Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Uluru or Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta or The Olga’s are the two most famous and striking icons of the Red Centre. Located in the heart of the continent, the “Red Centre”, the park attracts more visitors than almost any other natural attraction in the country. The sandstone monolith rises 340 m above the flat, dry sandy plains, it is 9,5 km in circumference and offers visitors a fantastic display of colours during dawn and dusk. Aboriginal Rock art in caves around Uluru can be viewed when embarking on the base walk. The Anangu people are the traditional owners of the land. A half hour drive to the West are the 36 eerie domes of Kata Tjuta; Mount Olga is the highest feature and stands at over 500 m. The mysterious conglomerate of cathedral-like rocks is sacred under Anangu men's law and can not be accessed, but there are some excellent walking tracks that take visitors to the heart of the sandstone massif. The park is jointly managed by the NT Parks and Wildlife authorities and the traditional owners.

 

They both started out as monoliths, but Kata Tjuta has eroded over the last 500 million years into 36 rock domes. It is believed that Uluru will eventually become like Kata Tjuta, breaking up into smaller individual rock formations. Both of them are just the tip of an enormous slab of rock that extends about 6,000 m underground. The Anangu people are the traditional owners of the 330,000 acres of National Park and have lived in this area for the past 22,000 years. There are many sacred sites around the area where different ceremonies are still being held to date. These two wonders of nature symbolise the struggle of Aboriginal people in Australia and are of great importance to every Australian. They are accessible by road or air and offer various accommodation options; from budget to 5 star. - Once you have been to Australia’s red heart, you will never forget the magic of the place and the special effect it has on you.