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.

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

A magical morning

We listened to all the people who said "go on a Yellow Water cruise when you go to Kakadu" and despite not being morning people (well one of us isn't a morning person) we opted for the sunrise version.

 It was pretty special - the super moon setting on one side and the sun rising on the other.
A slight mist over the water.

And lots and lots of birds.
Seen here  -whistling ducks, magpie geese, Nankeen Night heron,

plus egrets, ibis and spoonbills - you'll just have to trust me on that.

 This is a jabiru, Australia's only stork.

 Lots and lots of whistling ducks - safety in numbers I guess,

because now it's time to Spot The Croc!

White breasted sea eagle - we actually saw 3.

Lotus. An asian import.

As the morning warmed up the crocs decide to do the same and come out onto the banks to bask.
These are saltwater or estuarine crocodiles which are the ones that will eat you if they are hungry.

So swimming in the billabongs and creeks is a big no-no here, there are plenty of signs to remind you.

We were so brainwashed by the whole no -swimming thing that when we went to Maguk the day before we didn't even think to take our cossies.
Of course there is a beautiful rock pool below the waterfall which has been cleared for swimming.

So, yes, we did go in in our undies and tshirts!

The creek below is very pretty but not recommended for swimming!

A story from G about Edith

The pre dawn light over the campground and Edith River is pacifying....

...and the sunrise inspiring

...with a swim in the big pool at the base of the falls enticing
 

...enticing from many angles in fact...
 

...and from up the top...
 

 ...it still looks good...

...so we had a swim (that is Tess backed by towering cliffs) and a swim to the falls is quite a way...
 

...but wait, there is more. A short walk takes you to the upper pool area that is like a water fun park...
 

...with great falls...
 

...and pools at the top of the falls...

...and more falls and pools at the top of those falls (no one goes here though so worth the easy scramble)...

 ...to get a different perspective on the rock formations... 

...that may have beautiful smoothness and circularity (sorry about the contrast problem here)...
 

  
...and plants that have idyllic outlooks like the red sundews here waiting for an unsuspecting insect to wander along the lovely pool...

...and to look down on the 'water park' from a different spot...
 

...and to find views that others don't look for. This is a falls below the water park...
 

...looking back up those falls with Tess waiting patiently and taking in the view...
 

...and the bottom of the falls with a cave in the large rock.

 
The campsite was pleasant though the dead trees here don't make it look so good...

 
...but it highlights the contrast in this land between the watered spots near a creek and the unwatered away from the creek as shown graphically here. No transition zone, just wet or dry...

 
...and the wet supports huge paperbarks, grevilleas, wattles and gums...

...and looks lovely.