Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park

**Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park** is a national park of Australia. It is in the Northern Territory,  south-west of Alice Springs. The park surrounds the two huge rock formations after which it is named: Uluṟu (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuṯa (The Olgas).

## History
 in the caves at Uluṟu.]]

### Creation myths
Archaeological work near Uluṟu has shown that people have been in the area for at least 22,000 years. They probably moved in and out of the area depending on how much food and water there was. People started to live in the area year-round about 10,000 years ago. The native Aṉangu people were hunter-gatherers. They lived in small nomadic groups. Groupings were based on water and food supply in their area (*ngura*).

The Aṉangu believe that these spirits still live within the land. Each set of rocks represents a different ancestral spirit. The Aṉangu  (listen and feel) with the spirits by touching the rock. They do this for blessings or  with something. It is said that many spirits, like *kaḻaya* (emu), *liru* (poisonous snake), *lungkaṯa* (lizard) and *luuṉpa* (kingfisher), travel around the park. Other spirits only stay in one area, like *kuniya*, a python who lives in the rocks at Uluṟu.

There are different stories about the origin of Uluṟu. One says that it came after a great battle between ancestral spirits. The story tells that after many spirits were killed, the earth rose up in sadness, becoming Uluṟu. Another legend tells that the two serpent spirits *kuniya* and *liru* fought many wars there, The common idea behind all these creation stories is that places like Uluṟu are physical evidence of the activities of ancestral beings. in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg. He was not able to reach it, though, because his path was blocked by Lake Amadeus. The next year, another explorer named William Gosse reached Uluṟu and named it "Ayers Rock" after Sir Henry Ayers. As a result, many people in the government believed that the reserve had failed to protect the Aṉangu lifestyle. In 1940, the Petermann Reserve was made smaller, so that people could look for the gold. At first, the government only allowed a few tour companies to go to the rock, because it was still part of the reserve. But demand for tourist  was growing fast. In 1951, Connellan Airways asked for an airstrip to be built next to Uluṟu, even though planes were already landing there.

In 1958, the government cut the area around Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa from the Aṉangu reserve, creating the Ayers Rock–Mt Olga National Park. It claimed that the rocks were no longer important to the natives.

In 1973, people from the government visited to make a report on the park. This report said that Aṉangu should be involved in the park's management. The resort at Yulara opened in 1983. After that, the campground and motels inside the park were closed, and everything was removed from the park by the end of 1984. It allowed native people to claim rights to own land if they lived on it before Europeans arrived, but only if the land is not already owned. The Aṉangu asked for ownership of the park's land under this law in 1979. But because it had already been made a national park, the claim was not allowed. Even so, the court decided that the Aṉangu were the "traditional" owners (*nguraṟitja*) of the land. In exchange for ownership, the Aṉangu had to lease the land back to the federal government so that it could stay as a national park. This means it was an important natural environment. The name of the park changed to Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park in 1993. The next year, it was added to the list again, this time as a cultural landscape. This means that it is one of the few sites in the world that is chosen for both its natural and cultural importance. The listing recognised *tjukurpa* as being the best tool for looking after the park. In 1995, Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park won the highest UNESCO award for setting new standards for the management of a World Heritage site.

## Geography
 is outside the park to the northeast.]]

Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa National Park is in the southwestern corner of the Northern Territory, in the centre of Australia. It is  southwest of Alice Springs. The park covers  of flat, red-sand plains. The huge rock formations of Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are the only major landmarks.

Uluṟu is an sandstone inselberg, rising  above the plains around it. Most of its bulk is below the ground. Kata Tjuṯa,  west of Uluṟu, is a group of 36 rock domes (or bornhardts), divided by steep-sided valleys.]]

### Geology
#### Makeup
Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa are made of different types of sedimentary rock. Uluṟu is mostly made of arkose, a hard type of sandstone that contains a lot of the mineral feldspar. The sediment originally comes mostly from granite. Kata Tjuṯa is made of conglomerate, which consists of bits of rock that has been cemented together by sand and mud. Uluṟu has deep parallel fractures that run down its sides. These are caused by erosion, mostly from rainwater running off the domed top. Uluṟu appears to change colour at different times of the day and year. It  a deep red colour during sunrise and sunset.

### Hydrology
Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa is normally arid (dry). Most of the water in the park is under the ground. It can stay under the park for thousands of years. In the end, it all drains through the ground to Lake Amadeus in the north. Knowing where to find this underground water has always been important for human survival in the area. It is the only supply of water in the area that people can rely on. Both Muṯitjulu and Yulara get their water from ancient aquifers under the park. The water contains salt, which is removed before it is used. The aquifers being refilled depends on rare major rains, normally happening every ten years or so.

There are no proper watercourses in the park. Creek beds and gullies are mostly found in the valleys around Kata Tjuṯa. These are usually dry, except after heavy rains, but water can stay under the sand for months. The soils in the park contain high levels of clay, which stops water from soaking into the ground too quickly. The only lasting surface water in the park is Muṯitjulu Waterhole (''''), at the base of Uluṟu.

## Climate and seasons
Uluṟu–Kata Tjuṯa has a mostly dry climate. Rainfall is usually low, very hard to predict. The park gets an average of  of rain per year, but each year can be very different. Rain is most common between November and March. Droughts are common and can be very long. which got  of rain.

As in most arid inland areas, the days are very hot and the nights are very cold. The months between October and March have an average of 43 days where the temperature is above 40°C. It is one of 15 biosphere reserves in Australia under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere system. There are 12 people on the board.
* eight are from the Aṉangu community
* one represents the ministry of tourism
* one represents the ministry of the environment
* one represents the Northern Territory government
* the Director of National Parks, who represents Parks Australia
The Director of National Parks is the only permanent seat. All the others sit for five years, and then new people are chosen. All choices have to be  by the Aṉangu.

*Tjukurpa*, the Aṉangu legal code, makes up the basis for the park's management. It says how to deal with problems, and sets penalties for people who break the rules. The Aṉangu have used the Australian legal system to enforce *tjukurpa* and protect their sacred values. Sacred sites are registered under Territory law; it is against the law for visitors to enter them. Laws also protect traditional designs from being copied. Aṉangu have the right to forage and hunt in the park.

## Related pages 
* List of World Heritage Sites in Australia

## References
### Notes
### Bibliography
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## Other websites
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* Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Department of the Environment
* World heritage listing for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
* Uluru Kata Tjuta & surrounds , Travel Northern Territory
* A report on the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Sacred Land Film Project
* List of biosphere reserves which are wholly or partially world heritage sites