Kings Canyon NT – Oz Half Lap 2018

About Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon is the dramatically beautiful landmark which draws tens of thousands of visitors to the Watarrka National Park each year. This is hardly surprising as the canyon walk, and the shorter Kings Creek walk, offer some of the most spectacular scenery in Central Australia.

The drive along Luritja Road to Kings Canyon hugs the southern side of the low lying but ever-rising George Gill Range. By the time the visitor reaches Kings Canyon the range has risen over 100 metres. The intensely red, sheer canyon walls, which rise above Kings Creek, are particularly spectacular at sunrise and sunset. The canyon has water holes of great beauty and the walk around the canyon rim includes features like The Lost City (a formation not dissimilar to the Bungle Bungles in Western Australia) and the verdant Garden of Eden. The remarkable Watarrka National Park contains over 600 different species of native plant because, uniquely, it combines the flora of the Western Desert with the more varied flora of the MacDonnell Ranges and the harsh vegetation of the Simpson Desert (sourced from the Aussie Towns website – click for more).

Kings Canyon Resort Campground

We took the short (305km) drive to Kings Canyon Resort for a 4 day stay. Nice spot to visit with amazing trips around the area to be taken. Why someone would think you could do a day trip to Kings Canyon from Uluru is totally dumbfounding! You must stay there. (maplink)

The campground was pretty basic but very neat & tidy with views of the ranges which you’d only see in travel magazines.

Had to fill the car up prior to moving onto Alice Springs – 73 litres @ $2.15 per litre (bloody hell!)

Kings Canyon Campground

Kings Canyon Creek Walk

The first of our Kings Canyon walking trips began with a nice stroll up the middle of the canyon along the “Kings Creek Walk” – 2.6km return (maplink).

It was lovely, with birds in the trees and the canyon walls climbing up to the heavens on both sides.

We took the red route

Kathleen Springs Walk

After lunch we ventured out to Kathleen Springs to check it out (maplink).

This is also an easy graded and shady 2.4km walk to a spring-fed waterhole. We passed the stockyards where the aboriginal stockman used to hold the cattle after they had chased them into the dead-end canyon.

Weird bushes in the NT

Kings Canyon Rim Walk

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk is an absolute must to do, if your body is in the condition to do so.

It’s a very demanding 6 km round trip that’s got a steep climb at the beginning but everyone that undertakes it says that’s it one of the best things to do whilst you are in Central Australia (maplink). Expect to take 3 to 4 hours to complete the walk and take plenty of water.

I took over 300 photos as I was so overawed with the whole place. I have cut them back to 65 (which is still too many) but I hope you can get through them all; Neil.