Kata-Tjuta, Northern Territory, Australia

     

The Valley of the Winds -- Kata-Tjuta, meaning "many heads" in the Anangu tongue, is just as holy to its aboriginal caretakers as Uluru, located just 45 kilometers away. From the resort complex of Yulara, it is possible to see both on the desert horizon.

The rocks of Kata Tjuta are even more ancient than those of Uluru. They have been subject to such tectonic stress over the millennia, that the mud bearing the hard nuggets of sandstone has also long been compressed into stone. The resulting conglomeration resembles chunks of candy studded with nuts and nougats.

The highlight of visiting the Olgas (the name is derived from Mt Olga, named after some 19th-century European aristocrat) is the Valley of the Winds walk, a path that cuts 3 km deep into the long, narrow spaces between the high domes, where the winds howl and carry one's echoes far down the gorges below.

These photos are taken with the Nikon D100 digital camera and Nikon f2.8 20mm lens.

Australia 2004

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