Kata Tjuta and Uluru; exploring the Red Centre

We flew to the Red Centre and rented a motorhome in Alice Springs. Then began our unforgettable trip through the heart of Australia. Our route took us to the iconic Uluru (Ayers Rock), the striking domes of Kata Tjuta (Olgas), the breathtaking Kings Canyon, and the rugged beauty of both the West and East MacDonnell Ranges.

Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a massive sandstone monolith in the heart of Australia. This iconic landmark is not only a natural wonder but also a place of deep cultural and spiritual significance for the Aboriginal people, who regard it as a sacred site.

After stocking up on groceries in Alice Springs, Red Centre, our first stop was the Desert Oaks Resort in Erldunda. On our way to Kata Tjuta

We spent the first three days in Alice Springs exploring the Araluen Cultural Precinct, where we were impressed by the stunning paintings of Albert Namatjira. We also visited the Desert Park and the historic Telegraph Station. Alice Springs is a nice town, but we were saddened by the sight of many homeless Aboriginal people wandering the streets. Before heading to Uluru, we stocked up on groceries, with our first stop being the Desert Oaks Resort in Erldunda, where we stayed overnight.

Sunset Uluru

Sunset Ulurru At 4/6/2009, 6:22 PM — At 4/6/2009, 6:22pm

Uluru - Ayers Rock 6:24 — Two minutes later, 4/6/2009, 6:24 PM

Uluru - Ayers Rock 6:26 — At **4/6/2009, 6:26 PM**

Uluru - Ayers Rock 6:28 — 4/6/2009, 6:28 pm

On our first evening in Uluru, we watched the dramatic sunset over the iconic monolith. It’s essential to arrive early, as the viewing areas can get quite crowded. And don’t forget to bring a bottle of bubbly to make the experience even more special! As the sun sets, the massive rock transforms, shifting from pinkish tones to a vivid orange and red.

Instead of climbing Ayers Rock, we walked around it. The 10.6 km Base Walk is a trail that loops around Uluru and takes three to four hours to complete. The rock formation is stunning from all angles.

Instead of climbing Ayers Rock, we chose to walk around its base. The 10.6 km Base Walk is a scenic trail around Uluru, taking approximately three to four hours to complete. Along the way, we enjoyed the rock’s ever-changing textures, colours, and sacred sites.

In the beginning, Uluru rocks in the Red Centre were grey, but after a thousand years, the minerals were washed away and the red color is caused by iron rusting in the rock.

Uluru rocks were originally grey, but the minerals were washed away after a thousand years, and the iron turned the rock red.

Travel to Kata Tjuta (Olgas)

Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas, is a stunning collection of domed rock formations in Australia’s Northern Territory. It’s sacred to the traditional owners of the land. It is renowned for its breathtaking sunrise and sunset views, where the rocks glow in vivid hues. Kata Tjuta is also a fantastic place for hiking.

Then, we went to Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), a massive dome-shaped rock formation about an hour's drive from Uluru. Katja Tuja is 546 metres above sea level, but the highest peak, Mount Olga, is 1066 metres higher than Uluru.

From Uluru, we took a day trip to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), a striking collection of 36 dome-shaped rock formations. These massive formations are composed of a conglomerate of boulders, including granite and basalt, cemented together by coarse sandstone. Rising 546 meters above the surrounding plains, Kata Tjuta is even more imposing than Uluru, with its highest peak, Mount Olga, standing at 1,066 meters. Mount Olga was named in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg, who was born Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas I.

Kata Tjuta – Olgas, view from the entrance car park.

The Valley of the Winds trail allows people to soak up the dazzling domes of Kata Tjuta. This walk is classed as Grade 4, is steep and rocky in places and takes 3-4 hours

We hiked the Valley of the Winds trail, a challenging Grade 4 trek that is steep and rocky in sections, taking around 3-4 hours to complete. The effort was well worth it, as the trail offered breathtaking views of Kata Tjuta’s domes and rugged landscapes, making it one of the most rewarding hikes in this area.

Beautiful conglomerate boulders.

The Kata Tjuta dune viewing area offers a magnificent panoramic view of the domes.

Before leaving, we shot our final photo of Kata Tjuta from the dune viewing area, where the panoramic view of the domes created a perfect farewell moment.

Travel to Kings Creek Station

Kings Creek Station is a working cattle station near Kings Canyon. It offers a range of accommodations, a nice cafe, and a well-stocked station shop. Guests can enjoy a variety of activities, including guided quad bike tours, camel safaris, and scenic helicopter flights.

