Australia has always been a great spiritual and a popular travel destination for people all around the world.
Out of many attractions, the well-known national park of Australia is the Kata Tjuta National Park which is located towards the southwestern corner of the National territory. This park has a boundary which encompasses an area of 515 square miles.
The national park is home to the renowned Uluru which is also called Ayers Rock and the Kata Tjuta, which is also called Olgas. Both the Uluru and the Kata Tjuta are sandstone monoliths with a popular natural feature.
The dome of this Ayer’s rock is made of sedimentary rock with granite, sandstone, and basalt. Though from far it looks smooth domed rock, but when you get closer you will find a lot of rugged and crevasses features.
Here are some of the most important facts about this ochre-red beauty:
- Uluru was named Ayer’s Rock by the Europeans in 1873. This title was given by the Williams Gosse who gave this title after Sir Henry Ayers
- It was initially formed under the ocean which later on hardened over all these years. It is estimated to be around 600 million years old.
- It was officially named in 2002 as Uluru-Ayers Rock which then made it to be a dual-named geographical feature in Australia
- It stands about 348 meters above sea level while its majority mass is below underground and yet is named a “land iceberg”.
- It was considered as a sacred site by the native Aborigines.
- It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1987
- It is said to have one of the best sunsets in the country because its red colour comes due to the combination of the angle of the sun, the minerals of the rock and the reflection of the surrounding pool.
- There is nothing like the best time to go to Uluru, it is open all year round but the weather is the coolest during May and September.
Uluru and the surrounding area are not known for their wildlife, but there are around 73 different reptiles which are present within the park boundaries.
The most popular species found are the perentie lizard and the sand goanna. There are also other species like the red kangaroo, rock wallaby, rabbit, fox, camel and even emu that you would see there.
The Uluru monolith is well known here for its changes in colours throughout the day. You can see ranging from the shades of orange and related colours depending on the presence of the sun.
If you are planning to visit the park, then the entry fee would be around $25. There are also other park options like family passes, annual passes for frequent visitors and vehicle passes for all the NT residents.
Also, you can get accommodation near the park, which is managed by the Ayers Rock resort. You can make the bookings online.
