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Kata Tjuta (The Olgas or Mount Olga)
In the afternoon, we got in our car and drove to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas or Mount Olga) which is a 33 mile (52km) drive that takes about 40min.
Kata Tjuta means “many heads” in the Aboriginal language and it is also known as “The Olgas” or “Mount Olga”.
The highest dome was named Mount Olga in 1872 at the request of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. King Charles I of Württemberg had made Mueller a Baron a year earlier, and Mueller returned the favor by naming the dome after Queen Olga of Württemberg.
The 36 domes, which cover an area of 8.4 square miles (21.7 km2), are made of sedimentary rock consisting of granite, basalt and other rock types which are cemented by a matrix of sandstone.
The highest dome is Mount Olga which stands at 1,791ft (546m) above the surrounding desert or 3,497ft (1066m) above sea level. This is higher than its famous neighbor: Uluru (Ayers Rock).
Kata Tjuta and Uluru are made out of the same material which is actually medium to dark grey with some green or pink hues. The bright orange-red hue that you see is actually a patina containing iron oxide.
The Anangu people believe the domes of Kata Tjuṯa are home to spiritual energy from the “Dreaming”.
We took the 1.6 mile (2.6km) round trip Walpa Gorge walk, which is an easy walk and took about 1.5 hours. The Valley of the Winds walk is almost 3 times as long and more strenuous. There were myriads of small flies when we were there. Unless you like them in all over your face, the only protection against them is a breathable scarf or piece of cloth to cover your face and ears.
When we returned, it was almost time for sunset. The sunset was magical, as you can see from the photos below.
Should you come early in the morning, there is a different area where you can watch a magical sunrise.
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