index to 2009
It’s a desert walk that I will remember for a long time - it has to be up
there with the best walks in the world. The rich reds, cool pools of water,
dry air and visible evidence of eons of geological transformation makes this
walk very special. The trip was an excerpt of the best bits the Larapinta
trail has to offer.
We bought the information pack which provides all the maps and a poster. The
investment was worth it. We aren't going to walk the entire job lot, but
have chosen the section between Standley Chasm and Glen Helen..
We had a much needed sleep in. Today is a shorter and less arduous day. We
will be 1/2 way to Ellery Creek at the camp site.
Last night I almost spent sleeping on the dirt somewhere. The toilets are
some distance away from the camp site. I got out of the toilets and it was
pitch black. I could not see the track to the tents. My Petzel head torch
provide little more than a firefly flicker against the grey. A short
distance, the tents, but no tents.
We had to think quickly to rearrange our schedule. A bus was arranged to get
us to Uluru and Kings Canyon. We had two days in Alice, so one was spent
locally and the other to Palm Springs.
f you go to Australia's centre, a visit to the big three: Uluru, Kata Djuta
and Kings Canyon is essential. I am not going to say much here other than to
spend a few days at these places, savour and understand why they are
special, breathe the air and just go there !
We thought it would be remiss not to go back to the Larapinta trail. Rather
than load Michael's knees with a heavy pack we had a base camp at Glen
Helen. There was only few days left anyway so we walked the areas around
Glen Helen, Ormiston Gorge and the pound. It was a fitting finish to our
trip.