Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

Kata Tjuta

Last night we went to dinner at one of the other hotels here, Outback Pioneer Resort. It is one of the cheaper accomodation options and the meal prices reflected that! It was the cheapest meal we've had so far and it was great! Pizza was awesome, one of the best ever, so much flavour!

We also happened to meet up with a couple we first met in Mt Isa and then met up again with at Tennant Creek and Wycliffe Well. Just happened to be dining in the same restaurant last night, so we all shared a table and meal together for a chat and few laughs.

On our return to the room last night we saw a snake slither off the path outside our room!   As long as it stays outside the room that's fine! Also saw a few rabbits hanging out on the lawn near our room.

Kata Tjuta

This morning we drove out to see Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas. Its only about 40km to the west if Uluru.

We took the Walpa Gorge walk (Walpa means windy). This is a fairly easy track, a little rocky and slight inclines, but not too strenuous. Only took us about 45 minutes, which was enough as the 37 degree temperature forecast for today was definitely getting up there.

George on the Walpa Walk

There is another walk, The Valley of the Winds, which is a harder and longer walk. Due to the current temperatures out here this walk has been closing at 11am each day.

Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta means "many heads" and with the 36 rounded steep domes rising out of the deser floor, it seems the perfect name. the tallest is said to be around 546 meters high. The formation of rock domes extends 6 km into the grund and is the remains of erosion that began more than 500 million years ago.

This area is sacred under Anangu men's law and under this law, details of many of the stories of Kata Tjuta cannot be revealed to us. Women did visit the area to gather food and water, but always behave appropriately.

In comparison, Uluru is one of the largest monoliths in the world. Made of arkosic sandstone, Uluru stands 348 meters high (but most of the mass is below the ground) and has a circumference of 9.4 kilometres.

After our walk we drove back out to Uluru to take even more photos! We then took a drive around the whole rock.

We also called into the Cultural Centre again for a bite to eat and to purchase our didgeridoo. Yet another souvenir to take home to remember our travels. George is busy now googling how to learn to play the didgeridoo!

This photo shows the walk up the rock, the chain rail starts part way up and doesn't go the whole way. Look how steep it is, don't know how you even climb something that steep with no stairs and nothing to hold on to, just looks dangerous! When you stand at the bottom and look up, it's far higher and steeper than appears in this photo.