<< Uluru - Place of Water

09/04/15 - Kata Tjuta - The Unsung Hero - Part 1

Everyone knows about Uluru. It's an Australian icon, a huge rock formation in the middle of the central desert, but in many ways it is boring. There, we've said it. It's a big round rock. Granted, it has a lot of history, cultural significance, and some interesting nooks and crannies to explore, but the real hero of the central desert is another rock formation, a more complex and interesting one, Kata Tjuta.

They're both made of the same stone, but Kata Tjuta has eroded into not one dome, but into thirty six domes, separated by canyons and flat lands. Uluru fascinates at a distance, but Kata Tjuta draws one close and inside. It invites one to explore.

We did a circuit of The Valley of the Winds, a passage between the rock formations and across the flat lands. It is higher than Uluru and has a bit more moisture, but it still presents the true desert experience. Kata Tjuta is truly the unsung hero of the region.


A dashboard shot of the Kata Tjuta

Rock formations

The forested floor, drier than it looks

A passage

Aggregate rock

Another passage

Twisted trees

Rock walls

An invitation to explore

More domes ...

… and more domes

Keywords: australia