Karingana Lookout
A gap between red walls.
Billiesthings — CC BY-SA 4.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · Toby Hudson — CC BY-SA 3.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0
Kata Tjuta is a group of 36 huge rock domes in central Australia, whose name means «many heads». With Uluru it is one of the two great landmarks of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, sacred to the local Aboriginal community, and many visitors find it stranger in shape and quieter than its famous neighbour. It is also known as the Olgas, after its tallest dome, Mount Olga. The explorer Ernest Giles named that peak in 1872 in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg, and a dual name with the traditional one was later adopted. The rock is a conglomerate of cobbles and boulders, including granite and basalt, held in coarse sandstone. The domes cover 21.68 square kilometres, and the highest reaches 1,066 m above sea level, 546 m above the plain and 198 m higher than Uluru. You walk between towering red walls through the valleys, and Karingana Lookout faces a narrow gap framing distant domes. Karu Lookout also has a wide view, and rain brings pools and greenery. It is 26 km in a straight line from Yulara and 30 km from Uluru, so you need a car or tour. Start early, as the heat is fierce and shade scarce, and bring plenty of water and shoes for loose rock. Some walks may close in severe heat, so ask first. It suits a half-day trip.
A gap between red walls.
A wide view of the domes.
1,066 m above sea level.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory
It means «many heads» in the Pitjantjatjara dialect.
No, the same park pass covers Uluru and Kata Tjuta.