Day 9 - Uluru, Kata Tjuta - Northern Territory

Day 9 - Mick and the two of us got up for 5am and drove to Uluru for sunrise photos. After breakfast we decided to go to Kata Tjuta. Kata Tjuta actually means 'many heads' in traditional Aboriginal language. Kata Tjuta is about 30km from Uluru and is made up of 36 rounded domes with the tallest (Mt. Olga) being 200m higher than Uluru (that's 546m).

We decided to go on the two hikes that were available to us. The first walk we took was called, The Valley of the Winds Walk which is along a 7km track that circles several of the domes.And the second walk was called the Walpa Gorge Walk which quite obviously took us through a gorge.

We went back and met up with Larry and Mick at camp, had lunch and then went off to the base of Uluru for a couple more walks. We did not climb Uluru as the park close off the walk both days we were they due to strong winds. In addition the Anangu people, the traditional owners of the land, strongly discouraged climbing the rock due to its significant spiritual importance. The walk is a traditional route taken by ancestral Mala Men in the creation time upon arrival to Uluru.We did however take the Mala Walk and the Mutitjulu Walk.

Both walks have significant spiritual importance as does all of Uluru. The surprising thing was all the beautiful vegetation and even water around this big rock in the middle of the desert. We ended our last day by watching the sunset on Uluru.

The changing colours of Uluru at sunrise.

We thought this "fingerprint" looked pretty cool.

Our camp site at Ayres Rock Resort.

A view of Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) from a lookout.

Some of Kata Tjuta's domes.

More domes from the Valley of Winds walk.

Look out #1

More beautiful scenery. The day itself was nice, probably in the high 20's.

More climbing for us.

Natalie holding up a big rock.

Lookout #2.

Path towards the Walpa gorge.

More gorgeous views.

Some nice tourists offer to take our photo.

Look up look way up.

The end of the road.

Kata Tjuta on the way out.

We tried to replicate the photo on the top of the blog. As far as we can tell it must have been doctored as this is the only Kangaroo sign around Uluru. The only thing we can think of is that the trees weren't there a long while ago and they turned the sign.

Paths of the Mala and the Mutitjulu Walks.

Beautiful caves and vegetation throughout both walks.

If you look close we thought this looked like a paw print. Hey Timber!

Love that blue desert sky.

Believe it or not in the middle of the desert along with a big rock there is actually a water source.The Mutitjulu Walk takes you to it.

Rock art. From what we read this area has been painted over and over again on top of the old art over the centuries.

Some of the common symbols. Greg thought we this sort knowledge he would be able to crack the Da Vinci Code.

Top of the waterhole at the end of the Mutitjulu Walk.

Who says you can get water from a rock.

Natalie at the start of sunset.

Both of us in front of "The Rock" during sunset.

The changes colours during sunset.

Day 8 - Dalhousie to Uluru - S.A., N.T.

Day 8 - Woke up to the sounds of dingos howling. We then packed up drove to Mount Dare another famous outback pub and bought petrol for $1.85. Mt. Dare is the most northern outback pub in Australia.

Next we drove into Northern Territory and past the aboriginal town of Finke towards Lambert Centre, the geographical centre of mainland Australia. After taking photos we head on towards Kulgara Roadhouse and filled up on slightly cheaper petrol and jump on the Stuart Highway.The Stuart had no set speed limit up until the last couple years. The speed limit now is 130k/h.

We passed Mt. Conner also known as Attila and Artilla. It is the third of the great rock formations of the Central Australian desert, 100 kms east of Uluru and on the western fringe of a huge, working cattle station, Curtin Springs. From the road many travellers confuse Mt. Conner for Uluru (Ayres Rock).

We stopped at the petrol station in Curtain Springs for supplies and were welcomed by a curious Emu.We then continued on to Uluru. We bought park passes to visit Uluru (Ayres Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and the two of us drove around and took pictures of the sunset while Larry and Mick set up camp at the Ayers Rock Resort.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was inscribed on the World Heritage List in two stages, initially for its outstanding universal natural values and then for its outstanding universal cultural values. Uluru is a huge, rounded, red sandstone monolith 9.4 kilometres in circumference rising to a height of over 340 metres above the plain.

Dingo we saw from our campsite at Dalhousie.

At Mt. Dare we bought the most expensive petrol of the whole trip.

Town of Finke alcohol restrictions.

Geographical centre of mainland Australia.

Standing at the centre of Australia.

130k's! Holy crap that's fast.

Mt. Conner on the way to Uluru.

Emu at Curtain Springs.

Ayers Rock Resort entrance. Really the only place you can stay close to Uluru.

Uluru from a distance.

Natalie in front of Uluru.

Greg in front of Uluru.

Profile view of Uluru.

Uluru at sunset.