Day 20: Mereenie Loop - Off to the Track!

July 11, 2018

And again the motto of the day is: get up very early!
Sunrise at 7:15!

I definitely want to watch the sunrise at Kings Canyon - the viewing platform is right in front of our room. Since the kids were not really enthusiastic about the idea of getting up early again today, we let them sleep. While the hubby layers all kinds of clothing on top of each other, I gather my photography equipment in the dark, then we quietly disappear outside. It's still pitch dark and very cold.

The viewing platform is already quite crowded. There seems to be a surprising number of early birds among the holidaymakers here.
The procedure for sunrise is similar to Uluru, but here I find the colors during the transition from night to day even more intense.

After the sunrise, we have to warm up in the room, wake up the kids, have breakfast and pack.

The hubby has been looking forward to this day for 3 weeks: off-road driving!
Today the Mereenie Loop is on the program. I am curious how long it will take us for the route. We are not quite clear about the exact number of kilometers that are actually "off-road" after researching on the internet.

So: let's be surprised.

Google Maps gives me a travel time of 7h31 for a distance of 225 km - which I can't believe....

We estimate 4-5 hours for the route and hope that we are not too far wrong...

At the reception of the Kings Canyon Resort, we quickly pick up the permit for the loop and then we're off.
Just a few kilometers past the lodge, the paved road ends and we reach the sign for the Mereenie Loop.

"Larapinta Dr - 4 WD only"

Oki, we're equipped - let's go!
I would have started at 30 mph, but the hubby is a bit more daredevil. After a few attempts to find the best way to drive the bumpy track, we rush over the track at 50 mph. It's going well!!

In between, we have to avoid stones and potholes, but otherwise the "track" is easy to drive. However, other cars in front of us become problematic...

As soon as another car is in sight, it's all over with "the view". We can only see dust clouds and have to follow another Jeep at a snail's pace until they let us pass, then a Jeep with a big trailer follows. Here it gets more difficult, because the driver of the Jeeps doesn't seem to see us at all.

After endless kilometers at a snail's pace in the dust cloud, the convoy in front of us stops (there are even 3 Jeeps with trailers). One of the trailers has a flat tire. Oh no....
We briefly ask if we can help, but the Aussies are equipped with everything and wave us on with a smile. No worries!

After about 3 hours we change from the Mereenie Loop / Larapinta Drive to the Namatjira Drive towards Glen Helen and shortly afterwards we turn left onto the sand track (4WD only) to Tnorala/Gosse Bluff, a meteorite crater.

The sand track is challenging. Don't stop!!! There is also oncoming traffic and the sand track resembles a dried river bed with huge rocks on the track. Oh God... I hold my breath as a Jeep with a trailer comes towards us and there is actually no way to avoid it. We inch our way past the trailer over the high rocks - made it!

Now I need something to eat! We find a cozy spot under a tree and have a picnic. Nice here!
Immediately we have a row of begging birds of all colors and sizes around us. They're not shy at all.

The next challenge is going to the toilet. It's basically an outhouse without a door (you go "around the corner" like in a snail shell and only hang a chain at the entrance). For safety, my daughter comes along to "guard" the toilet. Luckily, I have toilet paper with me.... and there's even a "handrail" - no one wants to sit here. It's dark, of course, there is no light and I convince myself that there are no spiders around right now. I've never been to the toilet so quickly ;-)
Done - let's get out of here quickly!

A French tourist is waiting outside the toilet and seems to be struggling with his trip to the toilet. I tell him it's a challenge, but doable :-)

It turns out that he has no toilet paper. Since we still have 2 rolls left in the car from the camper van holiday, I give him my half roll of toilet paper and visibly make a Frenchman happy - he seems to have something "bigger" planned ***laughs***.

We climb the hill for a view - the view of the former crater (now you actually only see a kind of mountain range around the hill). The view is great!

Around 1pm we leave Gosse Bluff and continue towards Glen Helen. On the way, we make a detour to Ormiston Gorge, where we decide to do the 1.5 hour Ghost Gum Trail hike.

The trail starts with a few steep steps - of course - up the slope, then we walk parallel to the gorge and have a great view into the gorge from a large viewing platform. Due to the afternoon sun, the view is not so suitable for photography anymore, as there are already many shadows. So we hike and enjoy!

As we climb down into the gorge, there is no longer a path or trail visible. So we have to find the best way through the dried-up riverbed ourselves, over rocks and stones.

Of course, this is a welcome change for the kids: they love climbing!

As we walk (or rather climb) back towards the car park, we come across a waterhole.

In the rainy season, there must be a huge lake with a river here. Now, however, only a comparatively small puddle remains.

Through the sand, past the "Ghost Gum Trees" (which of course have to be climbed), we walk back to the car park.

Our last stop for today is the Glen Helen Homestead.
Here, at the beginning of September 2017, a full 10 (!) months in advance, I booked the LAST family room for today! And it was actually no longer available...

According to all booking sites like Booking, Expedia, etc., there were only 2 bookable double rooms left. When I then asked the accommodation directly by email if there were still family rooms available for today, the nice lady from the homestead wrote to me that a family room had been cancelled 1 hour before and that they would now make it available again. Perfect - booked! 10 months in advance (and at that time I didn't even have a flight yet :-)). Unbelievable!!!

We already met a German family at Uluru who were on the same route. However, they couldn't get a room here and drove all the way to Alice Springs today.

Our room has a bunk bed and a double bed, is very clean, nicely furnished and has a brand new bathroom with a sliding door. Fits!

We unload the car and then take a walk to Glen Helen Gorge. The tall reed grass has created a kind of maze, through which there are a few footpaths to the water. Exciting. Of course, we first take the wrong path through the "reed maze", but the second path is the right one.

There is an Australian extended family frolicking in the water, and 2 kids even jump in and splash around for a short time, to the cheers and laughter of the adults, in the ice-cold water. In summer, you can apparently go swimming here. We can imagine that very well - a really idyllic spot!

Back at the homestead, we treat ourselves to an "end-of-day beer" on the terrace and enjoy the sunset.
For dinner tonight, we have rustic burgers with fries at the homestead, and for the vegetarians a delicious salad. It was another eventful day today - and tomorrow we're off to many planned highlights again!


For the statistics:
Hotel: Glen Helen Homestead
Cost: 140 € / night in a family room (no meals included)
Distance driven: 260 km
Wildlife sightings: various hungry birds
Weather: sunny, up to 23 degrees
Conclusion: Mereenie Loop - off to the track!!!