The Land Time Forgot

Dried river bed, King's Canyon, Northern Territory

Unlike Uluru and and the Kata Tjuta ranges, when tectonic activity created Kings Canyon, it did so by driving down from ground level to form a deep gorge. At roughly 750 million years old it is also slightly older. The valley floor is covered in evidence of this violent creation, the lower half scattered with the rubble of falling debris from above. Over the millennia that followed, sediment formed on top of this, creating the upper layers and the characteristic domes that line the top of the canyon walls. The high saline content of the surrounding area at the time, Australia's largest salt lake, Amadeus, lies between the canyon and Kata Tjuta means that the natural colour of the sandstone here is white rather than the grey of its geological neighbours. However, just like the other two, the high iron content of the current landscape means that it too retains the rust orange surface. Only where recent erosion has taken place, can you see the underlying colour. It is said, that when the canyon originally was formed, it would have glistened a crystalline white.

Today was the earliest start for the holiday so far. Up at 3:15am to catch the bus up to Kings Canyon. It would be goodbye to the Ayers Rock Resort as I'd be changing buses on the road to head on to Alice Springs from the night before my onwards journey to Sydney. It was a docile crowd that ambled onto the bus and settled in for the long trip north.

Sunrise was watched from the bus. It was wonderfully to see the black of night disappear into deep blue and it in turn be replaced with bands of white, pink and orange before the daylight finally came. Across the flat horizon, dotted with the odd tree, it was just a stunning vision.

Our first stop was Kings Creek Station, where we stopped for breakfast. Out in the middle of nowhere, this station is the home and workplace of Ian and Lyn Conway. We saw a fascinating documentary that was done on their work in setting up a trust to send Aboriginal children to Adelaide to be educated. This stemmed from a broken promise he had made and wanted to put right, so now they are putting four children through an education with their parents consent at $40k per year per child. Tourism helps fund this and so AAT Kings generally stop off at the station with their tour groups for meals to help along since the proceeds go towards the trust.

One bacon butty and hot chocolate later we were back on the road and off to the canyon. Along the way we were given the details of the two options for treks when we arrived. For the adventurous, the 6km rim walk that started with the 500 step start, affectionately known as heart attack hill from the valley floor. Not that they tried to put you off, but if you wanted to go on this walk you had to sign an indemnity waiver! For those feeling a little less energetic, there was a shorter walk along the gorge between the first and second domes. Waiver signed, it was up the steps we went!

Now I was given a little advice yesterday from our guide Hannah, who told me that once I got to 200 steps you were allowed still to turn back but that they were the worst and the last 300 were ok. Well, the initial section was ok. Sore on the thighs more because of the uneven height of the natural stone risers rather than the number. That meant that eventually, rather than going up the quickest way I was searching for the smallest step. Fortunately the climb was taken at a relatively easy pace. Even so, there was a cry out from the guy in front of me when his count reached 200 and the first plateau was not in sight. But come it did, and before long we were up the first flight of steps. My legs were burning a little but otherwise I was ok. The second flight of 200 were the worst for me. I don't know if it was the small break or the mental expectation that they would be a little easier, but they were hard. The final 100 were a lot shallower and a lot, lot easier. I nice way to end the climb. At each level we had the opportunity to catch our breath and take some photos if we wanted. We wanted! It's been a holiday of spectacular vistas and this was another. Looking up, the valley floor was a veritable canopy of green, the protected moist ground providing enough nutrients to allow the trees to grow tall and lush. It hadn't rained for a month but there was still water to be had. The ghost gums that populate much of the canyon, on the tops and bottoms are very resilient to the lack of water, as I assume is anything else that can survive in the area. With an average rainfall of 112mm per year, the Red Centre only qualifies as a semi arid region, but with evaporation rates 11 times higher than rainfall, any that does fall, doesn't last long.

The walk along the top was easy going, a lot easier than the walk to the second lookout at Kata Tjuta yesterday. For the majority of time on the initial trek you are walking behind a protective wall of rock that extends higher along the canyon edge. You can clearly see the sedimentary layers as they extend above your head, eventually forming domes. Our guide Jo, likened the formation of these domes to the effect of pouring water over a sugar cube, with the edges crumbling and falling into slopes below, and a very apt description it is too. In fact the whole sedimentary upper part of the canyon is like layers of broken crispbread stacked on top of each other, with thin extrusions and cavities being formed as erosion acted unevenly on the layers. As different as Kata Tjuta was to Uluru. The landscape of Kings Canyon was different again, but still a wonderful and beautiful sight to behold.

When the first lookout came, you walked out onto a little platform above the gorge. In fact, below we're the party that had set off on the shorter walk, just about ready to turn back. The view down the canyon was just spectacular, but we were told that there was even better to come. I couldn't wait. Several Kooo-Eeee's and waving later, we left the others to their forested return as we continued on round the rim.

Several flights of steep wooden stairs lead down to the aptly named Garden of Eden at the base of the canyon. Rain filled pools line the floor, the most impressive of which is at the canyons end. Such are the conditions in this garden that many varieties of plant live here and only here. there are a number of ancient plants that have been able to survive and flourish. There is a fern like plant, but not a fern, that produces a fruit that neither man nor any modern day animal can eat, yet something must have at some point. A wonderful relaxing moment was taken to have some refreshments before climbing the other side of the canyon. Another, final set of steep steps. From here it would mostly be downhill.

A further wander along the top saw us approach an altogether different stream. This one hadn't flowed for some time. Originally running at ground level before the the canyon was formed, whatever happened to cause its demise, it happened in such a way that the ripples of the water were permanently etched into the rocks upon which it once flowed. It was truly a remarkable sight. From there, we turned at the head of the canyon and made our way along the other side. Looking out over to the first lookout, the view from the far side was even more spectacular the near side canyon wall was shaved clean, as if cut, quite different to the ragged sedimentary layers that mark the other side. A gentle descent brought us back down to the path from which we started at the base of the canyon. The end of a lovely morning walk.

From the canyon, we drove to the Kings Canyon Resort where we had lunch. A couple of days ago, I reacquainted myself with the taste of kangaroo. Today, I decided to try a new speciality meat and tucked into a camel burger. I had heard mixed reviews of this but I have to say, I loved it. Very tasty! In short measure it was time to strike out on the road for the last time with the Ayers Rock Resort team. At the junction between the Lasseter and Stuart Highways, those of us transferring to Alice Springs swapped buses and headed off in the opposite direction.

A big thanks to Jo, Hannah, Ryan, Liam, Isaac and Andy, our guides and driver/guides who made the visit to the Red Centre such an exhausting but interesting, informative and fun time. I would thoroughly recommend the AAT Kings tours to anyone thinking of visiting.

All that was left for me was... Flight packing. Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! :-)