Day 12 – Kings Canyon
Even with a school group camped next to us we managed a very peaceful sleep, far away from the rest of civilisation. After breakfast we packed some lunch and plenty of water for a day of walking in Kings Canyon. Our first stop was the Kathleen Springs walk. It was a mostly flat, easy return walk of two kilometres. In previous days the area had been used by local Luritja aboriginals as it had a good water supply at the Springs. More recently it was used by cattle drovers. As we walked in to the Springs we passed some of the disused infrastructure from the cattle droving.

The walk was mostly in the valley beneath some high rock formations. After a while we came to the Springs but as it was early morning they were quite shaded still.

We made our way back along the same path but it’s interesting how you see things going in the opposite direction.

From there we continued the drive to the Canyon area. We were keen to do the Rim Walk. However if you weren’t keen you could be easily put off by the start of the walk!

By the  time we had huffed and puffed our way up we were already pleased. Check out the view down

and the view ahead.

Our walk was now a lot easier with the odd up and down over the rocky path.

The white bark on the trunks of the eucalypts was a stunning contrast to the orange/red rocky terrain.

After a while we came to this stunning viewpoint looking down into the canyon, complete with warning signs.

We continued until we came to an optional viewpoint which we decided to take and we weren’t disappointed with the views. (Thanks to the hiker who took this shot for us.)

Lots of information boards kept us informed about the geology and flora and fauna of the Canyon too.

We were pleased to have worn our fly nets too. They kept the pesky flies at bay well.

Our next challenge was the series of steps that took us down towards the Garden of Eden

and then back up, up again.

On completing the ascent on the far side we were able to take in the view of what we had just completed. The National Park team have created an impressive infrastructure for hikers here, that’s for sure.

We moved away from the edge and found a place in the shade to enjoy a rest and a bite for lunch. It didn’t take long for an inquisitive grey shrike thrush to check us out and vice versa.

We continued once we had eaten and drunk plenty more water. The beehive-like rock formations certainly impressed us as we hiked along.

Eventually we came to the start of our descent back to the carpark but the views of the impressive rock formations continued.

Back at the carpark we made use of the free wifi for about ten minutes to check our emails. Just as we sat there we heard this cracking, popping sound. We looked around and noticed a couple of rare Mulga parrots cracking open and eating seeds. It just goes to show that if you sit quietly in the outback you never know what you will see.

After that we drove into the Kings Canyon Resort area and visited some friends who were staying there for a cuppa and a chat. From there we drove back to our caravan at Kings Creek Station past the beautiful countryside we had had the pleasure of hiking in that day.

As the sun dropped in the sky and the shadows lengthened the landscape took on a different, but still beautiful look. It had been a great day and one of the best places we have ever done a day hike in.