Wandering Kings Canyon In The Australian Outback

As iconic, world-famous landmarks go, Uluru is hard to beat. It’s size and location, amazing history and cultural significance makes for an unforgettable experience. But in terms of plain old, goddarned FUN, for me, nearby Kings Canyon has it beat.

Located 150km north of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, within Watarrka National Park, Kings Canyon is a large gorge with walls exceeding 100m in height, with Kings Creek meandering along the bottom. The 2km return walk along the (currently dry) creek takes you through lovely forest to a viewing platform at the end. You might notice some of the trees have protective material wrapped around them, a measure taken due to the number of people carving their names into the trunks of trees which are sacred to the indigenous people of the area.

Sigh…tourists.

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Kings Canyon Rim Walk

But the real fun lies not within the gorge, but on top of it. The 6km Kings Canyon Rim Walk take three to four hours to complete, and the steep steps of the first section are enough to put doubt in any mind, fit or not. But they pass quicker than you’d expect, and the views of the walls and the plains beyond that are slowly revealed the further up you get are worth the aching legs (and heaving lungs, and sweaty back, and…you get the idea).

Once you’ve reached the top of Heart Attack Hill (and you will, I promise), the track pretty much levels off. The path meanders through a city of large domes and eroded rock sculptures. This is a track not just to be walked, but to be clambered, leaped and climbed. There weren’t a lot of people up here at the same time as me too, giving me plenty of opportunities for some shameless timer selfies!

The views across and down into the gorge are spectacular, the sheer cliffs falling into the lush forest below. Other walkers look like ants swarming over the rocks, and in truth, this place really does make you feel small. At the half-way point, at the end of the gorge, lies the Garden of Eden, a short detour that brings you down to a permanent waterhole. This constant source of water in an otherwise dry landscape has meant that many ancient species left over from the time millions of years ago when Australia had a much wetter, tropical climate still survive here. Giant ferns from the time of dinosaurs crowd the water’s edge.

From the Garden of Eden on, it’s pretty much a steady walk back down to the starting point through a maze of domes. I may have gotten a little lost at this point, although I mentally justified it as “exploring”. Just keep an eye on those way markers and you’ll be fine!

I was lucky: the day I walked Kings Canyon, it was fairly cloudy, so the heat didn’t become unbearable. If it is a hot day, start walking as early as you can – there’s little shade along the rim and no drinking water available, so take plenty.

Kings Canyon is as much a must-do as Uluru and Kata Tjuta, in my opinion. It’s such a fun day, you won’t regret it. This was the last item on my Red Centre list, so it was back north and into the Tropical Top End of the Northern Territory I went!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION:

• The nearby Kings Creek Station offers food, accommodation and the most expensive petrol I saw in the Northern Territory. There’s also an unmarked bush camp site just a little further down the road, with nice views of the mountain range glowing red as the sun sets.
• As I said above, there’s no drinking water available along this hike, so come prepared. Don’t hike in the hottest part of the day, bring more water than you think you’ll need and some snacks to keep you going. And make sure to carry sunscreen and a hat to keep that harsh sun off.
• King’s Canyon is located 450km south from Alice Springs and is 3-4 hours drive from Uluru.
• With more time on your hands, there’s a wealth of other activities in the area, from ATV tours, helicopter flights and guided treks of longer hikes in the area.
• Again, Watarrka National Park is an important spiritual place for the indigenous people. As such, please remain respectful of the area at all times and resist the temptation to add your initials to those beautiful tree trunks.

Have you done the Rim Walk? Did you have as much fun as I did? Or is it sitting on that bucket list just waiting to be ticked off? Tell me below!

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