Day 7 Uluru to Kings Canyon

(no phone service yesterday at Kings Canyon, so the post is a day behind).
Up early again, packing up in the rain, and off to Kings Canyon in the Watarrka National Park, only a 3 ½ hour drive this morning. We arrived around 11.30am, and settled ourselves into the only caravan park in the area – Kings Canyon Resort (a large area made up of a hotel, petrol station, several lodges, a general store and an outback bbq complete with resident country singer). The area is stunningly beautiful, and our caravan site faces out onto the majestic Kings Canyon. The park is lovely, spaciously arranged among the white barked gumtrees, with abundant bird life all around us. There are a few wild dingos wandering around the park, and we were warned not to feed them. They are so pale in color they blend in with the native grasses surrounding them.

 

 

After an early lunch, we drove the 10 minutes out to where the walking tracks start. There is a choice of three major walks – Kings Canyon Rim Walk (6km loop – 3-4 hrs, hard), Kings Creek Walk (2km – 1hr, easy), and Kathleen Springs (2.6kms 1.5hrs, easy).  Having done the walk about 20 years ago, and knowing just how spectacular it was, we opted for the difficult, 6km steep walk, climbing straight up the side of a cliff, and then around the Canyon Rim, before descending down to the carpark again. (The photo below doesn't show it, but this is an almost vertical climb).

 About half way along the walk is the aptly named ‘Garden of Eden’ at the bottom of the canyon, a delightful area of cool waterholes and riverine vegetation, such as palms and cycads. From frogs in the waterholes, to the tiny bright green birds zipping around the trees above our heads, the area was a hive of industry.

The various steps and viewing platforms help you experience stunning views of the sheer canyon walls, and the majestic towering cliffs all around you.    Although we completed most of the walk in the rain, it dampen our enthusiasm to appreciate this beautiful part of our country.

 

The kids thoroughly enjoyed the walk, and although steep, difficult and physically exhausting in some places, the reward of the view around us was more than worth the effort. All of us decided that this walk was far more spectacular and beautiful than yesterdays walk around Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Definitely one for your bucket list!

 

We were back at the caravan park by 3.30pm, and for the first time in a week had some time to catch up on some washing, and a few other things in the caravan. The rain has set in, so we tucked in for the night, and the kids have been busy doing some school work. Sam is busy updating an excel spreadsheet containing all our food, accommodation and fuel costs, and Lily is reading (constantly!), and has been doing one of Sam’s old Year 3 Naplan exercise books (lots of maths) which she loves. No phone service or internet here at all, so we are feeling very remote and cut off from the world!