adventure

Unfortunately it reminded me of stacked pancakes, but that might have just been because of how

A steep slow descent of rock stairs closes the loop and bring you back to the starting point. I’m glad it rained as I don’t think I could have done the walk in high temperatures. There is little to no shade and on a hot day the sun would be merciless on top of a canyon with nowhere to hide. I should also mention that part of the gorge is a sacred Aboriginal site and visitors are discouraged from walking off the walking and after three hours of driving, arrived at King’s Canyon, which was drenched in rain and fog. Having invested a good part of our day to get here, we were determined to do the walk and set out anyway with our fly hats and rain coats. What we saw was no small sight. The walls of Kings Canyon are over 100 metres high and formidable to look at. We found a very helpful map of the walking trails at the base of the canyon which showed us that several walks exist at Kings Canyon. The 2 km (return) and approximately 1 hour Kings Creek Walk traces the bottom of the gorge. At the end of the walk is a platform, with views of the canyon walls above. We decided to do the 6 km (loop) Kings Canyon Rim Walk which took us 3-4 hours and traces the top of the canyon. The first part is definitely the hardest and is very deceiving considering the rest of the walk was a piece of cake in comparison.

The walk begins with a steep climb which locals call “Heart Attack Hill” and it takes you 100m up to the top, with spectacular views of the gorge below and of the surrounding landscape (you can JUST make out the carpark).

About half way around the loop, a detour descends to Garden of Eden, which is a small piece of heaven on earth. It’s all beautiful waterfalls and lush plants (if you ignore the steep stairs).

The last half of the walk makes you feel like you are in a maze of jungle and rock, with weathered sandstone domes all around.

The remainder of our trip including a camel ride and a night’s stay in Alice Springs. Going with three close friends meant that our road trip was a lot of fun. Travelling with people always brings you closer, or at least gives you a better understanding of what kind of person they are. This trip was immensely beneficial for all of us as we all needed a break from our lives both professionally and personally. We all agreed that the sense of spirituality and peace at Uluru was no trick of the mind and it was an aura that seeped into the skin and set the heart at ease. The trip eased the aches and tensions of life. Out in the middle of nowhere we all found a serenity and tranquillity that we were hard pressed for in our city life. The Australian dessert is immense in its beauty as it is in its size. At every turn we saw something beautiful, magnificent or fantastic. These memories will last me a life time and what I have learnt from these experiences will educate my future writings and opinions