Kings Canyon and a world trip all in two days

The 5.5km walk/clamber up and around the rim of Kings Canyon is like a mini world trip. There was a group of US uni students on an Australian Geographic tour, a bus load of Germans doing the walk barefoot to feel the warmth of the rock, a French couple, a family from Sydney. Yesterday’s walk included some of a family of five children including a three month baby from Dandenong taking a year off to do the “Big Loop” and a bus load of Chinese speakers.

The walk itself is well marked and includes staircases and footbridges and a sidewalk to the heavenly Garden of Eden permanent waterhole. Just the right degree of difficulty.

Northern Territory is King!

Our campsite glowed in the early morning sunlight as we left it and soon we were crossing the border into the Northern Territory. Things got bigger – for starters, the speed limit was 130kph; then happy hours lasted 90 minutes, according to the sign at Erldunda Tavern.

We arrived at Kings Canyon shortly after lunch and did a walk up the canyon, where the rocks glowed crimson against the snowgums and the holly grevillea gleamed in the sunlight. This evening we joined fellow travellers for sunset drinks as the rocks turned to mauve.