The Red Center
Our Founder and CEO, Tania Hird, invites you to join her on a 2 1/2-day adventure to the Red Centre.
DAY 1 An afternoon Exploring Kata Tjuta
At Kata Tjuta, we did a stunning walk called the Valley of the Winds which is a 7.4km circuit with steep, rocky and some difficult areas. This walk exposed us to the unique Mars like landscape of Kata Tjuta’s domes. This massive landform comprises a large number of domes as distinct from Uluru which is just one. Erosion has created a lunar like landscape of the most intense red imaginable.
TIP: The Uluru downloadable Audio Guide is in my mind terrific. It operates by GPS and engages one with information about the history of the area, animals and fauna and even stories and the journeys of those who have and do reside here. It is not necessary to take a guided tour with this insightful audioguide and it fills what could otherwise be quite lengthy hikes with colour and information. The downloadable guide can be found here. https://www.uluruaudioguide.com.au
The writer, Tania Hird, wears a HF Sportif packable Visor from HairFlairAus and Clover earrings in white and Gold from TaniaHirdDesigns
Field of Lights - Evening One
The magical Field of Light incudes 50,000 spindles of coloured lights gently swaying in the breeze. The exhibition named Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakujaku in the local Pitjantjatjara language, means ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ and is a permanent display at Uluru.
DAY 2 - Uluru
The sheer size of this massive Monolith is beyond any expectation. The largest single rock in the World, it is more textured, more red and more massive than I imagined.
We joined a free guided ranger tour along the Mala walk about the history of Uluru and the local Anangu culture. We were introduced to the history of the rock including explorer Giles who called it Ayers after a South Australian Mayor, the history of when it was climbable and 37 individuals died in doing so, to bush tucker stories, animals who live here and stories of the Anangu. A favourite was the story near the waterhole where hunters would wait for the Emu herd to leave picking off only the very last of the Emus daily, the simple minded Emus returning unaware minus one. The guided walk also details the geology and topography of the rock from its brilliant red colour due to being a large rusty iron rock, the ridges being due to the rotation of the rock from the creek bed to the images of spectacular waterfalls during wet season.
The free Ranger guided Walk can be found here. https://northernterritory.com/uluru-and-surrounds/see-and-do/ranger-guided-mala-walk?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=brand+fy24&utm_content=fy24+brand+dsa&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwvvmzBhA2EiwAtHVrb-UVnelw7QKhah0M3d-m6tnNIRo1TBf6P8MGF-H4phYRGubQHRUK_xoCP0oQAvD_BwE
The writer, Tania Hird, wears from HF Sportif ElastricBand packable Visor from HairFlairAus and Riviere Earrings from TaniaHirdDesigns
Following the guided tour we again used our Audio guide to complete the 10.6km Uluru Base Walk. This is a treasure as the circuit takes you through surprisingly differing landscapes of Mulga trees and termite mounds, rock art, spiritually sensitive areas, and a stunning waterhole. It can also be conquered on bike or Segway.
The writer, Tania Hird, wears a Two tone barrette in Chanel Pink from from HairFlairAus by THD and Riviere Earrings from TaniaHirdDesigns
Astronomy
Once the sun had set and the stars came out we joined a tour which took us on a journey through our night sky in one of the clearest places in the world. We were taught how people used the stars for navigation, and how ancient cultures used the sky for mythology. We were given ways to find due south using the two pointers Alpha and Beta Centuri , we were shown the Scorpion, upside down Leo the lion ( this would be the right way up in the northern night sky) and the scales. We explored the night sky with telescopes to spot the binary cluster of Alpha centuri, Sirius - a star 10 times brighter than our sun, constellations like the Milky Way and planets. It was a brilliant tour I highly recommend. The tour can be found here https://www.uluruastrotours.com
Fun Facts : Central Northern Territory is home to a very large Feral Camel population.
Day 3 - Kings Canyon
Will and I opted for a 3 /12 hour self drive into the outback to see Kings Canyon. In doing this we avoided the 4:30 am start including toilet stops, lunch and helicopter rides in favour of adding great landmarks such as Lake Amadeus, Mount Conner and Kings Canyon to the trip . We explored the iconic 6 km Kings Canyon Rim walk, passed Priscilla’s Crack (made famous by the classic Australian movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert), the weathered domes of ‘The Lost City’, and the Garden of Eden take you down into the Garden of Eden, a beautiful rockhole surrounded by rare plants.
Amidst the canyon, one descends the stairs to discover the serenity of the "Garden of Eden" where ferns, a waterhole, and a creek abound.
The writer, Tania Hird, wears Bianca Foldable Hat from HairFlairAus by THD
Lake Amadeus is the largest Salt Lake in the Northern Territory. It cannot be seen from the road hoiwever a well hidden secret is that if you park at the Mt Connor lookout car park, cross the road to the other side and hike the sand dune you will have a terrific vantage of this 180km wide wonder!
Travel Essentials for the Red Center
You can find these and other invaluable Travel items at Tania Hird Designs and HairFlairAus by THD
Foldable Hats, Foldable Visors, Barrettes, Hairclaws
Safe and Happy Travels !
Xx Tania Hird
Tania Hird, CEO and proprietor of Tania Hird Designs and HairFlairAus by THD, is also a devoted mother to four remarkable children. Passionate about travel and family adventures, she enjoys exploring the world. All the showcased products are available for purchase through her authorized retailers and online at www.hairflairaus.com and www.taniahirddesigns.com.
Looks amazing !