The Colours of Uluru: Two Days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP

When Len Tuit approached the Australian Government in the early 1950s with plans to develop tourism around Ayer’s Rock, they looked at him and said ‘why would anyone want to visit a big rock in the middle of the desert?’ (more or less). It’s a good question. What is so special about this big red rock in the middle of the desert? Discovering the answer to that requires a personal visit to this amazing place, known as both Uluru and Ayer’s Rock, depending on which generation you’re a part of. It’s a long drive from anywhere, so you should spend at least two full days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to make the most of it.

This was definitely one of the highlights of the three months I spend road-tripping across Australia in a little banged-up Mazda 323!

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Things not to miss during your two days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta:

• Sunrise at Uluru
• Sunset at Kata-Tjuta
• Uluru Base Walk
• Ranger-guided Mala Walk
• Cultural Centre
• Walpa Gorge Walk
• Valley of the Winds Karu Lookout

Why is Uluru Special?

What makes Uluru unique is both geological and cultural in nature. There’s a reason this gigantic natural structure is one of the most recognisable landmarks in the world. Both Uluru and nearby Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) are ancient: approximately 350 million years old, exposed via uplifting and the erosion of the surrounding rock over millions of years. The flat plains around them only serve to emphasize their enormous size. From photos, I had always imagined Uluru to be rather uniform in shape, but that’s so far from the truth it’s ridiculous. The sides of this monolith are riddled with caves, gorges, honeycomb-like erosion scars and indentations from seasonal waterfalls. The three hour walk around the base (if you walk quickly) continually exposes more amazing geological features.

Want to see the whole exterior of Uluru without all the walking? Then this fun Uluru Base Segway Tour is for you!

Rising 348m above the desert, Uluru may seem absolutely gigantic, but most of it is actually still underground. During the rainy season, waterfalls flow down dipping pathways eroded over the millenia into gorges ridging the sides of the rock. Two days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP will not be enough time to take the whole place in.

The Spiritual Significance of Uluru

But to the indigenous aboriginal tribe – the Aṉangu – these features are not the result of millenia of natural forces at work. They are tjukuritja, physical evidence of ancestral beings that shaped the world during the creation period: tjukurpa. To the Aṉangu, Uluru and Kata Tjuta are spiritual and sacred places that contain their stories – like a giant bible and history book rolled into one, if you will. What to us looks like a curious shape in the rock, to them it is part of a story that defines who they are, teaching them life lessons and their past.

And this is why I ask you, dear people, not to do The Climb. I hadn’t heard much about this before I got there, but apparently the chance to climb Uluru is a major draw for many of the tourists that come to the National Park. Uluru is sacred, and climbing the rock is forbidden in the Aṉangu culture. However, this didn’t matter to the original European explorers. As part of a decades-old lease agreement that can’t be changed until it runs out, the climb must remain open (in safe conditions). But the Aṉangu, the park rangers and many signs around the park all ask you to kindly respect the wishes of the Aṉangu people and not make the climb. Do people listen? Not as many as you would think.

One of the rangers in the park explained that they are hoping to decrease the number of people who climb to less than 20% of the total visitors to the park. I couldn’t believe this. That means that currently a lot more than one in five people willfully choose to show disrespect to the local culture in order to get a good photo. Uluru is a sacred site – it’s no different to covering your knees and shoulders in an Italian church, or taking your shoes off when entering a mosque. What makes the situation even worse is the environmental impact the Climb is having on Uluru. Rangers have to climb occasionally just to pick up the rubbish left behind at the top by disrespectful tourists. What’s more, because the climb takes three hours and naturally there are no facilities, climbers peeing along the way (yes, really) is actually eroding the rock!

So please, don’t be one of those people. Show some respect and don’t do the climb. Please. As temporary visitors, it is our responsibility to make sure we don’t have a negative impact on this magical place. If you want magnificent views from a height, take the Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Tjuta, or even book a helicopter tour, which would give you the best views of all. A perfect addition to your two days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Check out this amazing helicopter tour – one for the bucket list, that’s for sure!

Exciting Update: as of October 2019, the climb has officially closed! Strict penalties now apply to any attempting to climb Uluru. I was so delighted to hear this news.

