Kata Tjuta / Mount Olga

We had intended getting up early before sunrise and driving out to The Olgas but a few things put us off the idea.

1. It’s dark and freezing this morning and bed is too cozy to get out of.
2. We are a bit ginger from last night’s Sound of Silence Dinner so a lie in is in order.
3. It’s 50km to the sunrise spot and that equates to 40 minutes of precious sleep time.

You get the idea...

Never the less, we are up and about not long after 9.00am. So we load up the fridge cooler with roast chicken, a loaf of bread and some salad and drinks and hit the road for the drive to The Olgas.

Like Uluru, we can see The Olgas in the distance and being 50km away, they look impressive already. As we approach a lookout still 10km away, we stop to admire a full view of the front taking in the whole width with the bush desert in front of them.

It’s not until we approach the carpark and the start of a couple of walking trails that we realise these boulder shaped formations are on an epic scale, more like giant sculptures than mere rock.

Anangu call this extraordinary landscape feature Kata Tjuta meaning “many heads”. The Anangu people believe it was made in the Tjukurpa (creation time) back in the beginning so it’s a very sacred place.

Unlike Uluru which is one solid structure and a base to walk around (monolith), The Olgas are a series of independent sandstone structures that have pathways in and around them which lead to hidden valleys and lookouts. The valleys and landscapes in between the boulders showcase a range of vegetation due to the variations in sunlight and shady areas.

As we walk up and between two rocks, the wind whips through the Olgas like someone’s just turned the air conditioning on. At this time of the year, even though it’s warm and sunny, the whirling wind is quite crisp.

We decide to do the 7.4km wind valley hike. Most people just do a couple of lookouts then head back but for an extra few km, the reward is worth it. It doesn’t sound much of a challenge but the terrain is rocky on foot and for hotter days, there’s warning signs requesting that hikers don’t attempt the circuit if it’s above 36 degrees. Well its 10.00am and I don’t think we will get past 27 degrees today and we have tackled some tougher terrain on this trip so we are good to go.

We follow the rocky pathway which leads up hill towards two giant boulder formations and it seems there’s no way through. However, the path snakes around and in between the formations to expose a small green valley floor surrounded by towering boulder rocks on every side. There’s a steep wider section that runs up between two Olgas and the deep blue of the sky at the top of the hill is inviting us up.

Traversing the rocks, we reach the top to be greeted with a stunning aerial view of a wider lush green valley below defined by sheer sandstone walls on either side of us and more bright orange Olgas in the distance. The view, I would say is one of the best I have seen on this trip as it’s so ancient and remote, yet vibrant, green and alive. Surely dinosaurs are roaming about down there. Its got that feel about it. My photos don’t do it justice but they give an idea of how epic the view is.

We follow the trail down into the valley below which opens up with desert sands and green bush trees dotting the landscape as far as the horizon. It’s not a difficult hike and for the most part the valley is flat or slightly undulating.

I like the feel of this place and unlike walking the base of Uluru, it feels like you can get easily lost here between the giant boulders so it adds a bit of excitement to the mix.

After completing the circuit, we are back at the carpark before midday and car loads of people have turned up. We are a little hungry so drive to a picnic area with views of The Olgas. There’s a long wooden picnic bench set up under a shelter where a large group of folk are preparing communal lunch. There’s so many flies, just everywhere that the group are getting fly sandwiches for lunch and it’s hopeless. So we head back to the car, turn on the air con and make our chicken and salad sandwiches in isolation, and eat them away from the pesky flies.

On he way back to Yulara, we visit the Aboriginal Cultural Centre at the foot of Uluru. Two senior Aboriginal women are sat on the floor in the art gallery doing dot paintings. What strikes me is that apart from two young girls working at the camp ground reception, the artist women are the first indigenous people we have come across at Uluru. We haven’t seen any tour guides or workers, they’re all white fella, and we haven’t seen any indigenous folk promoting their culture.

Back at camp by 2.00pm, it’s siesta time and we really do need the rest before our evenings activity, The Field Of Lights.

when Jen booked the Field Of Lights, they only had a star pass left which means we have to suffer pre drinks and canapés whilst taking in another Uluru sunset in an exclusive desert location before the light show begins. It’s hard work indulging in champagne and Kangaroo sliders watching the sun go down on one of the great natural wonders of the world.

So what are The Field Of Lights. There you go, it’s basically “a field full of lights” or in this case, a remote desert bush full of thousands of glittering lights that change colour to reflect the outback and create a mood map on the landscape.

The Field Of Lights came about from a vision and an idea that the now internationally celebrated artist Bruce Munro had many years ago when visiting this region. He was attracted by the changing colours of the landscape and wanted to interpret this though art and light.

The exhibition, aptly named Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku or ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ in local Pitjantjatjara covers more than seven football fields with 50,000 spindles of light, the stems breathing and swaying through a desert spectrum of ochre, deep violet, blue and gentle white.

Jen’s favourite colour is purple and as we slowly walks through the field of lights, each time we are nearing a purple section, it changes colour. Someone’s pushing a button, I swear... No, they’re just random lights that change colours creating what looks like a living work of art.

Bruce Munro has many installations around the world but this one is by far the biggest and the only one that is completely self sufficient as it runs on solar.

The Field of Lights is running until the end of 2020 and is a popular attraction that is often booked out for weeks in advance. With the closure of the walk up Uluru from October this year, they should keep this colourful and unique attraction going permanently as another draw card for the area.

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