Exploring Around Kata Tjuta

Many areas around Kata Tjuta are off limits to all but the aboriginal people, however, there are a few areas to be explored.

There are many canyons around the rocks, where water gets trapped, thus many animals use this area as a refuge and many of the plants here are unique.

Beautiful mossy green grasses

Fields of flowers


Seeds designed to fly

 

Kata Tjuta

If you are like me, I had never heard of any other large rocks out near Uluru. Even after watching countless documentaries, I had the impression of it being the only big thing for thousands of miles. No one ever talks about Kata Tjuta, or the Olgas, even though, to me, they are just as impressive as Uluru. And to the aboriginal people, the site is just as, if not more, important.


While Uluru is really one big rock, Kata Tjuta is mltiple formations made up of a number of different rock types. That's about the extent of my geology.



To me, from this distance, the formations look like the knuckles of someone's fist rising up out of the ground.


In doing a little exploring, the landscape of the rocks is spectacular.


The rocks here at Kata Tjuta are the same color as Uluru, because everything, including the dirt, is rusting.

The Many Colors of Uluru

As many of you probably know, one of the big attractions to this rock, this sacred site, is the fact that at different times of the day, the color of the rock and the dimensions of it, change.

Uluru at Sunrise


Midday...


Sunset...


Post sunset, as the stars start to emerge.

 

Uluru, Northern Territory, Australia

The only pictures I had ever seen of Uluru were essentially the same shot - a picture of the entire rock, at some unspecified time of the day when the lighting is just right, there are no people, no frames of reference for size, and it is truly hard to imagine the scale of this giant rock. It is absolutely massive, and it is a 9km walk around the circumference. Rion and I did not walk around the entire thing, but we spent quite a bit of time exploring.

We figured since we did drive all the way out there, we would try to experience the full grandure of the changing light on its' surface, from sun-up to sun-down. Sunrise came very early and there were quite a few willing to join in the experience.


The early morning sun shows the deep crevises and holes in the rocks surface.


Again, it is truly impossible to imagine how massive and impressive Uluru is. In fact, it's hard to take your eyes off of it when you are anywhere near it. If you look close enough at this picture, there are people hiking around the base of it.


Sunset is the big event at Uluru. It's a much more convenient time than sunrise to watch the changing light on the rock.

 

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

For many travellers and tourists, the road to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, or maybe you know it as Ayers Rock, is a pilgrimage, of sorts, whether they come by plane, tour bus, car, motorhome, or bicycle. To the owners and stewards of this land, the aboriginal people, this area is very sacred, and in return for allowing public access, all that they ask is that the deepest respect be shown while visiting.

We were amazed by the number of bicyclists we saw headed towards Uluru. These two happen to be from The Czech Republic.

One of the goals of many people who visit Uluru is to make the long climb up the rock, to stand on top, and be able to say that they have done it. It is the wish of the Aboriginal people, however, who consider this a sacred site, that tourists not climb the rock, and out of respect, Rion and I made the decision before we headed out there that we would not climb.


There are many aboriginal cave paintings around the circumference of Uluru - these would have been used to tell stories and pass on the knowledge of the tribes.


There are also many interesting natural formations in the rock.

Coober Pedy, Australia

Driving north through South Australia, you eventually come upon the "city" of Coober Pedy. This city exists solely because there are opals to be mined, and money from opals to be made. Otherwise, I can honestly say, there is no reason to come here, other than pure curiosity, and maybe to do a little shopping... for opals.

A replica of the the opal mining trucks announces the your location.

It's apparently quite unsafe to wander very far from the road. The landscape for many miles around is pocked with mine shafts and open holes.


When in Coober Pedy... At the Opal Bug, you can do as the locals do and sift through the remnants of previous digs, looking for your own riches. This is better known as noodling.


Temperatures in the summer can be brutally hot, so many houses are underground, carved out of the earth. But, at least they have the luxury of satellite, right?

 

Take the Roadsigns Seriously...

OK, so we've already established that there are camels in Australia. For those of you who are behind, that was in a previous blog. Keep up people...

So, this is one of the many roadsigns giving you a bit of warning....

They really are a road hazard! We drove behind this group for at least a few miles before we managed to get them to vear off the road! It was pretty funny, I have to admit.

 

The Dangers of Travelling in the Outback

There are certain dangers associated with travel in the Outback. There are, of course, the obvious ones - running out of water or gasoline, having your car break down in the middle of nowhere, getting bitten by a poisonous snake or spider - but there are also less obvious ones...

