Where We Be
Views like this help explain why you shouldn't pass up the chance
to visit Kata Tjuta -- Uluru's sister park just a short drive away
Kata Tjuta, Australia
Without a doubt this was our favorite part of the hike: we had the place to ourselves, zebra finches
sang us on our way, and the morning sunlight turned the rocks half red and half shadowed gray
See those steep canyon walls up ahead? That's
where the hike goes from pleasant to spectacular.
The canyon got steeper and steeper and the views more and more dramatic. We suspect
this same hike would be nowhere near as dramatic at noon without the magical lighting.
These are the views in both directions from Karingana Lookout.
We'd say it's worth a little effort to get here, wouldn't you?
You can head back the way you came from Karingana Lookout -- but why not
continue around the loop? After a steep descent the trail flattens out again.
We reveled in a fine hiking day. What a
great way to finish out our time in Australia!
The whole hike took us only slightly more than 2 hours -- instead of the 4 hours
predicted by Australian signs (their estimates must be based on very slow hikers)
We only saw a handful of other hikers during our time here
Walpa Gorge is another worthwhile hike at Kata Tjuta -- and it's short
enough to combine with Valley of the Winds without exhausting yourself
It's only 1.3 km (0.75 mile) each way and the grade is gradual heading into the gorge
The steep reddish canyon walls on both sides are the main reason
for coming here (these are the actual unsaturated colors)
At the far point of the hike you reach a viewing platform. Ahead
you can see a small waterhole and the canyon narrowing to a close.
No wonder Uluru has spiritual significance for so many:
it rises up quite extraordinarily from a perfectly flat plane
Looking back out of Walpu Gorge you can thank
your lucky stars you decided to come all this way
We were a little surprised to see Uluru from the Kata Tjuta Dune Viewing platform
In the other direction we could see Kata Tjuta bathed in morning sunlight
Back at the resort, we attended a free didgeridoo class at 4 pm
The Full Circuit is what we call a "lollipop hike" -- a straight shot from the carpark with
a loop at the end. Note the two lookouts: Karu (the first) and Karingana (the second).
Next morning we walked over to the Desert Gardens Hotel for a Guided Garden Walk. This 45-minute walk by
an Indigenous guide introduced us to some of the notable plants, bush foods, and bush medicine in the area.
The hike to the Karu Lookout is fairly short and easy
We thought the views at Karu Lookout were pleasant but not hugely impressive.
A lot of people turn around here -- but they're missing the best part of the hike.
In the evening we enjoyed a noodle stir fry from Ayers Wok,
a takeaway Asian place close at hand at Resort Town Square
The trail is well signed throughout -- you'll know when you've reached each lookout point
The above map provides a terrific overview of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
It shows the Park Entry Station and Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort) as well.
The scenery gets better as soon as you descend into the
valley and start hiking counterclockwise around the loop
Kata Tjuta Dune Viewing -- Sunrise
Valley of the Winds Walk
Walpa Gorge Walk
Ayers Rock Resort Activities
We hit the ground running: by 6:30 am we were
driving towards Kata Tjuta, which is some 40
minutes west of Ayers Rock Resort. Two-thirds
of the way there we reached a sunrise viewing
platform and watched the sun rise at 7:10 am.

Then we drove to Valley of the Winds trailhead
and began hiking the premier trail in the park.
It was cool enough that we stayed dressed in
warm layers at first and were glad we did --
Valley of the Winds is well named. The whole
circuit hike was 7.4 km (4½ miles) long. Views at
the first lookout (Karu) were just okay, but after
descending into the valley the scenery became
outstanding. All the way to Karingana Lookout
we had views like the one at left, with half the
rocks bathed in morning sunlight and the other
half left in full shade. Kata Tjuta means "many
heads" and the rock formations look vaguely
head-like if you have a vivid imagination.

Not finished yet! We drove to Walpa Gorge to
walk the second premier trail in the park. This
hike was shorter, only 2.6 km (1½ miles) round-
trip. The highlight was the steep cliffs rising up
on both sides. After a full day of hiking we
happily returned to the resort, feeling like we'd
used our three-day park pass pretty effectively.
Not a bad place to have all to yourself!
By 10 am we were throwing off layers
(and starting to swat at flies)
Afterwards we admired the Aboriginal art at Wintjiri Arts & Museum -- and that was all the time we had!


(Note: That afternoon we drove back to Alice Springs. The next
day we flew to Sydney, and the day after that we flew home.)