Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is home to one of Australia’s most popular tourist attractions and best-known national symbols: Uluru, which means ‘great pebble’ in the Aboriginal language. Formerly known as Ayers Rock, Uluru is a 3.6km-long (2.2 mile-), 348m-high (1142ft-) smooth chunk of sandstone that rises abruptly out of the sandy scrubland. It is the world’s largest rock monolith and the most famous natural landmark in Australia. The rock also holds deep significance for the local Aboriginal people who believe it was formed during the creation period. The nearby Kata Tjuta, meaning ‘many heads’ and formerly known as The Olgas, is a series of 36 massive rock domes and a system of gorges and valleys. Visitors can walk through the Valley of the Winds and the Olga Gorge, and also visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, which has exhibitions on local history and geology.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, PO Box 119, Yulara, NT 0872, Australia
Tel: (08) 8956 2299
Website: www.deh.gov.au/parks/uluru

Air: Darwin International Airport, Connellan Airport. Rail: Train: Alice Springs Station. Road: Bus: Services from Uluru. Car: Stuart Highway from either Darwin (in the north) or Alice Springs (in the south), then signs to Uluru-Kata Tjuta.

Australia