Day 9 &10

Day 9 saw the travellers on the road to Kulgera, which is just over the SA/NT border.

Just a roadhouse with a small group of houses in the background.

Arrival was late, so we fronted up for happy hour and a pub cooked meal.

Both travellers had the special roast of the day, roast beef. Which turned out to be corned beef,
mashed potato and veggies with gravy. Just passable.

Back to a couple of games of Rummikub and bed.

                                           A giant echidna they have locked up here at Kulgera

Talking to a lady traveller and she informed us that she had travelled the road through the painted desert. We had been told that the road was closed and travellers were shut out by the landowner.

From her description it sounds great and we may have to travel that way on the way home South after the Kimberleys.

Met up with a couple that are travelling the Tanami road about the same time so we have exchanged mobile numbers so we can get in contact while we are in Alice Springs and maybe travel together up the Tanami.

800km of nothing but scrub, and the local dark skinned people, so another vehicle may be handy.

Consensus of opinion is that the road is not as bad as made out and travelling to suit the conditions will be the rule of the day.

Day 10

After some more talk and a late start we changed route again to head for King's Canyon instead of Alice Springs.

Met a half grown camel along the way and he decided that he wanted a ride. With grandma driving at 110km /hr it was a bit concerning for a few seconds as the camel wanted to sit in the front seat and looked like he was going to jump on the bonnet and discuss the matter. Luckily he saw the back seat was piled high with gear so he decided to let us pass and try the next car.

Along the way we saw lots and lots of paddy melons laying beside the road. They come in patches and are often like paddy had emptied a large bag full on melons every 50m or so onto the road verge.

Arrived Kings Canyon park in time to set up and go for a short walk to see the sunset on the mountain range nearby.

Next day we were woken by a four dog chorus not a four dog night but a four dog morning. There are some resident dingos who live around the camp and they wake the travellers to say “here we are where is breakfast” To look at the condition of the animals you feel like calling the RSPCA and reporting them. They look terrible and I suppose they live off the camp ground and have forgotten how to hunt. There are plenty of road kills along the road but the eagles beat you to them so I suppose the dingo's are last in the food chain..

There are signs all around the park saying do not feed the animals, let them hunt for themselves.

After the chorus we got up at our usual time and did some washing to hang on the line before we left on a 6km hike around the rim of Kings canyon.

Left the car park around 11,00am and headed up, up,,up and away. It was fantastic and the scenery was beautiful, we are so glad we heard about it.

                                              150 metres of these steps up, up and away

                                           One of the locals enjoying the sun.

Ripples formed 400million years ago when central aust was under water

Who says you cannot grow trees in solid rock.  Mother nature can.

                                                        Sheer rock wall of Kings Canyon

                                      Palm trees in Kings Canyon

 After about three hours of steady trekking the travellers finished the hike and back to camp for a cuppa and a couple of bits of chocolate by about 3.00pm.

Not too bad a hike, almost like a ladder to start the first 100metre climb but once on the plateau it is not bad going. Great views of the canyon, red rock formations and surrounds.

Tomorrow it looks like what uswed to be called the Olga's and Uluru or Ayres rock. Then off to see how far Alice spring's before the desert.