It was “cold” tonight for the first time on our way. We actually had to use our sleeping bags!

Our first stop today was at Kings Creek station. These guys have the best station as far as taking advantage of the passing tourists goes. They have everything – camel rides, bush cooking and whip cracking courses, 4 wheel motorbike rides and they even have a helicopter there to take you for a flight! It is a very nice setup and the people are nice and friendly (as opposed to some other stations where you have to stop for fuel). Anyway, they didn’t get much business from us except for the fuel and a coffe and ice cream, but I think they deserve to be mentioned.

It was at this station where we first learned that we would actually not be able to see Kings Canyon just by riding there. A proper visit requires you to walk for an hour apparently. When we got there we actually found out that it might be even more. It is only 6km return, but it is up and down on the canyon cliffs and the tourist marker states that it takes 3.5 hours. I wasn’t sure I could do it with my sore back ribs and foot but I went. It was definitely worth it! The walk itself offers lots of photographic opportunities and although it is hot and dry you are rewarded with a swim in a very cool waterhole in the exact middle of the track. This natural pool is one of several pools to be found in the canyon oasis. This oasis abounds with life of all kinds.

All the wooden steps that you have to walk on have been just painted on one side. We actually met the two guys working on this job there. They were having a lunch break. On their suggestion we actually jumped over the gate closing the second part of the track to public till the beginning of next month. They said it was all finished and safe and that we would get some more nice photos from there. They also mentioned that it was flatter than the return path, which suited my leg very well. I was happy to reach the parking place at the end though as my foot hurt quite a bit at that time already. Thanks guys!

Just a note: These guys have to carry all their working tools and material on their backs to the top, which is, we thought, a considerable achievement. They had been looking forward to a free day since they had none for 21 days already.

Oh, another person deserves a mention. It was a ranger that I met at 2/3 of the way to the natural pool. I was quite thirsty and the nice ranger offered the reminder of his bottle of water. Since it was not an easy walk and it was the middle of the day which means VERY hot that definitely helped us a lot at that time as we carried only a liter for both of us.

Anyway, as I have already said the walk was definitely worth it and was a highlight of the past few days.

On the way back from the canyon we wanted to take a shortcut to “Alice” using another dirt road after a few days on bitumen. Well, I wouldn’t call that road a road. It looked like a training ground for military tanks! It had deep and uneven corrugations and quite deep sand everywhere. That fact and the fact that Tanja was going too slow for my bike that needs a faster speed on such surface to keep line caused my second flight off the bike. Believe it or not I landed on the exact spot of my back as the last time again! Even though it happened at slow speed this time and there was no bike somersaulting behind me it still hurt like hell. After a while on the ground when I could breath a little better we stood up the bike and decided to turn back on the bitumen and rather ride 120 km more than risk that the unsealed road would look like we experienced it for the whole 100km.
We camped in the bush again not much later. Tonight Tanja had to put up the tent and do all the other things as I was so happy to just lie down and rest to avoid the worst of the pain.

(350km)