MONDAY 14 JUNE     KINGS CANYON

Today was another beautiful, sunny day.

Our scenic camp site at Kings Canyon Resort

John’s hip was rather sore after the uneven ground walking of the past couple of days.

We did not want to just spend the day around the camp ground, so took a packed lunch and drove to the Kings Canyon car park. It was our intention to walk the King Creek valley track again, much more slowly than on our first afternoon here, looking at plants and birds and just generally enjoying the place.

Holly Grevillea

We sat in the creek bed, not far from the end of the track, away from the track and the crowds, and ate lunch. John had a nap after lunch, while I sat and spotted birds. Didn’t manage to identify any new ones but saw a number of ones first seen in other places.

John napping in the creek bed

Then we spent some more time by the track, unfortunately often being annoyed by the hordes from the touring coaches – some of them make such silly, dumb comments. I am afraid that I could not bear to travel in such groups.

John made a rather ambiguous statement to me, about some birds being more attractive than others. He was taken to task by a lady who overheard him! Possibly it served him right! But we were wearing binoculars and carrying a bird identification book at the time.

Then he got into a bit more bother, trying to be friendly and chat to another lady walking on the track, about the fact that she was limping. I think he thought that here might be a fellow hip replacement case. But she had an artificial leg. Whoops. After that, he stopped trying to be sociable.

The Canyon rim from the end of the Kings Creek walk track

Drove back to the Resort and, at Reception, obtained our permit to drive the Mereenie Loop Road. This unsealed road loops around the western end of the ranges here, then turns east, eventually leading, via Hermannsberg, to Alice Springs. We’d debated whether to go that way, or take the Ernest Giles Road east to the Stuart Highway. They are a similar distance – about 330kms. There is only 99kms of unsealed road on the Ernest Giles Road, as opposed to about 230 on the Loop Road – but the latter seemed potentially much more scenic. It is designated as a 4WD road.

Because the Mereenie Loop Road transits aboriginal lands, the permit is needed to travel it. The rules forbid camping, or stopping anywhere along the aboriginal land section, apart from at a couple of specified lookout/rest points. It cost $2 and we received an accompanying information booklet.

The staff people at Reception said they’d had to deal with several vehicle emergencies, recently, especially on the Ernest Giles Road – rollovers and the like. They commented that so many travellers do not seem to know how to drive safely on unsealed roads, and travel too fast.

The power had been off during the day. It is generated here. There were signs up around the place saying no EFTPOS, no TV, no radio. We think the satellite dish that brings these services must be not working. There were no telephones, either.

Tea was veggie soup that I made in the late afternoon, lamb backstrap – marinated in oil, lemon juice, garlic and dried oregano, then pan fried; potato and peas.

Just after we finished washing up from dinner, the power went out again. We were alright, because we have 12v lights that work from the battery, but plenty of other campers were scrambling about in the dark. It came back on after about 90 minutes.

THURSDAY 10 JUNE     KINGS CANYON

We got up about 9am. We certainly seem to be sleeping in later these days, possibly because it seems to get light later. It is a big contrast to this time last year, in Qld, when I was waking so early.

After breakfast, I did three loads of washing, including the sheets. At $2 a load, it was 40cents each time cheaper than at Yulara. It was a sunny day with a strong breeze – good for drying.

It turned into a puddling about type of day.

John did some work on the TV aerial and checked the Truck batteries. I washed the van floor. We just relaxed in the sunshine and relative quiet of the camp ground.

Later in the afternoon we drove out to the west, on the unsealed Mereenie Loop Road, for about 25kms, to a little way beyond the National Park boundary. The country was interesting, with the dissected ranges in the distance. We spotted a brown falcon – a new bird for our records.

The George Gill Range, seen from Mereenie Loop Road

We were passed by a couple of carloads of aborigines, heading east towards the Resort – wondered if this was due to it being pension pay day? They seem to drive very fast.

We went back to the Resort and the shop. Newspapers here only come in on Wednesday and Sunday. Supplies at the shop are expensive. I bought a roll of film, which at $7.50 for 24 exposures, is much more than I am used to paying. Also bought postcards and magnets – one for me and one for P, who is collecting them.

Tea was tinned mushroom soup – which I managed to boil over onto the stove! Then chicken breasts done Greek style, potato and zucchini, followed by the ever reliable yoghurt.

Dusk light on the Range from the campground – the gradation from pink through purple to blue is typical of Central Australian dusk

After tea, I wrote a letter to a friend. John tried to phone S, from the camp ground phone box, but couldn’t get through.

There was a large Britz hire camper parked behind us today, with Japanese occupants. Apparently, they were filming a feature or advertisement on Japanese camping in Australia. They had pre-cooked food, but filmed to make it appear they were cooking it! They set up the camp ground provided table for dining out – after moving it from near us – but soon abandoned that venture as the late afternoon chill set in. They were very noisy. They departed with their camper about 11pm. John said they came back later, after I was asleep and they were quite noisy then, too.

It was a cold night. I went to bed about 11pm. John played his computer game till 4 am.