The King of Canyons – Australia

We have heard  for years about the seniors bus trips to Kings Canyon, and assumed that it was easily accessible to the elderly. Believe us when we tell you, it’s not. Well not all of it anyway. There is an easy Kings Creek Walk, which leads from the car park through a landscape of lush ferns and eucalypts and is suitable for all levels of fitness. This walk finishes at a platform which looks up to the majestic red sandstone canyon walls.  As beautiful as this is, the real beauty of Kings Canyon lies up the top.

Kings Creek Walk

Spinifex Pigeons

Red Sandstone Kings Creek Walk

Kings Canyons is 300 klm north east of Uluru, in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located within the Watarrka National Park. It has been home to Aboriginals for thousands of years, but only became accessible by road in the 1960’s. Now, the Canyon attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year.

After doing the easy Kings Creek walk on the afternoon we arrived, we headed off early the next morning to tackle the strenuous walk to the top of the canyon. This is called the Rim Walk, which is  a 6 klm circuit and takes about 5 hrs to complete. It starts with 500 steep, rocky steps, which looked very daunting, and is affectionately known by the locals as Heart Attack Hill. This is what we meant when we said it is not all easily accessible. Make sure you take plenty of water and if you think you have enough, double it. It also wouldn’t hurt to take some snack bars or sandwiches in a backpack. My fitness level is not great, but I still made it to the top in about 45 minutes. Buggered and needed a rest.

As buggered and breathless as we were, the sight of hundreds of beehive shaped rock formations, took our breath away even more, and the red canyon walls looked like they had been cut with a knife. The thing that amazed us the most, as we walked to the edge of these over 100 mtr high cliffs, was the fact there was no railings ,or fences, or anything to stop you from toppling over the side. There were a few signs saying not to venture too close, which was a great comfort. As we wandered around admiring the beehives, we noticed a stairway leading down into the Garden of Eden, a beautiful spring fed waterhole surrounded by cycads, flowering plants and gum trees. Not what we expected to find at the top of the canyon. 

The walk down to the car park was much easier than the 500 steep steps to reach the top. The car park has toilets, bbq’s, seating and an interpretive centre and best of all, the entry to the canyon is free. There is another longer walk to Kathleen Springs, along the Giles Track, which is 22 klm in length. We cheated and drove to the car park there and walked the 2.6 klm round trip. Much easier.  It is a leisurely walk to a delightful spring fed waterhole. Along the walk you learn about the Aboriginal culture and the more recent  cattle industry, through a series of interpretive signs. There is no camping allowed here, but the Kings Canyon Resort is only 20 minutes away.

Old Cattle Yards Kathleen Springs

Native Fruit Kathleen Springs

Kathleen Springs

Love is all around

The resort offers plenty of accommodation options, from tent and caravan sites, to lodge rooms to deluxe spa rooms. We stayed in one of the Lodge Rooms, which had a shared kitchen and amenities block conveniently located near by. Our room was $150 per night, which was a bit steep considering it didn’t have an en-suite, but when you are at least 300 klm from the next motel, you don’t have much choice. We were starving after our long day walking, so headed over to the Desert Oaks Bistro, which literally gives you a taste of the outback. A taster plate for 2 had succulent pieces of crocodile, emu pate, camel and Kangaroo (Sorry Skip ), as well as a good selection of mains. There is also a small store where you can stock up on basic supplies, at not so basic prices. As they are so remote, freight charges are very high. 

We were heading to Alice Springs, next, and noticed on our trusty paper map, a much shorter route. It is roughly a six hour drive on sealed roads or by paying a small fee you can slash hours off the trip by using the Mereenie Loop Road, which is unsealed , but was in fairly good condition. This road takes you through Aboriginal land ( hence the fee ), then through Hermannsburg,  home to the famous Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira, then onto Alice Springs.