Australia 2015 : Olgas

Itinerary summary:

Day 1

Darwin - Litchfield National Park - Katherine

Day 2

Katherine - Elsey National Park - Daly Waters - Kunjarra - Tennant Creek

Day 3

Tennant Creek - Devils Marble - Alice Springs

Day 4

Alice Springs - Kings Canyon - Yulara

Day 5

Uluru - Olgas - Yulara

Day 6

Yulara - Alice Springs - Darwin

Day 7

Darwin - Singapore

Olgas, or in its aboriginal name Kata Tjuta, is located about 45 minutes away by car. The national park board manages both location together, thus naming it the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Unlike Ayers Rock which is the formation of one single rock, Olgas consists of a group of large rocks made up of cobbles and boulders. The name Olgas comes from the highest peak, which is about 1,066m above sea level. 

There are a number of things to do which you get there. You could opt for the Kata Tjuta Dune Viewing, which is a boardwalk to bring you around the formations, or a sunset viewing by the dune. 

Alternatively, you could attempt for the Walpa Gorge Walk (approximately 2.6 km) or the Valley of the Winds Walk, which is divided into 3 sections. The first section to the Karu Lookout, is about 2.2 km for a return journey. This section is not too difficult as it is not too steep.

Moving on to the second section, you'll be heading towards the Karingana Lookout. The entire  return journey takes about 5.4 km. This section of the walk is much harder as the routes are steeper which many loose stones and cobbles along the way.

You'll need to keep yourself hydrate if you decide to embark on these walks. There are drinking water point available between Karu Lookout and Karingana Lookout. 

Here's a photo of the beautiful Karingana Lookout. You could continue on the next part of the journey, which is even steeper. The full circuit is about 7.4 km in total and surely it is not for the faint-hearted. 

The entire hike took us about 3 hours in total. We took a short break at the Karingana Lookout and decided not to complete the full circuit to avoid heading back too late to the resort.

Having completed our main destinations for the day, we headed to the Yulara township to get some groceries and make full use of the central kitchen. 

This backpackers accommodation is pretty complete. You have the basic amenities for lodging which includes a common bathroom. In addition, you could also make use of the central kitchen with cutlery and cooking utensils made available for sharing. You will also have free access to WiFi. 

This would be the cheapest option of accommodation closest to Uluru, and you'll have to place your reservation earlier to avoid disappointment.

Day 5 pretty much sums up our stay at Central Australia as we prepare to drive back to Alice Springs, about 4 - 5 hours away the next day to catch our flight back to Darwin City.