In the same national park as Uluru, but about 35 km further west from the big rock are the 36 boulders of Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas). The highest of the boulders is 100 meters higher than Uluru.

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A Beautiful Hike

A trail leads around some of the rocks and takes the hiker through the aptly named Valley of the Winds and to several lookouts. The views are great, and the rocks and the gorges between them are stunning. Now it’s spring and all the flowers are in bloom, the grass is green and there are lots of birds everywhere. Surrounded by flowers in all colors, the red rocks look even more amazing than they do anyway.

Flowers Everywhere

Spring is a great time to visit Uluru/Kata Tjuta. The nights may still be very cold (we never thought we’d need our winter jackets and gloves in Australia) but the days are wonderful and not too hot. The air is very dry; uncomfortably dry actually. In the gaps and gorges between the rocks however, a more cool and humid climate offers a habitat for a variety of animals and plants.

Uluru or Kata Tjuta?

Uluru may be more famous but for a beautiful hike (with less people), go to Kata Tjuta, you won’t be disappointed. As for the sunset, we didn’t really like the sunset spot at Kata Tjuta. So instead of waiting there for the sun to  go down, we drove to the sunrise spot south of Uluru. There’s a beautiful walk and you can see both Uluru and Kata Tjuta from the lookout on top of the dunes. A good choice, I’d say!