Kata-Tjuta (The Olgas)

Completely different to Uluru but still an amazing experience.

It was cold and very windy this morning so we didn't head out to the Olgas till about 10am, going the winds would die down. No such luck. We stopped at the sand dune viewing area which gave a great view of the entire side of the Olgas. I'm still amazed at the amount of flowering plants. This is not what we expected at all!

We headed to the Walpa Gorge which is the easier of the walks and held onto our hats and jacket and did our best not to be blown away! Despite the weather, the walk was amazing and a bit more rocky than expected. The walls of the gorge were aw inspiringly high and perched on top were full grown trees that looked so small it put even more emphasis on just how high they are.

Unfortunately with the wind most of the walk in was spent with eyes down and not enjoying the surroundings but the further in we got the winds began to die down and we were able to see a lot more. As we walked further in there were dense trees and shrubs fed by a small amount of water that had managed to collect and form small ponds. Other areas there was no water but you could see where it had run through over time and was just enough to support life.

The kids were pretty much over walking by the time we got back to the car but we convinced them to walk the Valley of the Winds track up to the first look out. The track was well maintained in most parts and not a bad walk. Looking at the weathered formations and the different textures was a bit of a step back in time. The different patterns formed in the rocks over millions of years make you feel humble, although at this point I think the kids just saw 'more rocks'. We all enjoyed the view from the lookout which was spectacular, but as the heat of the day started to hit it was nice to head back to the aircon and cold water.Read more