Ten years in the making, Australia’s epic new hike connects two icons

Travellers to the Red Centre can now get closer to the country’s cultural heart with the opening of a new walk between the geological wonders of Kata Tjuta and Uluru and for the first time, stay overnight within the Northern Territory’s World Heritage-listed national park.

The Tasmanian Walking Company’s five-day, 54-kilometre Uluru Kakararra Trail includes 38 kilometres of new track across rolling sand dunes on land belonging to the Anangu Traditional Owners that is jointly managed with Parks Australia.

Limited to just 16 guests, the fully guided and partially off-grid Signature Walk starts among the domes of Kata Tjuta and the Valley of the Winds before a night in the first of two private campsites where glamping-style tents house hotel-quality beds and linen and chef-inspired meals.

That’s followed by a two-night stay at Mala Lodge where 16 ensuite rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows facing Uluru, a plunge tank to cool off in and a spa therapist to massage weary calves.

For those who prefer the great outdoors 24/7, swags designed for the desert environment are available.

Hiking distances range between eight and 16 kilometres a day along the desert landscape of mulga stands, desert oak and spinifex grass with designated rest stops at shaded lunch platforms.

Focused on providing an authentic experience of culture, Indigenous guides and elders join participants for walks and activities such as stargazing. There’s a target of 33 per cent Anangu employment in the first 10 years of the new business.

The final day to Mutitjulu Waterhole and cultural centre includes an option of walking around Uluru’s base.

Tasmanian Walking Company’s co-owner, Brett Godfrey, started the journey in 2015 when he walked more than 150 kilometres with Traditional Owners from the South Australian border, ending in Uluru.

“It was a bit of a slog because we did 25 kilometres a day, but it was amazing, and I left here changed,” Godfrey says.

A decade and $25 million on, the trail and its low-impact structures, both developed in close partnership with Anangu, closely resemble Godfrey’s initial idea about bringing walkers to this unique part of the country.

“Aspects of it may have been moved a kilometre here or there but on the whole this would be what we wanted.”

Designed for the desert, lodge modules, helicoptered in, are made from materials such as Corten steel, that can tolerate intense heat and humidity and boardwalks have been built to avoid ancient desert oaks.

The four-day Uluru Lodge Walk is a 35-kilometre highlights journey suited to people new to multi-day walking.

The writer travelled as a guest of the Tasmanian Walking Company andTourism NT.