My Trip To The Great Outback (III)

Day 3: Kings Canyon

Day three we again rose at 5 a.m. to get an early start. This day we went to Kings Canyon which is part of the Watarrka National Park. In my opinion, the best was saved for last. It was a near perfect day weather wise: not too hot, not too cold, and the sun shining down on us. And Kings Canyon is spectacular. The views from atop the canyon walls some 300 metres up are breathtaking, and because of Australia's unusual rainy season the gorge was lush and green, alive with flowers, birds and wildlife. Again, due to the night’s previous rainfall, we had the rare fortune to see waterfalls along the canyon sides. Sitting atop of the canyon was therapeutic. I felt as if I was in my own bubble of peace and tranquility comprised of me, the earth beneath my feet, and the clear blue sky above my head. The rest of the world and its inhabitants didn’t exist. Sarah (my tour guide) was the one to burst my bubble (someone always has too) as she ushered us on through the canyon.

The climb up the canyon walls

View from the top

Walking through the rocky canyon top

See the small waterfall in the distance? A rarity

The group touring

We had a 5 hour ride from the canyon to Alice Springs, the second largest town in the Northern Territory that is home to 12% of the territory's population. The drive reminded me of driving through the mid-west: flat land on all sides that rolled on and on indefinitely. Of course this land was filled with Aussie brush, not cornfields and cows. And there were no rest stops or billboards. Literally there was just this one road cutting through the Northern Territory. I can’t imagine breaking down out there. Fortunately, the Rock Tour bus was the little engine that could and we made it to Alice Springs without any problems. Oh, and along the way we stopped at a camel farm. Yup. For some reason I don’t associate camels with Australia, but it turns out that Australia has millions of wild camels roaming in the outback, more than anywhere else in the world. 

The camel farm

And the camels

After we had our fill of camel gazing (and riding if you wanted to pay $6 to do so- I didn’t) we finally made our way to Alice Springs where I stayed at a hostel. Even though I had only slept in the swag for two nights, it was so wonderful to sleep in a bunk bed with a roof over my head. It was even more wonderful to shower! The little things we take for granted I certainly appreciated after this trip. This is why I have so much respect for Sarah. Three days camping in the outback was plenty for me, but she does it every single day of her life for her job. Her bed night after night is a swag. Her meals day after day are toast and chili. She spends her time with foreigners who don’t know the first thing about camping, instructing them how to use a swag and collect firewood. Regardless of the weather, whether rainy and cold or blistering hot and dry, she has to take each tour on the walks, no excuses. She has to endure the rain pellets and dehydration, along with campers’ complaints, moaning and groaning. And she does all of this with an energetic, upbeat attitude. R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was my trip to the red center. While I don’t foresee myself venturing back there again, I am so glad I had the opportunity to see this unique part of Australia and experience the rugged, less complex way of life out in the outback. Oh, and one last thing I forgot to mention. Hands down, the worst part of the entire trip was the FLIES. Ugh, they were awful. There were hundreds swarming everywhere. No matter where you were you couldn’t escape the wrath of the bothersome flies who thought that my eyeballs, nostrils and mouth were fly caves. I definitely ate at least ten of those little nuisances. My recommendation to you, if you decide to ever come to the northern territory, is to buy a hat with a fly net!