Kata Tjuta
We resumed our two-day trip, leaving Erldunda about 8: 30 for the 250 kilometer drive to the Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park to visit the largest rock formations in the Northern Territories, 450 kilometers southeast of Alice Springs. It was another blistering hot, dry day, mid-summer in the Outback, when the sun bakes the red desert and all creatures who wander about.
After two hours on the road, we stopped for a rest break with a view of another impressive rock formation, Mount Conner, which looked remarkably like Uluru while we were driving towards it.
Mount Conner
At the rest stop, we stretched our legs and a few of us cross the highway to hike up a hill of red sand that had the consistency of talcum powder. Waking in the red sand, a fine dusty rose and settled over your clothes, hair, and legs. Hundreds of kilometers of the red desert are covered with this fine, powdery soil.
Red desert ‘sand’
Red desert sand, as soft as sugar or powder
On the other side of the red desert hill was a dried salt bed, one of many in the Outback. The salt lake bed stretched about two kilometers along the highway.
Dried salt lake across road from Mount Conner
We resumed our journey to Kata Tjuta, traveling over a desolate highway in the Outback.
Miles and miles of desolate highway from Mount Connor to Kata Tjuta
Kata Tjuta
About an hour from Kata Tjuta, we could see the red rock domed formation ahead of us. In the distance was Uluru, a smaller mound of red soil emerging from the desert floor. Both rock formations are more than 300 million years old, remnants of an ancient seabed, consisting of granite, basalt, and sandstone with the consistency of cement.
Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park entrance
Kata Tjuta formation is 30 kilometers from Uluru, the conglomeration of more than 30 smooth, domed rock formations rising dramatically from the desert floor. But approaching from the east, we could see the four largest domes with a narrow gorge between the two largest.
The Olgas
The largest formation was named Olga for a Russian princess, the Grand Duchess of Russia, Olga Nicholaevna, daughter of Nicholas I of Russia. Over time, the formation became known as the Olgas, a bizarre historical anomaly.
We started our exploration of Kata Tjuta by walking on a rocky trail with wooden platforms over gaps and a few benches to stop for a rest.
Along the Kata Tjuta trail
Experienced Outback explorer
Desert oasis between Kata Tjuta canyon walls
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Red Boulders and Cliffs
Red boulders on the Kata Tjuta landscape
Red boulders strewn along the trail had tumbled down from the walls over time. the walls were sheer red rock with oval cave like openings where birds nest. On our hike, birds flew over the canyon, chirping and shrieking to announce their presence.
Cliff like walls of Kata Tjuta
After an hour hiking in the dry heat, we returned to our bus to drive to Uluru. Kata Tjuta was an impressive introduction into the wonders of the red desert’s ancient geological wonders.
Ahead was Uluru, Ayers Rock, the most icon symbol of Australia’s Outback.
Hiking out of Kata Tjuta
Next: Uluru
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Travel with us for a Year and a Day 
The colours don’t seem real do they? Until you see them yourself it doesn’t seem possible.
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So how are the knees holding out on you two youngsters? lol
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Really neat. you seem to be haivng a great time.
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Interesting nytimes article on how the Greeks are coping with downscaling, like they’re foraging in the countryside and moving in with family, and thousands attended a meeting about immigrating to Australia! So maybe the future is in olive oil Down Under?
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It is an interesting fact that after World War Two and the unstable post war years in Greece many people from the mainland and the islands packed their bags and set off down under. In fact Greeks were one of the main groups targeted by Australian Government migration schemes in the 1950s and 1960s and by 1971 there were one hundred and sixty thousand Greek-born people in Australia. Today, just under half of these live in the State of Victoria and the city of Melbourne has the largest Greek community outside of Greece and after Athens, Thesaloniki, Piraeus and Patras (all in Greece) is the fifth largest Greek city community in the World.
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Great pictures that have reminded me that Australia needs to be on my ‘must’ visit list.
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