Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta Gallery

Kata Tjuta Facts and Figures

Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas, is a group of 36 rounded rock formations located within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia. The tallest dome of the Kata Tjuta group, Mt Olga, is higher than Uluru and standsat 457 m in height. Kata Tjuta is about 30km from Uluru.

Kata Tjuta means 'many heads' in Pitjantjatjara, the local indigenous Australian language. The Kata Tjuta area is as sacred to the indigenous people as nearby Uluru. Many ceremonies were, and are still carried out at Kata Tjuta, particularly at night. One of these former Kata Tjuta ceremonies included a type of public punishment that in extreme cases included death. If a woman of the tribe who was molested or attacked and injured named the attacker and he was found guilty, she was obliged to spear him through the leg as punishment.

There are many Pitjantjatjara legends associated with Kata Tjuta and indeed with everything in the vicinity of Kata Tjuta including of course Uluru. A number of legends surround the great snake Wanampi who is said to live on the summit of Mt Olga at Kata Tjuta and only descends during the dry season.

The alternative European name for Kata Tjuta, the Olgas, derives from a former Queen of Spain, and was given to the Kata Tjuta rock formations in 1872. Kata Tjuta can be accessed through the airport of Yulara, 50kms away. The closest accommodation to is at Ayers Rock Resort.

Exploring Kata Tjuta

Two walks are available around Kata Tjuta. The 7km Valley of the Winds Walk meanders between several of the Kata Tjuta domes. When the maximum daily temperature is forecast to be 36 degrees or greater, this Kata Tjuta walk is closed from 11am at the Kalpa Lookout. If visiting Kata Tjuta in warm weather, get there early to avoid disappointment. Walking early in the morning is also much more comfortable in the warmer months. The second walk is the 2km Olga Gorge Walk, a pleasant and physically much less demanding walk into a Kata Tjuta beautiful gorge.

Kata Tjuta: Distances

Kata Tjuta to Uluru: 30km
Kata Tjuta to Alice Springs: 480km
Kata Tjuta to Darwin: 1780km
Kata Tjuta to Adelaide: 1400km