Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
- Blog
- Oceania
-
Location Date Northern Territory 
1401750000 South Australia 1398985200 Victoria 1398553200 New South Wales 1398466800 -
Location Date Litchfield Np 1401750000 Darwin 1401577200 Kakadu 1401058800 Mataranka 1400454000 Central Australia 1400194800 Alice Springs 1400108400 Petermann 1399676400 Uluṟu
1399503600 Yulara 1399244400
Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Parks, just bigs rocks or more?
Touch the Silence ...
This has been a place that has always been on my to do list and I have had the chance to explore the area over the last 3 days. I began my Uluru - Kata Tjuta experience at sunrise, watching Uluru come to life as the sun rose in the east, although there was some cloud around, it was amazing to see the light stretch across the landscape and wake everything up. I then did the base walk around the rock, 10.5km but all flat and pretty easy going. What amazed me as I wandered around the rock was as you turn each corner it changed, the colours changed, the shapes changed or the flora around it changed as well as each time I stopped there was no man-made noise only that of the nature around me. I was also in awe of the immense size of Uluru, it's not until you get up close that you actually realise how big it is and all the caves around the base that the Aboriginals use as homes and meeting places. A place that really stood out to me was the Mutitjula waterhole, which was described as being a place with strong feelings from a strong woman, Kuniya. This place had an indescribable feel about it. I was lucky to be the only one there at the time and it was silent except for the trickle of the water and the gentle breeze that was blowing through the bushes. This particular waterhole did feel powerful as I stood in the silence around it.
Kata Tjuta is also an amazing place. Kata Tjuta which means 'many heads' in the local language. I did the 7.4km walk at the 'Valley of the Winds' between the domes and again was mesmerised by the changes in the shapes, colours and textures with each turn. The amount of green healthy plant life, wild flowers and running water also surprised me as this is meant to be desert. At the Karingana lookout I was able to stand at a high point between two domes where I could look out onto the landscape below, a truly amazing sight.
What I did get from being able to visit Uluuru - Kata Tjuta National Park over three days was the significance of this area to the traditional land owners the Anangu and Tjukurpa people. While I still came across people who felt that it was just rocks to me it was so much more and I was able to learn a lot about the stories and culture here. There was a feeling surrounding this place, a power that I can't describe and it saddened me to see people climbing the rock after seeing repeated requests not to by the traditional owners.
The National Parks Department along with the traditional owners have done a terrific job to create a park that not only allows tourists to experience this special place but still maintains the integrity of the area and the special significance it holds.
Yulara which is just outside the NP, where the accommodation is, is also a fantastic area. Unlike some resorts where you stay in a particular area you can only use the facilities in that area, I was able to go through to the pools and galleries in each of the different styles of accommodation as well as see a traditional dance performance and throw a spear and boomerang.
My experience here has definitely been one I won't forget and as I depart tomorrow it will be with some sadness, but I will continue to explore this great country with the next stop being Kings Canyon.
- comments
Kim Gerdes To climb or not to climb, that is the question, at least it's the question you get asked if you've been to Uluru. As I'm meeting people along the way we often discuss where we've been and compare notes so to speak. As I'm in the centre I continually come across people who have been to Uluru as I have and then ask if I've climbed it. My answer being no, but they go on to excitedly share how they had. Perhaps I am too stuck in my teacher ways but if I'm asked not to do something I try not to do it. At first I thought maybe it was a generational thing, because I grew up calling it Ayers Rock, so I thought perhaps older Australians had grown up being able to climb it and therefore thought it was ok. I came across 2 people at Kings Canyon, one an older lady (60s) and also a younger man (30s) who had both climbed it, so it dispelled my thoughts of it being just older folk that thought it was ok. I then met a group of 3 couples from WA who were divided on the subject some thought it was ok to climb the rock and were even annoyed at the fact that you had to pay an entrance fee for the park and others just wouldn't not because it's dangerous or they have a fear to climb it but out of respect for the Aboriginal custodians. So it is a hotly debated topic in this region, I still believe it shouldn't be climbed and don't regret my decision despite being the adventuring kind. But I wonder what other people think?