From Kata Tjuta we drove to Kings Creek Station A cattle station with an area of 2,200 sq kilometres, with a range of accommodation options, and a shop for food.Camel riding, helicopter flying, and other activities are also available.

From Yulara, we drove to our next destination Kings Creek Station, which is a three-hour drive.

We spent three days in a secluded spot with our motorhome and enjoyed the tranquillity of the outback. It was an unforgettable experience and the perfect base for exploring the breathtaking trails of Kings Canyon.

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk is suitable for walkers who are reasonably fit. Not as hard as the valley of the wind in Kata Tjuta. takes between three and four hours to complete. First, you have to climb 1000 steps up, which is hard, but when you get to the top, it's mostly easy to walk.

If you enjoy hiking, the Kings Canyon Rim Walk is a must. The trek takes around three to four hours to complete, starting with a challenging ascent of 1,000 steps. However, once you reach the top, the rest of the trail is relatively easy and rewards you with breathtaking views.

When you reach the top, you'll find the Lost City, a sandstone rock dome formation similar to the Bungle Bungles but much smaller.

When reaching the top, you’ll see the Lost City, a striking formation of sandstone domes similar to but much smaller than the Bungle Bungles

A side track down to a steep staircase brings you to the Garden of Eden, a permanent waterhole and an area with lush greenery

Later, we followed a side trail down a steep staircase, leading to the Garden of Eden a stunning waterhole surrounded by lush greenery.

From this point, you look down at King's Canyon Valley in the Red Centre and the car park.

After completing the most challenging section, we took a well-earned rest, with a fantastic view of Kings Canyon Valley.

The view of the Kings Canyon rim, where we had just hiked, was truly spectacular.

From the top, the view of the red country is spectacular.

What a stunning, big red country!

You see, while is called the red centre.

This is why it’s called the “Red Centre.”

West MacDonnell Ranges

The West MacDonnell Ranges are a stunning mountain range. They stretch over 160 kilometres west of Alice Springs. It’s a vast ancient landscape featuring striking red quartzite gorges, chasms and waterholes. The ranges are popular for hiking, camping, and taking photos. The ranges also hold deep cultural significance for the Aboriginal people.

We drove from Alice Springs To Glenn Helens and on the way we explored most of their iconic places.

Standley Chasm is a must-see for anyone visiting the Red Centre. The trail into the chasm is only 1.2 kilometres long. The best time to visit is during the midday sun when the chasms glow red and orange.

Standley Chasm is a must-see destination in the Red Centre. The trail into the chasm is only 1.2 kilometres long. The best time to visit is around midday when the sunlight shines on the rock walls, creating a breathtaking display of vibrant reds and oranges.

The track is mostly in the shade and has beautiful vegetation, such as gum trees, ferns, cycads, and wildflowers. You may see a wallaby or a dingo if you are lucky.

Even at midday, the track remains mostly shaded, providing a cool and pleasant walk. The trail is lined with beautiful vegetation, including gum trees, ferns, cycads, and wildflowers. Keep an eye out for wildlife you might be lucky to spot a wallaby or even a dingo along the way.

The next stop, Ellery Creek Big Hole, 90 km from Alice Springs, is a popular place to swim, picnic, camp, and walk the 2.5 km Dolomite Circuit.

On our way to Glen Helen, we stopped at Ellery Creek Big Hole, a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, and camping. Instead of taking a dip, we chose to hike the 2.5-kilometre Dolomite Circuit, exploring the stunning landscape along the way.

A little further away are the Ochre Pits, which have colourful rock formations made of ochre that come in many different colours. It was used for painting, body decoration and medicinal purposes by the Aboriginal people.

A short distance away, the Ochre Pits, a striking cliff of ochre rock in various colours. Aboriginal people used ochre for painting, ceremonial purposes, and medicine.

Near Glen Helen is the Ormiston Gorge, which has a permanent waterhole that is good for swimming. The Ormiston Pound Walk is a 9 km circuit, and is one of the best walks in the West MacDonnell Ranges. It took us 4 hours to complete the walk.

Next, we headed to Ormiston Gorge and took on the Ormiston Pound Trail, a spectacular 9-kilometre loop considered one of the best hikes in the West MacDonnell Ranges. The walk took us four hours through breathtaking landscapes. To top it off, Ormiston Gorge is home to a permanent waterhole, perfect for a refreshing swim.

After climbing the ridge, we had a great view of the Pound, and then we went down into the big valley.

After climbing up the ridge, we had a breathtaking view of the Pound before making our way down into the big valley below.

