Blogs from Kings Canyon, Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania

Day 118, 07/01/12 Got picked up at 6am and off we went to Kings Canyon. A long drive and we arrived about 12noon and did a lovely walk around the top and stopped off for a swim half way around in a small waterhole, as it was a warm day I jumped in. We learnt a lot of the history about the Canyon including the Aboriginal stories and the scientific/evolution facts. The whole tour is in the middle of knowhere and you barely seen any cars on the one long road, just desert and shrubs for miles and miles on end - so guess where we slept that night? In a tiny opening about 1km away from the main road in the land with a tiny corrugated shelter and a space for a fire. You sleep ... read more

Several months ago, when this trip was still in the planning stages, the community of geo-bloggers were asked to describe geology that they find sexy. The topic wasn't meant to be about double-entendres (but lets face it, there are lots of those in geology), but about geological features that we get really excited about. I wrote about ripple marks, although there was also a brief mention of cross-bedded sandstone. Imagine my delight then, early this morning as we made the steep ascent on the start of the King's Canyon rim walk, when I started seeing cross-bedding and ripple marks. Our guide said that I should wait until we were at the top, and then I'd be really excited... Uluru() and Kata Tjuta () were amazing, but King's Canyon was spectacula... read more

From Georgina-kids too busy playing so I thought I better take over for now! Apart for the ridiculous prices of everything (a can of coke $5 and petrol, $2.10 a litre), we loved KIngs Canyon. The caravan park is quite near the bottom of the Canyon. As this sun sets, the view was magnificent. We settled into a much quieter park. It had a very relaxed atmosphere, set amongst grasslands. We were advised by other travellers to put all the shoes in at night because the dingoes like them-didn't see any but they hang around. We decided to make (and it definitely was make) the kids do the Kings Canyon rim walk the next morning. It was a 6km, 2-3 hr walk up the side of the Canyon (a very steep start) and then a picturesque ... read more

July 16th This pre dawn rising will take us to Kings Canyon. The park protects the rugged and scenic George Gill Range. This range contains a massive gorge, with red sandstone walls that rise over 100 metres to a plateau of rocky domes and other sandstone formations. The walk lead along the canyon rim and around the full length of the canyon. This walk is one of the best in Central Australia. It features the weathered sandstone domes called "The Lost City" and the to descend into a very sheltered valley with a permanent water hole, called "The Garden of Eden". After the hike we stop for a chance to buy snacks for the long travel on the Mereenie Road, a very bumpy dirt road, that was not driveable a few days ago as there were ... read more

Alice Springs to Kings Canyon Standley Chasm was our first stop on the way into the West MacDonnell Ranges, here we found ourselves wandering along a track over white rocks surrounded by fiery red rocky cathedral walls. We came to a fork in the road, taking Namatjira Drive towards Ellery Creek Big Hole. The waters here were far too cold for swimming, but boasted a sandy creek fringed by gums around the large waterhole. Neil Hargrave lookout was our free-camp for the night, with an abundance of mice we had been warned of in our travels north. The night tested every feather of down in our sleeping bags as we have struggled to acclimatize to Australian winter temperatures, having avoided the winter for over 2 years! Morning light came and the bloke who camped nearby ... read more