March 27, 2018 - Reading time: 2 minutes

Well we survived the Mereenie loop with the last 150kms being quite rough, loosing our front number plate in the process. Kings Canyon resort is quite nice but we had to pay $20 a night per person for a non powered site… frankly a significant rip off! On arrival we went to the gorge and completed the short river walk. Evening consisted of a pizza at the local with the other tourists as we watched the footy(AFL) on the tv and had a quiet wine.

Alarms were set for 6.15am as the rim walk closes at 9 am on days that have a prediction of more than 36 degrees Celsius. We commenced our walk just after 7 am and the only way to describe it is magnificent! The contrast between the dry cliff tops, eroded for hundreds of thousands of years and then The Garden of Eden is quite frankly beyond description. How such an oasis can exist within the desert without rainfall, but by water seeping through the sandstone to the water table and then surfacing to provide a haven for animals and humans is simply amazing. The reflection of the rivergums with the sun breaking through was breathtaking!

We spent the remainder of the day sitting around the pool, having a swim when it became hot and finally showing some English tourists how to change a tyre on their car!

Cotteril's Lookout Looking into the Garden of Eden Western McDonnell Ranges Cycad - over 400 years old