Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) are iconic rock formations in the centre of the driest continent on Earth. They're immense and the twilight colour changes can take your breath away... but a visit to Australia's heart will be far more rewarding if you take time to learn about this ancient land and show respect for the culture and traditions of the local aboriginal people.
Geologists believe that Uluru and Kata Tjuta were formed around 550 million years ago when the Peterman Ranges in Western Australia were much taller than they are now. Rainwater flowing down the mountains eroded sand and rock and deposited it on the surrounding plain. One deposit, which became Kata Tjuta, had mainly water-smoothed rocks and the other, which became Uluru, was mainly sand. Both were several kilometres thick. Around 500 million years ago, the whole area became covered by an inland sea. Sand and mud fell to the bottom of the sea and covered the seabed. The weight of the new seabed turned both deposits into rock. Kata Tjuta became conglomerate rock and Uluru turned into sandstone.
About 400 million years ago, the inland sea had disappeared and the whole of Central Australia was subjected to massive forces. Some rocks folded and tilted. Kata Tjuta tilted slightly, about 15 degrees. Uluru tilted 90 degrees so the layers of sandstone almost stood on end; this explains why the sedimentary layers are vertical rather than horizontal.
The Anangu people are the traditional owners of the Western Desert region of Australia. They have inhabited the area for over 20,000 years and have a very different explanation of how the landscape was formed. They believe that it was shaped by creator beings, in the forms of people, plants and animals,which travelled widely across the land. These include Kuniya (Woma python), Liru (poisonous snake), Mala (Rufous hare-wallaby) and Lungkata (Centralian blue-tongue lizard). The Anangu people's beliefs come from the Tjukurpa, the stories and laws that explain and govern their lives.
Sadly, it is no longer possible for aboriginal people to live a traditional life in Central Australia. However, the Anangu people own the land around Uluru and Kata Tjuta and are jointly responsible for management of the National Park. They ask that people do not climb Uluru as it's a sacred site and because they feel a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors. There are also strong environmental reasons not to climb; for example, the permanent waterholes at the base of Uluru are polluted and have high levels of E. coli, so are no longer safe to drink.
