Another cool morning makes the drive up Palm Valley from where we camped a delight.

Making our way to the south west of Alice takes us past Albert Namajira’s home, a famous indigenous painter who I have a soft spot for, as many of his works were found in my grand parents home. His landscape paintings captured the heart of the majestic ranges of Central Australia and helped to inspire me to visit this beautiful region. The Finke River is one of the oldest river systems in the world being at least 300 – 350m years old, 750km long and the local name found for it is Impurtna-karta and Larapinta (Arrernte).

Continuing south along the Mereenie loop road, travelling along the ranges, mulga type countryside and through the golden coloured grassland forming part of the desert oak county, interspersed with beautiful stands of Silver Gum Eucalyptus cinerea.

We reach camp at Kings Canyon Resort, it’s busy but not as busy as it could be as there is plenty of capacity for more campers. The facilities are good.

Next day we take an 8 km walk up to the top of the canyon and walk around its rim, into the canyon itself to the Garden of Eden and back. A great walk, spectacular scenery with shear cliffs, unusual rock formation dotted with gnarled ghost gums, white cypress pine, Callitris glaucophylla, and sparse shrubland. Quandong Santalum acuminatum are just beginning to fruit and there is plenty of native plum, Santalum lancoolatm to be found. Holly grevilla Grevillea wickhamii and many other natives are in flower.

On our way out of camp we do a creek walk spotting plenty of birds, and a rock wallaby, perhaps the most notable was a western bowerbird feeding its young.