Kings Canyon is about 300km from Uluru but is well worth the drive. Because of all the rain the scenery along the ranges was so pretty and green.
The caravan parks around Uluru and the Kings Canyon area are about the most expensive in Australia (besides Burns Beach!) but because of their remoteness it is understandable. Diesel was over $2 a litre here but we were very happy as we could explore Kings Canyon just a few kms away from the Kings Canyon resort caravan park.
We had to climb a VERY steep mountain to get to the top of "the rim walk" which took us about 4 hours. We happened to be climbing close to a small group of walkers who had the nicest, young guide with them. He didn't mind us joining them which was great as he explained all he knew about everything we saw along the way. We learnt so much even discovering that there was a crack between 2 rocks called "Priscilla's Crack"! We saw mistletoe growing at the top of the range, tiny flowers that hadn't flowered for 10 years because of drought, a "garden of eden" in the gorge, yellow crested pigeons and, of course, the AWESOME canyon with it's enormous, sheer walls. It was quite breathtaking. I would get butterflies in my stomach if I went too near the edge and had to look away if I felt anyone was too close. Chris lay on his stomach and lent over the edge while he took a photo. I couldn't look!
We were so lucky to have seen the canyon from the top of the range as the following 3 days the rain had set in and it would not have been possible to do the walk.
When the ghost gums are short of water they cut off water to certain"limbs" causing them to turn black. We saw a few of them here. I also loved the gnarled giant's toes that I spotted along the way.