In cattle country, there are no fences at times. Cattle wander out into the middle of the road all the time, and if it just happens to be dusk, and the cow just happens to be black, well... just look at the sign and you get the picture...


Then, there are the road trains. Road trains are very long semi-trucks, usually at least 3 to 4 containers long, that deliver goods between the cities and the outback. They a huge, wide, and usually travelling at high speed.


Lots of critters find their way onto the roads - lizards, snakes, kangaroos, cows, dingos - and eventually some get hit, especially around dusk and at night. The Wedge-Tail Eagle is usually one of the first to take advantage of this situation, and sometimes in large numbers. They are not easily scared off from a free meal, so you run the risk of hitting these large birds.


And, apparently, you also have to worry about aliens!

 

Life in the Australian Outback

There is a surprising amount of life living in the water-poor interior of Australia, whether it be wild animals who have adapted and choose to live there, or humans and the livestock that provide for their livelihood.

Roadside art reminds you that you are in cattle country.


Camels? Yes, camels. Before there were trains delivering goods to the middle of the outback, there were camel trains. Once there was no need for the camels they were released; now there are over 200,000 camels living in the Australian Outback!


Termite mounds are a common sight...


The Wedge-Tail Eagle is at the top of the food chain out here. Anything that perishes eventually ends up as part of this raptors diet.

 

Landscapes of the Australian Outback

The Australian Outback is beautiful, indeed, but is a very harsh environment, with huge periods of drought.

Fires, whether natural or as part of Aboriginal land management practices, are a part of life out here, and while most plants reap the benefits, there are always casualties.


Most of the flora is small and compact, allowing for uninterrupted views of the horizon.


River beds, normally dry except during rain storms, are one of the few areas where trees, such as these gums, grow taller than you might expect.


There's always a good spot to watch sunset...

The Vast Australian Outback

After leaving the Barossa Valley, we were headed for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, better known as the big red rock in the middle of, essentially, nowhere. Some people take a flight to avoid the long stretch of land between them and their goal, but Rion and I wanted to experience the landscape into which we were headed, so we took on the drive. The Australian Outback, as vast and empty as it may at first seem, is full of life and is one of the most beautiful sights in Australia.

Road signs warn travellers of the potential hazards of venturing into the middle of the outback.


Old windmills stand as skyscrapers in the midst of a vast landscape.


The horizon is seemingly endless at times...


One of the most common sights out here is the very large Wedge-Tailed Eagle.

 

Barossa Valley Wine Tasting

You can’t go to The Barossa and not taste the wine, right? So, of course we spent a couple of days tasting at 8 different wineries.


From the rugged old world style to the sleek and modern, the tasting rooms always have a great atmosphere. This is the tasting room at Two Hands Wines.


Penfolds Wines is by far Barossa Valley’s biggest and most well-known winery, producing some of the world’s best Shiraz. Getting a look the aging rooms from above gives you a bit of an idea of just how much wine is produced here.


Tasting at Saltram


And, of course, it’s hard to get away without purchasing a few bottles of good wine, especially at the discounted prices available from the cellar doors. These are a selection of wines available for purchase at Wolf Blass Wines.

 

The Barossa Valley Wineries

Drive through the Barossa Valley in Southern Australia and you may feel like you have suddenly landed on another continent. Yes, there are still kangaroos, but they take a back seat to wine, food, and a cozy European atmosphere.

Many of the wineries are owned by families of European descent, thus even the newer tasting rooms have a touch of the old world. This is the special events area at Grant Burge Wines.

Some of the wineries even have formal gardens, making them ideal spots for weddings, or just mulling around after a good tasting.

The wineries still age their wines and ports in the same way they did centuries ago, in oak barrels. These are the aging ports at Seppelt Wines.

Autumn turns the leaves on the grape vines a beautiful shade of red.

 

South Australia, Kangaroo Island Wildlife

Kangaroo Island is a haven for Australian wildlife — a lot of its’ coastline remains undeveloped and there are a large number of conservation areas on the island.

Seal Bay is home to a large colony of Australian Sea Lions. The conservation park here has been doing studies and ranger guided tours for over 18 years.

We were lucky enough to be here during pupping season, so there were quite a few young pups meandering around, wondering when mom was going to come back with their next meal. Adult sea lions will stay out at sea to feed for 3 days, and will then spend an equal number on the beach asleep.

The Tamar Wallaby is thought to be all but extinct on the mainland, but they thrive in very large numbers on the island.


Even with conservation efforts many animals are still in trouble — there are fewer than 200 of these Hooded Plovers left on Kangaroo Island.