Kings Canyon to Alice via the Mereenie Loop

In 1872 Ernest Giles wrote: "The country around its foot is the best I have seen in this region; and could it be transported to any civilised land, its springs, glens, ferns, zamias and flowers would charm the eyes and hearts of toil-worn men who are condemned to live and die in crowded towns." 

A fitting description of by far the most impressive display of Mother Nature's architecture we have seen yet.  

A mere 300km drive from Yulara to Kings Canyon gave us the opportunity to pack up leisurely and be on the road by 10:30.  Supplies and fuel are both available at Kings Canyon, but the remoteness of the area make them very expensive ($2.20/l for diesel!!).  A quick check of our pantry had us race to the local supermarket in Yulara for a couple of things before we left.  

Up until this point Sarah and I have been very impressed with how well Ebony has traveled in the car.  Mind you, we certainly owe a lot of the contentment to Lachie, Emma, Simon, Anthony and Captain Feathersword, but that's ok.  We figured that given Ebony's track record, a mere 300km meander up the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road would be easy as pie...we were wrong!  With the most intense display of "Terrible Two Tantrums" experienced yet, a few more stops along the way and bribes were needed for this leg of the trip.  We got there in the end.

      Chateu de Oliver.  (Say it with a French accent; it sounds better :)) 

After setting up and having a look around it was pretty clear that we weren't going to find the next three nights difficult.  The resort is set up exceptionally well with bar, live music, swimming pool and tennis courts.  Our site had a picturesque view of the edge of Kings Canyon and the stars...THE STARS....WOW!  It is almost a good thing that we didn't suffer the distractions associated with phone reception here.  The simple things in life were certainly enjoyed.  

The very next morning we decided to tackle the Kings Canyon Rim walk; the most popular one here.  The 6km loop plus a couple of side tracks along the way had to have been the most enjoyable and scenic yet.  The initial part of the walk is the most demanding with a set of about 500 steps taking you up the side of the canyon; especially if you decided to, once again, carry an extra 15kg of two year old with you.  From here the walk mostly levels out and you are rewarded with a multitude of lookouts, dome formations, sheer cliffs, natural springs and an amazingly rich display of flora and fauna that otherwise would not have survived time had it not been for the natural shelter that the canyon provides.  In fact, I don't think that any part of the walk could be deemed as "boring" or "uneventful" as you are kept entertained by the scenery the whole way along.  At risk of sounding like the proverbial broken record, the pictures just won't do it justice.  It was truly a spectacular experience and well worth the time and effort to get here.  Sarah and I both walked away feeling elated.  

Ebony was back to her usual cheery self for the duration of the walk and even introduced herself to a couple of young girls on one of the lookouts.  "Hello, my name is Ebby!" 

Most of the time on walks she seems to really enjoy herself and loves to say "hi" or "hello" to passing tourists to which most people respond with a smile and a "hello" back. Ebony fell asleep for about half an hour during the latter half of the walk; she must have been tired after being the Kings Canyon socialite.  

Upon returning to the van we devoured lunch and lost negotiations with Ebony on her afternoon nap.  Obviously the time spent asleep in the backpack was, on her terms, satisfactory for the day.  She had been so well behaved during the walk that we decided that an ice cream was in order.  This wasn't her first ice cream, but it was her first on a 'stick' and she consumed it as you would expect any two year old experiencing this delectable form of sustenance for the first time.  I think the ratio of ice cream in her mouth to her hands and other parts of the body was about 2:1 by the time she had finished.  Sarah and I decided to make use of the bar and order a cool refreshment as the sun was setting.  The resort has a sunset viewing boardwalk, which we decided to walk along before heading back to the van for dinner and another night of stars; the end of a tremendous day.  

The following morning we decided to take the Kings Creek Walk; a short 2km walk for families that takes you into the heart of the canyon.  We also decided to let Ebony have a try at completing the walk out of the backpack so that she could explore a little more.  She did very well and we only carried her for the last 200 metres or so.  The whole way along Ebony fulfilled her role as Kings Canyon's socialite very well with cheery greetings to every single passer by.  "Hello! Hi! See you later! Bye!" This had mum and dad a little embarrassed, but silently proud too.  It was great that she could put a smile on so many people's faces.  

      Ebony showing us where the Very Cranky Bear was....again..

That afternoon while Ebony and Sarah slept I decided to do a little preparatory work before we tackled the Mereenie Loop to Alice Springs.  The road is notorious for being a little rough but a friend of mine had completed the loop two days prior running on H/T tyres; with a bottle of soy sauce as his only casualty.  I figure that we had a pretty good chance, so I set about tightening screws, siliconing, dropping tyre pressures etc.       

Finally, a BBQ dinner under yet another spectacular outback sunset and our time at Kings Canyon was almost done. We will be back here again one day.  What an amazing place! 

As the 6:00 alarm rang the following morning, Sarah and I woke and began the final packup to leave.  We were ready to hit the road by 7, as planned, and said our final goodbyes to Kings Canyon.  I was a little nervous before hitting the Mereenie Loop road as its reputation for causing blowouts and all sorts of mechanical failures was fairly common knowledge in the camping and 4wd'ing community. 

10 minutes down the road and I noticed that the caravan lights had gone out, as had the light for the caravan brakes.  A quick stop and the culprit soon made itself known.  

Hang on!  We hadn't even left the bitumen yet!  Geez.  This sort of stuff was supposed to happen on the rough and tough gravel roads, not on freshly laid bitumen...ugh.  Thankfully, there were only two pins that were destroyed here.  A quick check of the wiring diagram led me to believe that I would be without the hotwire to the battery (no biggie as it was fully charged anyway) and the right indicator (all good due to the fact that we were travelling east, therefore most turns would have been to the left).  A little bit of duct tape later, we were back on the road.  I was VERY relieved when the caravan brakes obediently helped pull the Expanda up when I pressed the brake pedal.  

The Mereenie Loop travels through Aboriginal owned land and requires a permit ($5.50).  It was interesting to learn that more land in the Northern Territory is owned by Indigenous Australians than the Government or westerners. The road takes you around the north side of Kings Canyon and offers a splendid view as you drive...if you can take your mind off the corrugations.  They were pretty bad even though the road had been graded only two weeks prior.  Still...no regrets! 

I was surprised to learn that the Namatjira Drive was completely sealed as the maps that we had been given both showed gravel roads.  We decided on a quick cuppa stop to air up the tyres at Tylers Pass, which gives a stunning view of the West MacDonnell Ranges. 

Before hitting Alice Springs and getting the trailer plug repaired we made a turn into Ormiston Gorge.  A quick, 5 minute walk rewarded us with a spectacular waterhole in which Ebony gladly wet her feet.  The water was cold, but the scenery was excellent.  We will certainly enjoy spending the next few days exploring this part of the world.  First thing first though, a relaxing morning tomorrow and Ebony has already spied the pool here.  

More soon!