Kata-Tjuta National Park: Walking the Valley of the Winds


I thought I would be happy just photographing the landscape: The large rock dome formations, the symmetrical desert oaks (kurkara) and grass that dot the red soil, and the play of light in the clouds. I had no intention of hiking under a 32-degree celsius desert heat, but the tour that we signed-up for included walking the Valley of the Winds in Kata-Tjuta. We were visiting Kata-Tjuta (also known as Mount Olgas) a group of large dome rock formations in the southern part of the Northern Territory in Central Australia. It is part of the Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park, a world heritage site.


After taking photos of the incredible landscape, we proceeded to the car park where we were to set off on our 2.8 kilometers walk or two-hour plus walk. (Just two hours and 2.8 kilometers, you say). This place would keep you on your toes and should never be underestimated. The undulating trail is uneven and consists of small hard rocks and pebbles. In addition, I had to contend with the presence of persistent flies. I was amused at seeing some hikers with fly nets over their heads. The open space of red soil and small rocks in between the rock domes reflecting the sun added to the almost unbearable heat.  I was ready to give up and return to the car park on few occasions, yet the power of the rock domes hold over me that push me forward if only to have a glimpse of what lies ahead.

The trail continued further up. Not called the 'Valley of the Winds' for no reason, I heard the wind rustling through the branches of desert oaks and open space. I forced myself not to give up. I pursued to feed my curiosity. I started taking pictures of the wild flowers and beautiful rock formations and started listening to the wild birds. I could not believe how plants and birds survived in such a harsh environment. Yet, its beauty moved and tantalized me to “GO and SEE” what secret lay out there for me to discover.  Eventually brought back from its grasp, I reached the end of the trail (the second lookout) with the sign, "DO NOT PROCEED BEYOND THIS POINT. High above the valley there was a narrow gap in the rocks forming a “V” shape that stretched beyond it.  The V shape become a symbol of victory for me for reaching that point.



PHOTO GALLERY

#1 The Rock Domes

#2.  This is our starting point.

#3. Sign not to climb the rock domes.

#4.  Some walkers wear fly nets over their head or face.
#5.  Posing on the rocky trail
#6.  And more rocks and desert grass.

#7. And more rugged terrain
 #8. And a few bridges in between undulating trail
 
#9. A glimmer of beauty.
#10. And more wild flowers
#11. Finally, the end of the trail high above the valley with a narrow gap in the rocks forming a “V” shape that stretches beyond it. No one is allowed to go beyond this point.
NOTE: All photos by the author.


Comments

Post a Comment

NEW POSTS

NEPAL: Durbar Square Before the Earthquake

Image
I was writing my blog about Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage and historic sites very late last night (05-12-15 in Nepal) when I happened to check my Instagram and saw a posting about Kathmandu after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal yet again. I get emotional just by looking at the photos and videos I took from my recent trip to Nepal let alone a video of a chaotic Kathmandu. I must confess to telling a co-traveler on our way to Patan's Durbar Square that I was ‘templed out’ (the term I used to describe how I felt after visiting so many temples).  Who would have thought that the visit to that last Durbar Square and seeing all the temples that day was a great blessing.  I have said many prayers of gratitude for the opportunity to see and capture in films and photos Nepal’s UNESCO World Heritage sites and the irreplaceable temples and statues before the April 25, 2015 earthquake. The Kathmandu Valley is comprised of three cities: Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. Each city features
Read more

The Banaue Rice Terraces: A Living Cultural Landscape

Image
My interest in exploring the northern part of the Philippines started from looking at a piece of art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California.   Among the display of ceramics and pottery engraved with gold and other decorative stuff,  a wooden carving of a male figure squatting on a platform with the lower arms on top of each other, resting upon his knees, caught my eye.  According to the docent, the wooden sculpture was called "Bului" which literally means "granary guardian" in the "Ifugao" tribe dialect. The carved wooden sculpture was set on a platform on top of another platform, a mortar.   Our docent explained the significance of the wooden mortar (which was used with the pestle, to separate the husk from the rice, sort of rice mill) and linked the story to the Rice Terraces in the Cordillera Mountains of the Philippines built 2000 years ago by the “Ifugao” tribe. So two years and three hundred kilometers north of Manila later, we explo
Read more

Poland: The Wieliczka Salt Mine

Image
One of the most spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites I visited this year was the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow, Poland. It was founded in the 13th century to mine the rich deposit of salt. Salt mining stopped in 1996 when the low price of salt on the world market made it too expensive to mine and the mine was slowly flooding. But miners did more than just extract salt. They left behind them a breathtaking record of their time underground in the shape of statues of mythical, historical and religious figures.  Part of the salt mine became an art gallery, chapels, cathedral, and underground lakes. Today, Wieliczka Salt Mine is one of the most visited National Monuments in Poland. For safety reason, less than one percent of the mine is open to visitors, but even that is almost four kilometers in length. There are 20 chambers to visit and 800 steps to climb of which 350 at the beginning take you down into the mine. You can’t just visit and wander around on your own. All of the visits
Read more