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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Facts

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Facts
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a 515 square mile park located in Australia's Northern Territory. The most famous attraction of the park is a 348 sandstone monolith that is world renowned for being a symbol of its indigenous culture. Europeans first came to the region in the 1870s but the indigenous people inhabiting the area were considered to be some of the oldest societies of humans in history. In 1977 the national park was established under Commonwealth Law. The Aboriginal Land Rights Act which recognized the rights of the Aboriginals helped to re-establish their rights in the region after many years of being subjected to conflict due to attempts by non-aboriginals to change their ways. Once given legal ownership to their land in 1985 they leased the park to the Australian government, for a period of 99 years.
Interesting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Facts:
Originally called Uluru National Park, its name was changed to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
The aboriginals in the region are called the Anangu. They have inhabited the region since the beginning of man.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
Kata Tjuta is a group of rock domes that are believed to be at least 500 million years old. Kata Tjuta means 'many heads.' This is believed to be a sacred place by the Anangu - who consider it only for initiated men as it is very dangerous and powerful.
This park is considered to have one of the world's most significant arid land ecosystems and is protected by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve.
Many of the plants found in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park are restricted or rare and most of the plants found in Central Australia can be found within the park.
Plants in the park include trees (punu), shrubs (puti), flowers (tjulpun-tjulpunpa), and grasses (ukiri).
Although there are at least 46 mammal species that have lived in the park region throughout history, there are only approximately 21 species now due to changes in the landscape and extinction of some species locally.
Species that have been reintroduced to the park following their local extinction include the black-footed wallaby, burrowing bettong, bilby, bushtail possum, mallee fowl, and rufous hare wallaby.
There are seven species of bats known to be living in the caves and crevices of this national park.
There are at least 73 species of reptiles, and 4 frog species found in the park.
Six mammal species that live in the park were not natural to the region but were introduced as Europeans settled in the area. These include the camel, dog, cat, rabbit, fox, and common house mouse.
Birds found in the park include some that are considered iconic to the park including the black-faces woodswallow, crimson cat, pied butcherbird, and the black breasted buzzard.
The park is sometimes closed for cultural purposes, but is otherwise open according to season.
The top things to do for visitors to the park include watching the sunset, visiting the cultural center, walk around the base of Uluru (10.6km), take the Mala Walk, visit the Mutitjulu Waterhole, visit the Valley of the Winds, take the Gorge Walk, or do the Kata Tjuta dune walk.


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