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Sunrise on Kata Tjuta
It is just after six in the morning: the sun creeps over the horizon behind me and lights up the desert oaks on the flat plains and the boulders that make up Kata Tjuta.
It’s an incredible landscape.
Red, flat, and empty as far as the eye can see, except for two remarkable – and remarkably different – ancient rock formations: Uluru, the 348 m (1,142 ft) high sandstone monolith, and Kata Tjuta, the 36 domes of conglomerated sand, pebbles, and cobbles. This is a living, culturally-rich topography, home to countless ancient stories belonging to the Indigenous Anangu people. The “spectacular geological formations”, and their place in the belief system of the traditional owners, was formally recognised by UNESCO in 1987.
A visit to Australia’s Red Centre was always on my grey nomad bucket list; then Covid-19 happened and international travel was off the table. Even interstate travel within Australia was severely curtailed, but I managed to find a small window of opportunity and a package deal to the Ayers Rock Resort.
I was determined to fit as much exploration as I could into the short time I had in the area, so I booked myself into a range of activities (see: A Camel Ride into the Red Centre and The Field of Light). On my second morning, I got up pre-dawn to join the SEIT Kata Tjuta tour, which includes a sunrise-stop at a special viewing area inside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and a short walk into Walpa Gorge at Kata Tjuta.
Kata Tjuta means ‘many heads’ in Pitjantjatjara, one of the two major Indigenous languages in the region. The formation is also known as the Olgas: the highest dome was named Mount Olga, by Anglo-Australian explorer Ernest Giles, in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg (born Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas I) in 1872. In 1993, a dual-naming policy was adopted, leading to the current official name: “Kata Tjuṯa / Mount Olga”
Join me for a walk into an ancient world:
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Sun below the Horizon
At the viewing platform just inside the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, it is cold and dark. The sky is just starting to lighten behind Uluru to the east of us.
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Dawn at Kata Tjuta
This is the desert: the chilly pre-dawn light stretches to the boulders on the horizon to the west of us.
Day-Break on Uluru
There is something about that rock that resonates in my soul, …
Sunrise on Kata Tjuta
… even though I find Kata Tjuta more visually interesting.
Sunrise at Uluru
Finally! The sun slips over the horizon, and very quickly the whole landscape is light.
Rest Area – Western Side of Kata Tjuta
From the sunrise viewing platform, we drive a short distance to our breakfast spot.
Sun Flares on Kata Tjuta
There is enough time to play with the morning light while the kettle boils.
Sun through the Trees
Entry to the Walpa Gorge
After breakfast, we drive a short distance to the entry for the walk. That same sun angles straight into our eyes as we make our way over the gleaming 600 million year-old conglomerate rock.
Boulders and Scrub
Desert-loving plants cling to patches of poor soil along the path.
Waterhole
There had been a rare rainfall a few days before I arrived: a few standing pools of water were home to small tadpoles and fast-growing frogs.
Walpa Gorge
The gorge is named for the wind (Walpa) that whistles between the massive domes, which are polished smooth by the eons. This is a sacred site, and we were given instructions about where we can and cannot photograph.
Stone Stairs
The sheen and colour of the rock is amazing – and is due to the feldspar and iron oxide in the conglomerate of granite and basalt.
Inland Thornbill and Grey-Headed Honeyeater
The park is home to 178 species of birds; I saw only these two.
Pink Mulla Mulla
All the plants here are well-adapted to the arid conditions.
Nature’s Artworks: Standing Water
Dead Gum
Outside the gorge, it is hot and still. A leafless gum provides no shade.
Nature’s Abstracts: Gum Tree
Last Look
Even from the bus as we are returning to the resort, the shapes and colours are incredible!
Walking through 600 million-year-old rocks, at least 30,000 years of living history, and the left-over waters from the last week’s rains, was truly magical!
Until next time –
Happy Walking!
Pictures: 25October2020
It’s been so long since I’ve visited this region, I really should make plans to go back.
Hi Kevin,
Always good to see you on line. 😀 Great place, isn’t it?
Thanks for the information, will definitely be using it for our upcoming trip.
Hi Fran,
Thanks so much for your visit to my website! You’ll love Uluru – just magic.