ABOUT 'ULURU KATA TJUTA'

The Uluru Kata Tjuta website forms part of the website of the Australian Department of the Environment & Water Resources. Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, is a spectacular sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory of central Australia. It forms part of the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, 440 km south west of Alice Springs.

Uluru is a sacred site for the aboriginal Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people of the area, known collectively as the Anangu people. The website is available in the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara languages as well as in English. The website is organized into the following main areas: Tjukurpa Above All Else, We Work Together, Anangu Languages, Natural Environment, Uluru Park History, Uluru World Heritage Site, Joint Management of Uluru, Plan of Management for Uluru, Online Tour Guide Training, Cultural Site Management System, and Uluru Fact Sheets.

The Natural Environment section describes the intimate understanding that the Anangu people have of landforms, soils, plants, animals, water, and fire history. They know how to use plants, they can read animal tracks, and they are aware of the significance of weather changes. This section also describes the various types of terrain within Uluru: Rocky areas and gorges known as Puli, Creeklines known as Karu, Open Woodland known as Puti, Spinifex Plains known as Pila, Sand Dunes known as Tali, and Burnt or Regenerating Areas known as Nyaru. It also describes the animals and plants to be found in each type of habitat.

The Uluru Kata Tjuta website is at this web address: http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru/