Day 10 — Kings Canyon → Uluru / Ayers Rock
Kings Canyon, in Watarrka National Park, is an area of cultural importance for Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. The site doesn't attract the crowds like Uluru/Ayers Rock, but those who make it here will take home equally unforgettable memories. For the "Rim Walk," you climb the side of the cliff along steps carved into the rock (in about half an hour); once at the top, you proceed through a maze of limestone boulders called "The Lost City," beyond a bridge that leads to a group of springs surrounded by ferns ("The Garden of Eden"), and then descend on the other side among more boulders. Along the way, there are splendid panoramic viewpoints. If you visit the park in the southern winter, don't leave too early because the sun doesn't illuminate the canyon walls until mid-morning. In total, it's a 6 km hike that takes about 3-4 hours round trip with some effort. The Rim Walk should be avoided in summer (between September and May) because it gets too hot. Alternatively, you can follow the trail at the bottom of the canyon (2.6 km) in the dry bed of Kings Creek.
Driving from Alice Springs, it takes over five hours to get to Watarrka via the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park includes Uluru and Kata Tjuta (once respectively known as Ayers Rock and the Olgas), a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Uluru/Ayers Rock is arguably one of the world's natural wonders; Kata Tjuta is just as magical, a groupof rounded domes divided by narrow valleys
We recommend the visit/excursion, New and evocative art installation in the Red Center desert. Approximately 50,000 stems light up after sunset for about a kilometer, a short distance from the resort, with the silhouette of Uluru in the background, creating enchanting atmospheres. Designed by English artist Bruce Munro, it is powered exclusively by solar energy, thanks to approximately 3,290km of optical fibers.
There are several opportunities to admire it:
- Field of Light base pass: includes transfers and entrance to walk along the various paths, informative brochure. Departure possible 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours after sunset - duration approximately 2 hours.
- Field of Light Star Pass: includes transfers and entrance to walk along the various paths, access to an elevated panoramic area, English-speaking guide, drinks and sandwiches, informative brochure. Departure 30 minutes before sunset - duration approximately 2 hours (children from 6 years old and up).
- A Night at Field of Light: includes transfers and entrance to walk along the various paths, English-speaking guide, drinks and canapés on top of a dune to see the structure light up, three-course Aboriginal dinner, cultural performance, informative brochure. Departure 1 hour before sunset - duration approximately 4 hours (children from 10 years old and up).
Advance booking is required.