Go to Kings Canyon, they said.

Go to Kings Canyon they said.
It's a highlight they said.
It's a steep climb they said, but it is worth it.

So we did. We went, we climbed we oo-ed and ah-ed.

The Kings Canyon is a big gash in the escarpment and it's hard to believe that it wasn't accessible until the late 1960's when a local guy made a great push to get a road built to it.
Now it is awash with tourist buses who include it as part of a 2 or 3 day dash from Alice to Uluru.

Anyway.
You park with everyone else and make sure you've got a shady hat and water and sunscreen and then you climb up.
There are steps.....there are steps for all of 100m and then that is it - you are up. And then you think "it that all?".

Then it's mostly going along the rim, with a few (lots) of fabulous beehive rock formations.
The rim edge takes your breath away....hopefully we wouldn't also get blown away!

There are a few side trips and we couldn't resist doing a bit of "off track" wandering.
One to a lookout across a bridge.

And another down to a gully with water and cycads, aptly called the Garden of Eden.

Then you go up again to the top and by this time you have taken so long noodling around that all the tourists have gone apart from 2 delightful overseas research students from James Cook University.
After wandering along the rim on the other side and gasping a bit more.
Then you walk down steps back to the car.

It was an overcast day when we started out and so not too great for photography but good for climbing steps.
Later the sun peeped out and so did the flies.

Yes. The chasm is breath-taking.
The colours of the rocks are astonishing.
The shapes of the rocks are boggling.
I lovelovelove the white trunked trees and the red rocks and the green leaves.
The walk is extremely pleasant, a leisurely 4 hour toddle for us.
I know that it can be very hot there, I guess we were lucky in that respect and they close the walk when temperatures exceed 36 degrees.

All in all a great day out.

Return to Alice.

In which we return to Alice for floating and browsing.
floating aloft in a balloon and browsing around the night markets.
But first to eating and drinking!

I can highly recommend The Watertank cafe next time you are in Alice Springs!
It is in the industrial area of town and had preserved the industrial look of the premises. I love it!
All Corrugated iron, mismatched furnishings and eclectic light fittings.

Plus the menu - we would be happy with it wherever it was.

vegetarian quesedillas

pumpkin crepes

smoothies and fresh juices

You can sit inside on the comfy chairs

or outside in the garden area which has crushed glass underfoot.

The main thing we wanted to do was the balloon flight.
We were so disappointed when we couldn't go the week before when it was too windy.
So, another uber-early morning - Quarter to five! In the morning!
But this time - success.
We lifted off, floated above the desert, saw some cows and some kangaroos and landed safely.
After we'd helped pack the balloon....there was champagne and some breakfast. Packaged slices and cookies, cheese and crackers and fruit.
It was OK. the packaged slices were surprisingly tasty and the cheese was Cracker Barrel.
We were also amused by the lady from the Hilton hotel who stuffed the left over cheese and crackers in her handbag.

So that was our present to ourselves for our 30th wedding anniversary.

It all also timed nicely with the Night Markets which we were hoping to find the Mango Jam man from Ti Tree at. But sadly he wasn't there.
This is the-best-mango-jam-ever. And it is grown and made in the middle of the desert. We also bought some mango wine as we passed through but haven't been game to try that yet.

However I did find an ex-mountains, ex-Nooker buddy - Dawn, who had just flown into town for a few days.
There was entertainment.
And nice food.

And we still haven't seen everything - gotta leave something to come back for.

Why would you go here?

For gold of course!
It has to be one of the most god-forsaken places.
Truly, but it has left a wonderful legacy of photo ops.

Arltunga is a ghost town now, but was the earliest settlement in central Australia when gold was discovered in 1887.
There must be something about the gold in them thar hills because prospectors had to get here overland from Oodnadatta, 600kms away, mostly on foot!
Have you seen the country around there?
They must have been keen or mad.

There wasn't much water there and not that much gold either.
The town died in 1912.
So that is sad but it has been preserved and you can go down a mine and poke around in some other mines where there may be bats.
That is pretty cool.

looking for bats

just the frame left of this house

it's perfectly safe

my new installation for sculptures by the sea

restored policestation

tiny house

Assayer's residence

bleak outlook

maybe there are bats in this one