The beautiful red cliffs at the end of this wonderful walk.

The walk finished with a stunning view of the red cliffs. It was an unforgettable hike.

When we returned to the waterhole, the park ranger did some back burning.

To top off an already incredible day, the ranger did backburning in the area. That created mesmerizing light effects over the waterhole.

Visitors to Glen Helen Gorge Resort, Red Centre,enjoy the spectacular scenery, bushwalking, and swimming in the clear waters of the gorge. We stayed at Glen Helen resort's camping ground for two days and had a great view of the cliff and Mt. Sonders. After long walks, we enjoyed a drink, meal and the piano men at the restaurant.

During our stay at the camping ground in Glen Helen Resort, we had a great time enjoying the stunning scenery, hiking, and swimming in the waterhole. After our long hikes, we relaxed with drinks and a meal at the restaurant while listening to the piano music.

Visitors to Glen Helen Gorge Resort enjoy the spectacular scenery, bushwalking, and swimming in the clear waters of the gorge. We stayed at Glen Helen resort's camping ground for two days and had a great view of the cliff and Mt. Sonders. After long walks, we enjoyed a drink, meal and the piano men at the restaurant.

Mount Sonder, at 1380 metres above sea level, is the fourth-highest peak in the Northern Territory. The trail to Mount Sonder is about 16 kilometres long each way and can take 6-8 hours to complete. This hard hike wasn’t suitable for us.

East MacDonnell Ranges

The East MacDonnell Ranges extend 150 km east of Alice Springs, renowned for their stunning outback landscapes, including rugged gaps, dramatic gorges, scenic bushwalks, and ancient Aboriginal rock art. The first 75 km, up to Trephina Gorge, is sealed, while beyond that, a four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended.

Even though the Ross Highway sees little traffic, accidents can still happen. A striking example is the Terry Michael Gill (Fish) memorial along the route. The VB beer can on the left? That one’s from me.

Two wonderful days at Trephina Gorge Nature Park—a view of the sandy creek bed.

We spent two wonderful days at Trephina Gorge Nature Park, 75 km from Alice Springs. The campground was excellent, with a well-maintained network of walking tracks. We wandered along the sandy creek bed, lined by majestic gum trees, and hiked up the ridges, where we had breathtaking views. In addition, there where abundant wildlife, it was an unforgettable experience.

We walked along the Trephina sandy creek bed with large River Red Gum trees, 'Celery' trees, and Ghost trees, and up the ridge where we had fantastic views.

While walking along the sandy creek bed, we loved the huge River Red Gums, Celery Trees, and the largest Ghost Gum in Australia which is 33 meters tall and around 300 years old. Ghost Gums hold deep spiritual significance for Aboriginal people.

We stopped at the Corroboree Rock Conservation Reserve on the way back to Alice Springs.

On the way back to Alice Springs, we stopped at the Corroboree Rock Conservation Reserve. We took a short walk around the base of the rock to explore majestic dolomite rock.

Palm Valley

Palm Valley, in the Finke Gorge National Park, is a spectacular area about 140 kilometres from Alice Springs. Accessible only by 4WD due to its rugged and sandy tracks. The valley is home to the ancient Finke River, believed to be one of the world’s oldest rivers, dating back 350 million years. This area is renowned for its Red Cabbage Palms remains of a time when Central Australia was covered in lush tropical forests millions of years ago.

We went on a 4WD Outback Safari with AATKings, which was an excellent organised tour. We travelled through the West MacDonnell Ranges and along the way, we stopped at Hermannsburg, an Aboriginal Historic Precinct rich in history and culture. From there, we went further down the sandy bed of the ancient Finke River into the wonderful Palm Valley.

In the Red Centre,Palm Valley, we went on hiking the trail (5 km, 2 hours return). We walked through spectacular rock formations, white sands, rock pools, and palm trees.

Our knowledgeable guide then led us on a scenic 5 km hike (2-hour return). Only a small group joined the walk, which was slightly rugged but rewarding. We trekked through breathtaking rock formations, soft white sands, serene rock pools, and groves of ancient palm trees. After the hike, we all came together for a wonderful lunch, making for a perfect end to the adventure.

The red cliff above Palm Valley.

A view of the beautiful red rock formation.

Photo 2010

1954 watercolour painting ‘Twin Ghosts’

The heritage-listed ghost gums to the left of the images were a gathering place for lovers of Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira. An arson attack destroyed the trees in 2013.

More from Northern Territory: Kakadu & Litchfield National Park

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