Spotlight on Australia

Kata Tjuta National Park

Located in Australia’s Red Centre, Kata Tjuta National Park is a haven for outback explorers. Here travellers can discover some of the many species of native flora and fauna that occupy the area and indulge in the enchanting culture of the local Aboriginal people. Kata Tjuta National Park may not be a name frequently spoken of, but many Australia bound travellers will have seen pictures of Uluru, the breathtaking red sandstone formation formerly known as Ayers Rock.

Although European explorers inspected the park for farming and transport routes around 1870, the Anangu people – the traditional owners – lived their traditional nomadic lifestyle practically undisturbed until the depression in the 1930s. During this time of depression, Anangu became involved in Dingo scalping and were introduced to European ways, and from the 1930s to the 1950s they started drifting into European reserves and pastoral properties.

In 1977 an area of over 132,500 hectares was officially designated as a national park, and in 1987 Kata Tjuta National Park was listed as a World Heritage property for both cultural and natural values. The listing was a great honour for Anangu as it has validated Tjukurpa – the traditional religious philosophy linking Anangu people to their environment – and has given international recognition to the Anangu culture and their understanding of, and interaction with the landscape.

The park’s native grasses, trees, flowers and wild fruits provide the perfect habitat for the plethora of animals that inhabit the area. Nature enthusiasts can often find a wide variety of native mammals, birds and reptiles in the varying habitats that the park has to offer, from sand dunes to gorges to rain pools.

Of the thousands of visitors to the park every year, many choose to take a walking tour guided by the local Anangu people where they can discover the deep rooted culture that exists in the area. Lucky sightseers may even get to experience ancient Aboriginal stories that have been eternally preserved as traditional rock art.

The best ways to get to this desert gem are either to fly into Alice Springs (440km southwest of the park) and drive or take a bus to Uluru, or to fly directly into the park’s own Connellan Airport.

More information about accommodation, transport and the park itself, please visit the government website.