Dementia Demons Go Exploring: KINGS, QUEENS & CHRISTIANS....

KINGS, QUEENS AND CHRISTIANS?? You ask...

Well after leaving Uluru we're heading to The QUEEN of the desert, Alice Springs via KINGS Canyon with a stop off at Herrmansburg where Lutheran CHRISTIANS set up a mission back in

1880's

Okay firstly KINGS Canyon: on Saturday 10th June we arrived at another fantastic free camp on a ridge over looking what looks like "the promised land"just without the River Jordan 20 ks past Kings Canyon . Above and below is the view from our caravan

Next morning we take off to Kings Canyon to do the rim walk, which we were advised not to miss.
This is what we were greeted with ! A thousand stairs straight up, I kid you not!!Well that's exactly how it felt to my old knees and short legs. What this photo shows is only the first little bit, it just kept going and going up,up,up!

Then we had a 5km trek around the rim. This part was fantastic with spectacular scenery and views to die for.

WE MADE IT!!!

There were parts that looked like we were on another planet and parts like the photo above which is called the Garden of Eden. All majestic and so well worth the killer climb. ( Thanks Janine!)

With these warning signs everywhere...and of course what comes up must come down so another thousand steps straight down. This was fractionally easier..I'm not complaining though this has to be the best hike we have ever done and we are getting fitter but not skinnier.

That evening a wild dingo visited us in fact it came right up to our caravan door. I don't know who got the biggest fright the dingo or me. Once again a beautiful sunset with the sounds of dingos howling and a gorgeous sunrise.

Next day another hike out to Kathleen Springs - Gorgeous and nearly as strenuous as yesterday and a surprise at the end of the track with a lovely waterhole. It was very serene. It should have been only 2.5 kms but Smally just had to get off the beaten track to check out another gorge. What do we come across/// A bloody brown snake luckily I didn't see it as we made a quick detour.

This is is Steve checking out the other gorge which was off the beaten track....

This is a very old stone used by the aborigines for grinding bush seeds This was at the entrance to Kathleen Springs

Next day off to Hermannsburg. What a surprise. It was so interesting and we stayed behind the historical precinct for only $10 a night . This is a mission built by Lutheran CHRISTIANS back in the 1880's and marvellously restored and manned by volunteers.These people are so kind, one guy offered us the use of his washing machine & I did 3 loads! and as we had run out of LPG gas another guy offered to fill our bottle in Alice Springs as he was picking up supplies and it's a 200km + round trip.
Unfortunately it wasn't just that we had ran out of gas that our heater wasn't working, it was something much worse and it took Steve 4 days to fix it.....4 freezing mornings!!

Herrmansburg was so interesting to see these old buildings consisting of homes, classrooms, an old tannery, a church and so much more.

That big pot is the porridge pot! must have fed a heap of people..

This is the isolation ward!! Built from flattened out 40 gallon drums. Imagine the heat in summer but as the sign said " at least it has a view"

The tannery, where they taught the Aborigines a trade and they tanned kangaroo and made beautiful hides and turned them into bags, shoes and straps and whips etc for horses & camels

Next day off to Palm Valley and firstly a hike up to the look out.. Yes it was well worth the hike.. with spectacular views and amazing rock formations.

Getting used to taking selfies...

No .. It's not a beer just water

\Off again for a 2 night stop in a paddock we came across, we don't think it was strictly legal to camp here but no-one kicked us out. Great views of Glen Helen gorge without the price tag and not a soul in sight. During this stay we visited a place where a meteor hit earth 14 million years ago and there's a crater 5 kms wide. ( too hard to take a photo)

No I haven't reversed over Steve, just a few running repairs.

This is our paddock stop over with great sunsets.
On 2nd day at our paddock we visited Ormeston Gorge. OMG this was just the best. Another hike up to the rim where we looked over this amazing water hole with great reflections

It's hard to see where the cliff finishes and the reflection starts.

A rock wallaby at Ormiston Gorge

Last stop on the way to Alice we is Ellery Creek Big Hole . This place is just fantastic. Next time I think we'll camp here.

A zebra rock. I wish I had one for my garden.

Finally we arrive at Alice Springs and stay for 5 nights behind the Gap View pub doing heaps of maintenance, catching up on business, shopping, getting the car serviced , eating out catching up with family and just having a great time. Love this place.