Day 33 - Kings Canyon

28.01.23

The alarm wakes us up at 6:30 am. Today, we have a 6km hike at Kings Canyon and we're advised to start the trail early (due to the high temperatures in the afternoon), so we're getting active today. We reluctantly get out of bed (especially Sarah) and head to the restaurant. We have breakfast alone with toast and fruit muesli. The sky is still covered with clouds, colored in various shades of gray, and occasional raindrops fall.

Back at the bungalow, we load the rest of our luggage onto Hector and drive to the starting point of the hike. When we arrive at the parking lot, we're glad to see that Hector is not the only parked car. We equip ourselves with the essential head-net to protect against annoying flies buzzing around our faces. Haha - not anymore.

A bit disappointed that the weather is not better and well-prepared, we start our 'challenging' hike. We were told the day before that we would encounter an ascent with about 500 stairs at the beginning. We climb the height of the canyon relatively quickly and are impressed by the view and geological features. Admittedly, we are very grateful for the cloudy sky during the ascent. Because by 9:00 am, it is already 25 degrees warm without the sun.

We obediently follow the signs that show us the way. It leads us past various lookout points. The high canyon walls and rock formations are simply breathtaking. We take our time to appreciate these amazing views and take a few photos. Meanwhile, the clouds have actually cleared a bit and the sun is occasionally showing itself. It immediately becomes much warmer.

After 2 hours and 40 minutes and 6km on and around Kings Canyon, we're back at the parking lot. We put our heads under the water and are glad to cool down. The thermometer in Hector now shows 34 degrees (11:30 am). But that's fine for us because now we have a 304km drive to Yulara (near Uluru / Kata Tjuta) ahead of us. We arrive at our hotel for the next three days just before 3 pm. It's raining heavily now and the temperature has cooled down to 23 degrees. Nevertheless, we decide that, due to the available time, we'll take a drive to Uluru in the national park. Depending on the weather, we can see what we feel like doing.

The closer we get, the more varied and special the monolith becomes. Despite the light rain, we decide to take the Mala Walk. Hats and rain jackets are ready. So let's go. After a few meters, we notice that the path is partially flooded. So we quickly take off our shoes and walk barefoot. We actually experience Uluru with waterfalls and rainbows! A special experience to end the day - because normally you see it in this season with sunshine. Honestly, it's a truly impressive sight!

P.S. So far, we have had daily rain and many clouds in the center of Australia. That's quite surprising for us. Unfortunately, this has also meant that we haven't seen a single sunrise or sunset so far.