Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is the most famous national park in the world. This park is home to the largest monolith in the world. The monolith, a mountain consisting of a rock, is called Uluru, as it is called by the Aboriginals. This park is centrally located in Australia and is surrounded by dry land and desert. Despite the fact that the park is surrounded by deserts, there is a diversity of flora and fauna. The flora in this park is strongly represented in this park and plants that are rarely found elsewhere can be common here and vice versa. The fauna includes no fewer than 73 species of reptiles, a number that is very high for Australia.
Table of contents
- General information about Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park
- Aboriginal people in and around Uluru and Kata Tjuta
- Flora of the park
- Fauna of the park
- Ayers Rock of Uluru – the sacred rock
- Other sights around Ayers Rock and Uluru
- Human influences
General information about Uluru-Kata Tjuta national park
This park is mainly known for Ayers rock. This monolith is a figurehead of Australia and is recognized by people all over the world. Every year this park attracts the most visitors of all parks in Australia. Many Aboriginal people can be found in the park and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people can be easily discovered here, also around Ayers rock and on Ayers rock. Ayers Rock will be discussed again later in this article.
In addition to this figurehead of Australia, one will also find a vast plain here. This vast plain, in the form of this park, is located 1431 kilometers from Darwin and 440 kilometers south-west of Alice Springs. The park covers 1,326 square kilometers and is close to a number of other national parks.
The Kata Tjuta, or the Olgas, are also red rocks found here. These red rocks also rise from the earth and are found scattered throughout the park. There is a line around which the rocks are concentrated. This park is considered the most beautiful place to see these red rocks.
Aboriginal people in and around Uluru and Kata Tjuta
The history of this park dates back to approximately 22,000 years ago. The Aboriginals came to live here around that time. Currently, many Aboriginal people are still found in this park. This park therefore belongs to this population group and it has been loaned to the Australian government. For the Aboriginal people, Ayers rock, or Uluru as it was originally called, is a sacred place. The Aboriginals are absolutely not allowed to climb onto this rock, because they will be cursed. Tourists are therefore asked not to climb the rock, but to walk around it, just as the Aboriginals do. The Aboriginals do indicate that if one wishes to climb the rock, he is free to do so. Even though they say that it is allowed, they prefer that no one does this.
The history of these people goes back, as already indicated, to 22,000 years ago. In this year, 20,000 BC, people made rock paintings here and drew everything they hunted and did. These petroglyphs have taught us much more about how the Aboriginal people lived in the desert and how they thought.
Flora of the park
The flora in Kata Tjuta national park is very varied. More than 500 different species of flora are found in this park, including a number of special trees and plants. One of those special trees is an acacia species. The mulga, the acacia species, is used to make boomerangs and spearheads. Bloodwood, a tree that belongs to the eucalyptus family, has the same use. What is special about some of the plants that grow here is that they can withstand fire. These plants can withstand extremely high temperatures and are not bothered by fire around them.
Various types of hard grasses can be found in the park. One of these grasses is the spinifex. It forms a ball and one can stab oneself very hard. The area is also home to several species that are rare or very special. As many as 34 species found here are not native here, making up a total of 6.4% of the park’s flora.
Fauna of the park
The fauna in this park is very varied. The 21 species of mammals are all quite special. However, a few stand out, one of which is the mala. This small wallaby was once very widespread, but has since declined sharply in numbers. 25 have been released in this park and there are currently approximately 220 living there. This was extremely positive news, as the animals are quite seriously endangered. Two species of moles also live in this park, one of which is about which virtually nothing is known. This animal is almost never observed and there is a busy search for more information about the mole.
The famous red kangaroo also lives in this park. This animal, which can jump eleven meters, is found in a large part of Australia. This park is where many of the most beautiful photos are taken, according to photographers, and so a visit to this park is worth it for the photo alone. The echidna and the dingo, a carnivorous wild dog, also live in this park.
In addition to the mammals, this park is also home to various species of birds . A total of 178 species have been observed, including a few rare species. If you want to see the different types of birds, you have to listen carefully. By listening carefully, the birds are much easier to see. Many birds fly around Ayers rock, usually at least one species of hawk is seen and several other flying birds. Because there are so many different habitats in this park, you can see different birds everywhere. The birds that live in the woods are usually easiest to find by listening carefully.
The reptiles in this park include the monitor lizard. The juggernaut, an animal with many spines and a special appearance, can be found in this park. Thirteen species of snakes can be found in this park, two of which are non-venomous pythons. Three of these are blind snakes. Of the remaining eight, three are extremely poisonous and the rest are only” poisonous. As long as people don’t bother the snakes here