We were lucky enough to spend March in Australia. Our first visit and we only managed to scratch the surface. A wonderful country and, as with New Zealand, so welcoming. We hope to go back very soon.
Review of the Year Part 2
Tag: Kings Canyon
Australia’s Red Centre
As you land at Ayers Rock airport two things strike you. The first is that the red centre really is red, a deep red that looks like it has been concentrated over time as it bakes in the desert sun. The second, and more surprising, is that it is also green. Despite the low rainfall and high temperatures some species of plant actually appear to thrive here. Whereas there is only a few shades of red the greens come in all shades.
There are over 400 species of plants in the area around Uluru and Kata Tjuta alone If you include the whole of the red centre of Australia the number is in the thousands. These plants are important to the indigenous aboriginal people who have used them as food, medicine, for making weapons and clothing. Some plants will grow and flower only following desert rain, others are very well adapted to surviving in the hot and dry climate. The following are just three examples of plants found around Uluru and Kings Canyon that demonstrate just how well adapted they are.
Spinifex
A significant contributor to the overall greeness of the desert is spinifex. Spinifex is a grass, a highly adapted grass, that can survive the exceptionally dry conditions. It is incredibly deep rooted which is important in its search for the water table and these roots also spread out laterally. This lateral growth gives stability as the grass helps bind the sandy earth and prevents erosion.
Clumps of spinifex are very common. if you are unlucky to walk through them the leaves are sharp yet they provide shelter for small desert marsupials. As the grass ages the centre dies to leave a ring.
The Desert Oak
The Desert Oak is very common in the area around Uluru. As you move further and further away it gradually disappears from the landscape.
When young it consists of a single stem with little side branching, Its leaves are modified to prevent water loss and it has a very slow growth rate. Much of its growth is going on below ground as the roots grow and spread in search of water. Once the roots reach the water table and there is a sufficient supply of water the tree will begin to produce side branches. The Desert Oak is able to cope with bushfires, only its foliage will burn, the trunk is relatively fire resistant.
Ghost Gum
Eucalyptus trees are very common throughout Australia where they are also known as gum trees. One species of gum highly adapted for life in an arid climate is the Ghost Gum. So called because its trunk and branches are ghostly white in appearance
In times of severe water shortage the tree can selectively kill off branches to conserve water. As the tree grows these appear black and without any foliage giving the tree a kind of mosaic appearance
Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon is in the Watarrka National Park and is 280 miles from Alice Springs and 180 miles from Uluru. It forms part of the western end of the George Gill Ranges. There are three short walks in the canyon and by far the most popular is the 6Km rim walk.
The rim walk is closed to walkers from 9am on any day that the temperature is forecast to be 36 degrees or above so it pays to start the walk early. Our guide advised that we start the walk at 6.45am which was just at sunrise. It can be completed in 3 hours or so which means that you have finished before it gets too hot. It is also recommended that you carry between 2 and 3 litres of water.
The most difficult part of the walk is the first section which involves climbing 500 steps to get to the top of the canyon.
The ascent is steep and there are no hand rails but it is not too difficult if you take your time and once you have reached the top the hardest part is over and the walk is fairly strait-forward for the rest of the way.
The canyon is made of two types of sandstone, a top layer of Mereenie sandstone with much softer Carmichael sandstone underneath. Over time cracks in the Mereenie layer were widened by the action of rain and wind and eventually these cracks reached the softer layer underneath. This layer eroded much quicker and undercut the top layer causing it to collapse in and form the canyon. A process which probably took millions of years to complete.
The Garden of Eden at the head of the canyon can be reached by a short series of steps. It is a permanent waterhole surrounded by trees and palms and it is a wonderfully tranquil spot and a good place to take a break as you’ve completed almost half of the walk
The canyon is still subject to rock falls and where this occurs it can leave sheer cliff faces with expose the most remarkable patterns on the sandstone surface.
There is evidence in places that this whole area was once sand covered by water. Ripples have been left on the surface which have been incredibly well preserved. They almost look as if they were laid yesterday.
The whole walk is well worth the initial effort in getting to the top of the rim. An amazing experience in a most beautiful of locations
