It’s been two years since we first spotted a Street View Trekker backpack wandering around Uluru, but after two years Google has finally brought the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to Google Street View.
Working with the Anangu, the traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and the Northern Territory Government, and according to Tjukurpa law, Google has brought all the wonders and beauty of the surrounding area to the world with this latest update to Street View, following on from adding other Australian wonders like the Great Barrier Reef.
The Street View capture of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park includes the ‘the vista of Talinguru Nyakunytjaku, the winding trail of the Kuniya Walk, the cool respite of Kapi Mutitjulu (waterhole) and ancient art at Kulpi Mutitjulu (Family Cave)’.
Google says that in line with the Anangu belief that ‘there is no distinction between the physical and metaphysical, or the animate and inanimate’, they’ve brought a more nuanced approach to this Street View than has been done previously. Google has used ‘Story Spheres‘, which they say ‘add immersive audio stories and songs of Anangu traditional owners to the 360° Street View imagery’. Story Sphere’s you’ll find in the Street View of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park include ‘an interactive, audio-visual guided tour, narrated by Sammy Wilson and with song and music by Traditional Owner and Anangu Elder, Reggie Uluru’.
If you want to watch a behind-the-scenes ‘making of’, Google has been kind enough to put together this reel:
If you’re interested in the area, and want to explore more you can jump right into Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park on Google Street View here.