The domes at the top of Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon (including Wallara)
One of the Territory's most remarkable natural features.
Located 227 km southwest of Alice Springs (and 95 km west of the Stuart Highway on a very winding and corrugated dirt road) Wallara is the main stopover point for people visiting the Kings Canyon in the Watarrka National Park which lies a further 100 km to the west.

The road to Kings Canyon passes along the southern side of the low lying Gill Ranges which, over a distance of some 40–50 km, slowly rise so that by the time they reach Kings Canyon they are over 100 metres above the surrounding countryside.

There is a ranger station (often unmanned) 20 km from the Canyon. It is well worth visiting as large, well illustrated boards outside provide a comprehensive history of the area as well as alerting the visitor to the fauna and flora of Watarrka National Park.

The Canyon walls rise above the valley of Kings Creek (named by Ernest Giles in 1872) and are particularly spectacular at sunrise and sunset. The canyon abounds in water holes of great beauty and a bewildering array of fauna and flora. The recent scientific expeditions into the National Park have revealed over 600 different species of native plant. This abundance of fauna is due largely to the location of Kings Canyon which combines areas of the western desert with the more varied flora of the MacDonnell Ranges and the harsh vegetation of the Simpson Desert.

Things to see:  

The Kings Canyon Creek walk

Kings Canyon Walking Trails
There is little doubt that Kings Canyon is one of the most beautiful sites in the whole of the centre. To be seen properly, however, visitors should plan to spend at least a day and, if fit and well prepared, do both the Canyon and the Creek walks.

The short Creek Walk is about 1.5 km (about an hour return) and meanders up the centre of the canyon to a lookout point on the left hand side of the valley which affords a view of the sheer cliff face at the end of the canyon. It runs from the monument just beyond the car park

The second walk is known as the Canyon Walk. It has been intentionally designed to deter all but the most committed walkers as the first 300 - 400 metres are straight up a steep incline at the edge of the canyon. At the base of the walk is a plaque to a 47 year old English woman who, obviously unprepared for the rigours of the walk, died from a heart attack while attempting it. It is a salutary reminder that all Central Australian walks are deceptive and that the constant reminders to 'Be prepared' are ignored at your peril. The ranger's constant harping on sensible walking shoes, hats, sunburn lotion, water and the need to stay in a group is justified.

The result, however, for those who are persistent and healthy, is a magnificent walk through the domes on the top of the canyon with excellent views down the canyon from the walls at the top. The Parks people have estimated that this walk will take around 4 hours (that's at a leisurely but sensible pace). The central attraction is the 'Lost City' a series of weathered buttresses of rock which look like the ruins of an ancient city although some visitors have seen them more as a moonscape.

There is also a valley known as the 'Garden of Eden' which has clumps of palm trees growing around a quiet and beautiful waterhole.

People wanting to cheat and to just see the domes at the top without spending most of the day in the canyon can take the easier climb from the car park (ie. do part of the Canyon Walk backwards).

The road from Kings Canyon to Wallara

Wallara Ranch
The Wallara Ranch was built by Jack Cotterill in 1961. Cotterill, one of the founding fathers of tourism to the Centre, bought the land from Angas Downs Cattle Station and built the ranch in 1961.

Wallara is one of those wonderful, wild Northern Territory places where Jack Cotterill's son, Jim, (a self-styled outback character with a beer in his hand) regales his guests with stories of Kings Canyon.

	Resorts
	Frontier Kings Canyon Resort & Caravan Park Ernest Giles Rd Kings Canyon NT 0872 Telephone: (08) 8956 7442 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Frontier Kings Canyon Resort & Caravan Park Ernest Giles Rd Kings Canyon NT 0872 Telephone: (08) 8956 7442 Rating: ***
	Camping & Other
	Kings Creek Station Camping Ground Ernest Giles Rd Kings Canyon NT 0872 Telephone: (08) 8956 7474