Kata Tjuta, Australia
Tuesday, September 9th, 2008
Sunrise over Kata Tjuta
One of the most atmospheric and haunting picnic sites in the world is at Kata Tjuta in Central Australia (Kata Tjuta is often known as the Olgas). Many people will be familiar with the tall square block of Uluru (Ayers Rock), but Kata Tjuta is equally impressive. Kata Tjuta is its Aboriginal name, and it means ‘many heads’, as the site is comprised of over 50 huge domes, clustered together in the middle of the desert. The landscape is flat for miles around and Kata Tjuta appears like a gigantic sleeping monster. The first sight of it is startling. Once you get closer, you realise exactly how huge the domes are.
For the curious, there’s a short walk into the gorge between two of the domes; for the more advernturous, there’s the valley of the winds walk which takes you on a circular walk around and between many of the domes. The whole area is suffused with religious significance for the Aboriginal people who own it, and walking round, it’s easy to be moved by the majesty and atmosphere of the place.
For picnics, you can’t do better than to watch the sun rise over Kata Tjuta. It means an early start from the tourist accommodation at Yulara, but it’s worth it to see the hulking purple domes gradually turn red as the sun rises. And there will be no one else around: most people go to see the sun rise at Uluru, so you’ll have the place to yourself. Strawberries and champagne, and sun rise at Kata Tjuta: perfect for romance. And if you want to spend some time and soak up the atmosphere, settle yourself in the shade and read SACRED SITE by Kim Fleet to be published by Picnic Publishing in July 2009: a thriller set in an Aboriginal community about a mining company that wants to blow up a sacred site to get to a gold seam . . .
Further details of Kata Tjuta can be found at the following website:
http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/
