Day 13

Wednesday, 26th September
Yulara - Kata Tjuta - Yulara

Yulara
Kata Tjuta
Yulara

Distance Traveled

Today - 80 km

Total - 4599 km

Blog

Today was a nice slow start to go off to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).

These are a different set of rocks only 50km from Uluru. You can see them from Uluru.

Even though Uluru and Kata Tjuta are close together jutting out from the desert plains, they are quite different in formation. You notice this when you get close to each of them.

Uluru rock is composed of arkose, a course grained sandstone rich in the mineral feldspar. The sandy sediment, which hardened to form this arkose, was eroded from high mountains composed largely of granite.

Kata Tjuta rock is a conglomerate - gravel consisting of pebbles, cobbles and boulders cemented by sand and mud. Most of the gravel pieces are granite and basalt, and give a plum pudding effect. Conglomerate is also a sedimentary rock.

There were a couple of walks to do at Kata Tjuta. The Valley of the Winds and the Walpa Gorge Walk.

I did them both while the rest of the party did the Walpa Gorge and the first view of the Valley of the Winds.

Bridget and the kids did some drawing while I walked.

The afternoon was a rest back at camp.

We went back to Uluru to watch it by sunset. It was glorious including a full moon just off the side.

We finished up the day with a large buffet dinner.

Wearing my e-on shirt for an Uluru shot.

Approaching Kata Tjuta

Doing the e-on shirt thing at Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta Landscape

You can see Uluru from Kata Tjuta. Strange very different rockscapes that are not that far from each other

Turtle shaped rock at Kata Tjuta. You can see how big it is compared to the trees below.

Coming around the West side of Kata Tjuta

A gorge in Kata Tjuta

Rocky Kata Tjuta Landscape

These rocks are looking like Uluru

Valley of the Winds - Kata Tjuta. A great walk with wonderful views. Amazing someone here has thongs (flip flops) on.

The long way back straight down and around.

The Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Tjuta

Walking on Kata Tjuta with the plains in the background.

Resting for yet another long walk

Pointing to where we have to walk. Somewhere way down that gorge.

Huge conglomerate rocks everywhere. These are part of the mountains that have broken off.

Walpa Gorge

Walpa Gorge - Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta

Another e-on shot at Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta Sunset park

Kata Tjuta Sunset Park

Only 190km to Western Australia. I was very tempted.

Uluru towards sunset

Uluru towards sunset

Uluru Sunset

A nice view with Uluru and the moon.

We are not alone at the Uluru Sunset

Getting a good view point for the Uluru sunset

You had to arrive early or you wouldn't even get a park

Two great rocks in the same shot. Good of them to put the moon out for us this evening.

Kata Tjuta on the same sunset