Kings Canyon is located about half way between Uluru and the Stuart Highway. It is in the Watarrka NP and is becoming as popular a spot to visit at Uluru.

I set up camp at the Kings Creek Station about 34kms away from the canyon. The station is a working cattle and camel farm and offers some grass and flushing toilets and hot showers (all you require from a campsite). While there I went and saw the camels who were in a lot waiting for tourists to come and ride them (I didn't do a camel ride as I had previously ridden camels on Cable Beach in Broome), I was curious about these creatures because I happened to be reading the book "Tracks" at the time, which was recently made into a film and is about a women who trains some camels and then walks from Alice Springs across the desert to the west coast. She describes these animals with such affection I wanted to see if I could see this myself. What I noticed first of all was the camels were smaller than I expected, perhaps they were just young. They were very happy chewing away as people came to stare at them and they'd simply look at you through their long lashes and turn their heads when they'd had enough. Camels are actually much better for our environment than sheep or cattle because they are soft hoofed animals, where as cattle and sheep trample and compact the ground the camels tread far more softly, leaving less impact on the environment. Despite all if this I did have to try a camel burger which was delicious but in no way discernible as camel, I could have been eating any meat patty.

So back to the canyon, I spent the first day doing the creek walk in the lower part of the canyon. There were some waterholes but the creek was not flowing and there was mostly large river pebbles and guns along the creek. The landscape was beautiful with the changing colours and shapes in the rock as you meandered along the track. At the end of the walk you can reach a platform which overlooks the end of the canyon, a place you are asked not to go to because it is sacred.

The next day I did he rim walk which began with a 960m ascent, walking up countless stairs to reach the rim of the canyon. Once at the top I was able to take in the panoramic views of the canyon and the land and gorges surrounding it as well as take a moment to catch my breath. The 6.5km walk took you through some of the dome shaped rock formations as well as right along the edge of the rim (I didn't get too close though). The landscape changed with each turn, the rocks changing colour and shape with the weather from both the wind and the water. The mulgas (wattles) have been in bloom everywhere and as the path descended down to the Garden of Eden there were also cycads and gums shading the waterhole. A short detour took you along a track right down to the waterhole, a picturesque location only spoilt by other people (who don't know how to enjoy the silence of such an area). I then climbed up a staircase on the other side to follow the rim around the other side of the canyon. The walls of the canyon looked vertical but as you got further around you could see how inverse they were and the different weathering on each side of the canyon.

Again the most special part of this area was the moments when I was alone and just able to listen to the sounds around me. It's so quiet the only noises being then gentle breeze in the trees, the birds going about their business or the flies (yes, the warm weather has brought out the flies, but despite this I refuse to buy and wear on of the silly fly screen hats that I've seen).

Another highlight of the Kings Canyon area was seeing the Sturt's desert pea. Having left SA and not seen any I thought I may have missed my opportunity, but when I stopped at the Kings Canyon Resort for lunch and a swim I saw this flower, which I'd only ever seen in books before, growing in a garden. It was probably planted there but it was great to see it growing, the flower was larger than I thought and the foliage was light grey and more like a ground cover.

This region is well worth the visit and as there are no national park entry fees I can see why Kings Canyon is so popular. I was told that the resort was not very good which is why I stayed at the station, however if you can put up with dribbly showers the resort is the place to stay, but if you want something a little different to your typical caravan park and some true outback friendliness, then the station would be for you.