Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 7 . THE RED CENTRE
Greyhound Pioneer (& 13 20 30 in Australia) and coach tour company
AAT Kings (& 08/8952 1700 in Alice Springs, or 08/8956 2171 in Ayers
Rock) make daily transfers from Ayers Rock; Greyhound’s fare is about A$54
(US$35) one-way.
Numerous coach and 4WD tour outfits call at Kings Canyon from Alice
Springs or Ayers Rock, with time allowed for the rim walk. See “Exploring the
Red Centre” at the beginning of this chapter, for recommended companies.
With a 4WD, you can get to Kings Canyon from Alice Springs on the unpaved
Mereenie Loop Road.
The regular route is the 480km (349-mile) trip from Alice Springs south via
the Stuart Highway, then west onto the Lasseter Highway, then north and west
on the Luritja Road. All three roads are paved. Uluru (Ayers Rock) is 306km (190
miles) to the south on a paved road; from Yulara, take the Lasseter Highway east
for 125km (78 miles), then turn left onto Luritja Road for 168km (104 miles) to
Kings Canyon Resort. The resort sells leaded and unleaded petrol and diesel.
Uluru Motorcycle Tours (& 08/8956 2019; www.ozemail.com.au/~uluru
harleys) will take you there on a 1-day tour via Harley-Davidson from Ayers
Rock Resort, with you as a passenger or driving.
GETTING AROUND AAT Kings provides a guided rim or creek-bed walk
from Kings Canyon Resort, 7km (4 1 ⁄3 miles) away, for A$40 (US$26) per adult,
A$20 (US$13) kids under 15, round-trip. It departs daily at 6:15am October
through March, and at 7am April through September. You can book this
through AAT Kings or the resort.
EXPLORING THE PARK
The way to explore the canyon is on the 6km (3 3 ⁄4-mile) walk up the side (short
but steep!) and around the rim. Even if you’re in good shape, it’s a strenuous
3- to 4-hour hike. It leads through a maze of rounded sandstone formations
called the Lost City, across a bridge to a fern-fringed pocket of water holes called
the Garden of Eden, and back along the other side through more sandstone
rocks. There are lookout points en route. If you visit after the odd rainfall, the
walls teem with waterfalls. In winter, don’t set off too early, because sunlight
doesn’t light up the canyon walls to good effect until midmorning.
If you’re not up to making the rim walk, take the shady 2.6km (1.5-mile)
round-trip trail along the mostly dry Kings Creek bed on the canyon floor. It
takes about an hour. Wear sturdy boots, because the ground can be rocky. This
walk is all right for young kids and travelers in wheelchairs for the first 700m
( 1 ⁄2-mile).
Both walks are signposted. Avoid the rim walk in the middle of the day
between September and May, when it’s too hot.
You can also explore the park from an Aboriginal viewpoint with Lilla Aboriginal
Tours (book through Kings Canyon Resort). Aboriginal guides take you
on an easy 1km (just over .5-mile) walk to sacred caves and rock-painting sites.
You learn about the artworks, hear the Dreamtime events that created the land
around you, discover plant medicines and food, and have a go at throwing a
spear and a boomerang. The tour lasts 1 1 ⁄2 to 2 hours and departs at 9am and
4pm daily (closed mid-Dec to mid-Jan) from the Lilla community, 14km (8 3 ⁄4
miles) from Kings Canyon Resort. The resort does transfers for A$20 (US$13)
per person, round-trip, or A$30 (US$20) for two of you. The tour costs A$39
(US$25) for adults, A$33 (US$21) for seniors and students, and A$27 (US$18)
for kids ages 5 to 16.