KINGS CANYON

17^th May, 2015

On the road again … this time we are making a diversion and heading to Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. We stop along the way for morning tea at Curtin Springs cattle station which has developed over time into a roadhouse as well.

A sign at the entrance to the shop caught our eye – gotta love the outback sense of humour.

We arrive mid afternoon at Kings Canyon Resort. Set in the National Park it is the only campground and accommodation close to the canyon and even then we still are 10 kilometres away. A sunset dune viewing area (complete with its own drinks bar) is directly behind the campground so everyone heads up there as the sun starts sinking in the west.

George Gill Range

There are lots of people enjoying a celebratory drink and nibbles until the shadows lengthen and it is time to call it a day.

The gang watches the sunset at Kings Canyon

There are a couple of walks to do at Kings Canyon. The most popular are the Creek Walk and the Rim Walk. The Creek Walk is an easy 2 km return track along the canyon floor and the Rim Walk is a moderate to difficult track of 7 klms which starts with a steep climb to the top of the canyon and then follows the rim before descending to the canyon floor. The leaflet says it should take 3 to 4 hours. We are keen to try the Rim Walk but the others are content to only attack the Creek Walk So the following morning we pack our backpack with water, muesli bars and apples …. wave goodbye to the rest of the gang and set off. We are pretty sure that it will take us a lot longer than 3 or 4 hours to do the walk and this is pretty much confirmed when we tackle the climb to the top.

Wok starts the climb

Needless to say we take heaps of rest stops

Halfway up - time for a break

as we slowly make our way up the steep steps.

OMG!  How many more?

Once we have reached the rim we are rewarded with spectacular views down the canyon over the car park

and up the canyon.

We are lulled into thinking that the walk along the rim is going to be relatively easy as a rock and concrete path leads off into the distance.

We soon discover that the path (more often than not) becomes a trek over the natural rock base but the scenery is spectacular.

Kings Canyon is a valley that cuts firstly through a layer of Mereenie Sandstone, deposited over 400 milliion years ago, forming cliffs 30 metres high. Below the cliffs, the slope is less steep and the valley cuts through the softer Carmichael Sandstone. Between the two layers of sandstone is a thin layer of purple shale or mudstone. Erosion of the Carmichael Sandstone has continually undercut the Mereenie Sandstone eventually widening the canyon and causing some blocks of the Mereenie Sandstone to tumble down. We pass by a huge block of sandstone showing the white Mereenie Sandstone under the rust coloured crust.

The colour in the canyon walls is brilliant.

The domes along the canyon rim remind us of the Bungle Bungles in Western Australia – just not as big.

 

Sometimes it is hard to work out which way the track goes.

I think it goes this way Wok.

I'll just check it out ...

Yep - this is the way !

The scenery is breathtaking and you will have to excuse us if we just pop a photo in for no particular reason.

To find these beautiful gum trees growing up here is a surprise but these trees have survived by working their roots down through the cracks in the sandstone to find water.

The following photos are just a sample of those we took along the way.

Wok waves to people on the creek walk

The only wildlife we saw up on the rim were small lizards

This little lizard was the same colour as the rock

and this odd bug.

We have no idea what sort of bug this is .... anyone know?

We found a cool spot under an overhang to sit down and have some sustenance. Below us was the Garden of Eden – named this because of its lush vegetation. Not our idea of a Garden of Eden but in this arid landscape its as good as it gets.

Our lunch spot

Time to move on – climbing down lots of stairs to the bottom and then climbing back up to the other side.

We then came to the top end of the canyon, which at this stage was a large crack between the north and south rim.

From the south rim we could look back up into the Garden of Eden

and see down the canyon

and across the canyon to the north rim where we had been walking.

 

The track then cut across the back of the south rim where more spectacular rock formations appeared.

 

At this stage we were absolutely worn out. The steps leading down to the car park were a welcome sight

but we were really struggling at this stage. Our legs, knees, ankles, etc. etc. were complaining bitterly but we slowly worked out way down to the canyon floor and back to the jeep. The walk had taken us just under six hours and even though we knew we were going to pay for it physically, we were so pleased to have done it. Thirty years ago Kings Canyon had impressed us with its stunning scenery. Today we were just as impressed.

The following day was a rest day for us. YES ! We really did need a rest day. We amused ourselves by watching Roger hang out his washing and took a photo to prove that he actually was doing it.

Yes!  That is Roger!  And he is doing a good job too!

While camped here we have seen a few dingoes. They wander through the campground scavenging and are quick to snatch any food left lying around. This dingo had taken a loaf of bread from a campsite and was having a great old feed of it just over in the bush behind us.

 

Our last night at Kings Canyon was spent listening to the dingoes as they howled in the distance. Just magic ......