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Photographing Uluru – Things to Consider

As non-indigenous visitors, we are allowed to share in the most basic elements of the Aṉangu stories – the child’s version. Aboriginals believe that knowledge must be earned, and only when someone has shown themselves responsible can they be taught the deeper parts of the tjukurpa. As such, there are certain parts of Uluru you are asked not to photograph, which are clearly marked with signs. These are significant sites that Aṉangu can only learn about when they are deemed worthy. The Aṉangu believe that knowledge can only be given at the site it concerns, so photographs impart this knowledge to those who have not been to the area, and thus should not learn it. It might seem strange to us of other cultures, but it’s a simple thing to not press that shutter button, so why not do the right thing? You’re only spending two days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP, whereas these people have lived here for generations.

All this and more is explained (much more expertly than me) by park rangers on the free daily guided Mala Walk. I highly recommend doing this two hour walk before continuing on around the full base walk; they give you such a good insight into the significance of this wonderful place. The rangers have a huge base of knowledge about the natural and spiritual history of Uluru, the rock art that can be seen in some of the caves, the desert ecosystem and the animals in the area. The guided walk ends at the beautiful Kantju Gorge, where a waterfall pours down a fold in the giant sandstone monolith if it has rained recently.

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Hiking at Kata-Tjuta

Some people think Kata Tjuta is even more spectacular than Uluru. They are certainly unforgettable. Whereas Uluru is a single monolith, Kata Tjuta is a series of connected sandstone domes rising from the desert, some reaching even higher than Uluru. Even thought they are located about fifty kilometres from Uluru, because the land is so flat, they are always visible on the horizon. You cannot spend two days in Uluru/Kata Tjuta without driving over to see them.

Hiking at Kata Tjuta is limited to just two trails, but both are worth exploring. The Walpa Gorge track goes straight between two of the domes, the red stone walls rising sharply on both sides, following the course of a seasonal stream. At the end of the gorge is a small forest with a lookout. For cultural reasons, the Aṉangu ask visitors not to swim in any waterholes in the gorge.

The second is a long loop track called Valley of the Winds. There are two lookouts along the path. Most people (myself included) go as far as the first, the Karu Lookout, about a kilometre in. The views here are stunning. You can continue around the rest of the Grade 4 track, which takes 3-4 hours and is fairly strenuous, but the track after Karu is closed if the temperature is higher than 36 degrees, so bear that in mind.

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Sunrise & Sunset at Uluru

Both sunset and sunrise are an absolute must during your two days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. And since your park pass gives you access for three days, there’s no excuse! I watched sunset at Kata Tjuta and both sunrise and sunset at Uluru.

The maps you can download from the Parks Australia website handily point out the best sunrise and sunset spots for both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. You can also pick up a copy at the Cultural Centre. I watched sunrise the first morning at the carpark to the north of Uluru because I overslept and would have missed it completely if I’d tried to get to the southern lookout. It was beautiful, but the second morning at the proper sunrise lookout was much better. Head round to the southern lookout while it’s still dark to see the complete colour change – it’s magical.

It’s no wonder this is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Practical Information:

• Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park lies 450km south west from Alice Springs, the closest major town. Petrol in the area is much more expensive than on the Stuart Highway, so make sure you’ve got a full tank when you head there!
• Park passes cost $38 per adult for three days, or $50 for an annual pass, which means if you want to stay longer than three days, it’s definitely worth getting the annual pass. Anyone under the age of 18 visits for free. Passes can be bought at the entrance gate or online at the Parks Australia website. Online tickets can be printed out beforehand or stored on your phone.
• The ranger-guided Mala walk leaves from the car park near the base of Uluru at 8am (October to April) or 10am (May to September) and usually lasts about two hours.
• If you don’t have your own transport, there are several tours available to you departing from Alice Springs, though not all of them include transport back to Alice Springs, so make sure you read the fine print!
• The only “town” in the area is Yulara, which is really just a loop road with several hotels, a petrol station and a few restaurants. Accommodation ranges from camping spots at the famous Aboriginal-owned Ayers Rock Resort to luxury hotel suites to self-contained apartments.
• If you’re looking to free camp, there are no options inside the park. But there are a few free bush camps (i.e. patches of dirt with no facilities) just a little further out the road that can be found on the WikiCamps app (a godsend if you’re driving around Australia). Though I was the only one free camping on either of the nights I spent there, I never felt unsafe.
• Make sure to stop in at the Cultural Centre when you first enter the park to get a deeper understanding of what you’re looking at.
• Visit the Uluru Parks Australia webpage for more information about this incredible place.

Disclaimer: this website contains affiliate links. If you click on these links and make a purchase or booking, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps me to continue this blog and help wildlife around the world!

Have you ever been to Uluru? It really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that cannot be missed and I really wish I could have spent more than just two days in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It just wasn’t enough time! What are your views on the spiritual significance of the area – should the climb continue? Tell me below!

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