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Watarrka (Kings Canyon)
It's an easy 237-kilometre drive from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon, known to the Aborigines as Watarrka. I backtracked south on the Stuart Highway to Erldunda, then turned onto a smaller highway and headed west. This is the same highway that goes to Uluru, although the route to Watarrka branches off to the north after the first 100 kilometres.
I arrived at Watarrka and checked in at the campground. I pitched my tent, then set out eagerly to explore the canyon. It was already afternoon, so I didn't have enough time to climb up to the rim of the canyon. I decided instead to take the short trail that leads through the bottom of the canyon, alongside a creek that creates a lush oasis of plant life. At the end of the trail, a small waterfall trickled down the sheer walls of the canyon, making me forget that I was in the middle of a vast desert.
I got back to the campground, just in time for dinner. There was a large tent that served as a cooking room for the entire campground, and people were gathered around the large grills, where chicken and steak were available for a self-serve barbecue. I joined some Australians at the large picnic tables and we swapped stories about our travels, relaxing and drinking VBs as the cold desert night descended on the campground. A few dingoes lurked outside the tent, hoping for a few scraps of meat from a careless camper.
The next morning, it was time for the big hike to the top of the canyon. I got an early start, but still found the parking lot full of tour buses, for the people who were to afraid to venture into this wilderness on their own. I hit the trail and began a slow climb through rock formations, narrow gorges, dry scrub, and the occasional patch of desert palms where water collected in the crevices.
I reached the top of the canyon just as the sun was beginning to cast its illusions on the red rock walls of the canyon, creating a magical contrast of light and shade. From the other side of the canyon, in the clear desert air where sound can travel vast distances, I could hear an approaching tour group of Germans, who were inspired to yodel at the sight of the canyon rim.
I continued around the trail that made a loop around the top of the canyon and into the Garden of Eden, where the waterfall I had seen yesterday poured down over the rim and into the bottom of the canyon below. By this time it was getting to be late morning and I was catching up with all the tour groups. I was at the halfway point through the loop around the rim of the canyon, and the route back took me through an area of rounded red rock domes and spectacular badlands. The hike was a total of six kilometers, and I reached the end of it just as the crowds were beginning to overwhelm the trails. It was time to seek out the true wildnerness of Watarrka.
When I returned to the parking area, I called the ranger station and made a reservation to hike the Giles Track, a less travelled trail that took me through open desert and small, rocky canyons. I hiked in about four kilometers, until I came to a small creek that provided a peaceful oasis to spend the rest of the day in complete solitude. I pulled out some lunch from my backpack and found a nice rock to sit on, reading a book, and enjoying the overwhelming silence of the desert. A day of relaxing, doing nothing. Sunset came and turned the rocks various shades of red, orange, purple, then black. The stars came out and I pitched my tent in a sandy wash above the creek as the autumn temperature began to drop. It wasn't too cold though - I was able to keep the tent flap open so I could look up at the stars and watch the Milky Way come into view. I fell asleep counting falling stars.
Next up: Uluru and Kata Tjuta
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