RNLI who contributed towards a brilliant sleeping bag - its been a real lifesaver!

The next posts will focus on each location and provide some photos...