My second night in a swag wasn't quite
as chilly as the first: going to sleep and waking up to a fire
helped, as did wearing more clothes and snuggling further down into
the sleeping bag. Once again, after the half hour drive from King's
Creek Station, our group was first to arrive at the next tourist
spot. This time King's Canyon, now known as Watarrka. I was the only
one of our group who didn't go on the rim walk. I might have made it,
in fact I was told Heart Attack Hill plus walk was no more difficult
than the previous day, but with the cumulative effect of the previous
two days' walks, it would have been hard enough work that it wouldn't
have been enjoyable.
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| Heart Attack Hill (lowest third), Watarrka |
That didn't mean I missed out. I had the immense
pleasure of doing the creek walk, only 1 km into the floor of the
canyon, along the creek bed, although the only water was a small
water hole which I had to scramble over rocks to reach. So it wasn't
all an easy stroll!
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| Creek bed |
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| Canyon wall |
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| Flora |
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|
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| Head of canyon |
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| Canyon wall with tree shadows |
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| Waterhole |
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| Canyon wall |
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| Waterhole |
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| Waterhole |
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| Fauna |
At the end of the walk is a small
viewing platform with some seats. For a long time I had the place to
myself. I read a little but mostly I simply breathed in the peace,
listening to the wind in the trees, the birds, the silence.
At
one point cooee and hellos were yelled down to me from the canyon rim
by the rest of the tour party. They missed a magical experience.
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| Tour group peer over canyon rim |
The
following day I happened upon some French backpackers (siphoning off
some electricity from a power point they'd found at ANZAC Hill!) who
were heading down that way in a couple of days. Since they could set
their own itinerary, I urged them to do both the rim and creek walks
to get the most from their visit.
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| French backpackers 'liberating' some Australian electricity |
After lunch at King's Creek Station it
was the long drive back to Alice Springs. There were the obligatory
rest stops, one (again, as on the way down) at Erldunda Resort. Most
places are called 'resort' but instead of the luxury idyll the word
conjures up, usually it covers the most basic place where you'd stop
to sleep then move on quickly. The other stop was at a camel farm.
Rides were available and a couple of people took the opportunity. Me,
I don't see why any animal should have to carry me around just for
the (my!) fun of it. We were dropped off at our accommodation then
met up again for dinner at Annie's Place - best value meal in town is the
legend.
It was a good group of 21, the
guide/driver and I being the only Australians. A good number of
Germans, three Koreans then a smattering of NZers, Poms, Yanks,
Taiwanese. Three of us were Margaret. Oh dear, just like school.
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| My 'home' for three days |
