Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is located 440 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs. The park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, covers an area of 2010 square kilometres and includes the famous Mount Uluru, or Ayers Rock, and the Olga, or Kata Tjuta.
Uluru Rock is perhaps Australia's most recognisable symbol, its icon and a sacred place for all Australian Aboriginal people. The world-famous sandstone monolith stands 348 metres high.
Kata Tjuta is a sacred place for men, a very powerful and dangerous place, which can only be entered which can only be accessed by those who have undergone the initiation rite. The mountain consists of 36 rocks, which are over 500 million years old.
The original inhabitants are the Anangu Aborigines, who believe their culture was created at the beginning of time. It is the Anangu people who lead tours of the national park and talk about the flora and fauna the flora and fauna of the area and the story of the creation of the world. The park is jointly managed by the Aboriginal community and the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Service. The main objective of this joint work is to preserve the Anangu Aboriginal cultural heritage and the fragile ecosystem in and around the park. Interestingly, UNESCO recognises both the cultural and natural significance of the of the park. In 1995, Uluru-Kata Tjuta received the Picasso Gold Medal, UNESCO's highest award for its outstanding efforts to protect the park's landscapes and the Anangu Aboriginal culture.
Europeans first came to these places in the 1870s during the expedition of the Overland Telegraph Line - it was then that Uluru and Kata Tjuta were mapped. In 1872, explorer Ernest Giles saw Kata Tjuta near the King's Canyon and named it Mount Olga, and a year later another explorer, Gross, saw Uluru, which he named Ayers Rock in honor of Henry Ayers, Secretary General of South Australia. In the late 19th century, Europeans tried to to develop agriculture in the area, which led to fierce clashes with the Aboriginal people of the area. It was only in 1920 that part of the current park was declared a reserve for Aboriginal people, and in 1936 the first tourists appeared here - it was the development of tourism that became the reason for the strong establishment of Europeans near Uluru in the 1940s.
Today Uluru and Kata Tjuta attract hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. In the late 1970s it was decided to move all infrastructure outside the park, and in 1975, the Yulara resort and a small airport were built 15 kilometres from Uluru. Along Within the park itself there are many trails. For example, the Main Trail - is the best way to see the great Uluru. And the Valley of the Winds Trail leads to Mt. Kata Tjuta. There are two observation decks on it, which offer with incredible views. At the Cultural Centre, you can learn about the history, art, life and traditions of the Anangu and Tiakurpa tribes, as well as buy handmade souvenirs.
