Uluru/Kata Tjuta Area, Northern Territory

Culture, the Red Centre Way

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta area is rich in indigenous culture and many options exist for travellers who want to experience Aboriginal culture. You can visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, buy local Aboriginal art or join a tour with a local Aboriginal guide. The Anangu people are the custodians of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. They have a complex system of beliefs known as 'Tjukurpa' (pronounced 'chu-ka-pa') for which there is no direct English translation, that encompasses religion, law and the relationship between people, plants, animals and the landscape. Anangu guides lead walking tours around the base of Uluru / Ayers Rock sharing stories, bush food and discussing the symbolism of various aboriginal rock art. An indigenous guide is accompanied by an interpreter and these walks provide a rare insight into how the Anangu have lived, and continue to live, in this arid environment. Make sure you begin any exploration of Uluru and Kata Tjuta at the park's cultural centre, located about a kilometre from the Uluru / Ayers Rock itself, where an informative introduction to Tjukurpa and other points of interest are covered in educational displays. The cultural centre also hosts aboriginal art and craft demonstrations, bush tucker sessions, walks and cultural presentations. Aboriginal art produced in the region is distinctive, though styles and mediums vary. Carved woodwork and dot paintings are popular souvenirs, but there is an opportunity to invest in some original and truly unique pieces at galleries in the cultural centre and Ayers Rock Resort. The Red Centre Way, which contains the unsealed Mereenie Loop, is recognised as one the greatest desert drives in Australia. Connecting Alice Springs with Watarrka National Park and Uluru-Kata Tjuta via a stretch of dirt track that ploughs through the West MacDonnell Ranges, it's an interesting alternative to the Explorer's Way for anyone with a four-wheel drive vehicle.  more