The day we visit the Olgas, James’ daughter-in-law in London introduces Freddie James Henry to the world. We celebrate; and Guy gives James an Ayers Rock fridge magnet for him.
Fridge magnet or steak and champagne? I think we come off better!
The next morning I climb to the viewing point to see Uluru at sunrise. It’s almost more spectacular than watching the light fall on the rock. Galahs come to join us for breakfast; happily this time too late to wake us up.
The next couple of days have a sameness about them that you will have heard before. It’s a big country. The roads are long and straight. There’s no traffic to speak of. A car is a big event. For the most part there’s nothing really to look at. There’s no wildlife – dead or alive – except for one ex-something with two eagles feasting. Scrub blocks any view. Occasionally you see that its flat.
Today’s navigation sums it up. Drive down this road for 165 kilometers. Turn left. Drive down the next road for 120 kilometers and you’re there.
‘There’ is King’s Canyon. Disappointing, after all we’ve heard of it. A bit like a mini-Mount Rushmoor with no faces.
We arrive with the sun high in the sky, battle with the Northern Territory online pass booking system, and wander down the short path in the Canyon bottom.
The junior dorm debate the difference between a canyon, a gorge and a creek and conclude that King was exaggerating. However, it’s shady with a few flowers but underwhelming in the heat of the day.
What isn’t underwhelming is the Kings Canyon Resort and Campground. How anyone can put such great facilities in the middle of nowhere beats me. The pool is refreshing, long, swimmable and virtually empty.
In the resort’s ‘happy hour’, which we attend simply to boost the local economy you understand, we could be in a sports bar in Brisbane but without the gamblers.
After a discounted very fat-boy’s breakfast the next morning, I waddle back to the camp to set off for today’s journey. It’s not a long day, so we go off the tarmac to try out the drone and the satellite comms. The only hitch is that I find it’s difficult to eat a banana through a fly veil. The pics cover it; there may not be sand dunes yet, but this is definitely comms and Land Rovers in the Red Centre.
We’re heading towards the desert now, breaking the trip at Elidunda on the Stuart highway, again with some serious camping facilities – and a camel.
But beyond this point diesel becomes unbranded – potentially dodgy. We load up with as much Shell diesel as we can fill, including an extra jerry can bought as a contingency.
We turn our attention to the vehicles once again. There’s a moment of consternation as James highlights an increasingly weeping spot of coolant on Joy. We check the hoses again; they’ve all been replaced before the trip. But he spots the weeping coming from a flange that I have fiddled with previously. A small tweak with a spanner seems to stop it. We’ll watch it carefully. Not much sense in going into the Simpson losing coolant. And the wheel hub of a couple of days ago? It’s done about 500 kilometers now and seems to be fine.
We’ve got Telstra reception here but at the next stop at Mount Dare it may be limited. We’ll still produce something from the desert. But for pictures you might have to wait.
I do hope you won’t wait to share this story and the gofundme link to highlight the good work that Onside, The Smith Family, Mates4Mates and Combat Stress do for those people in our society that need their help. So please keep on sharing with your friends and colleagues so that we can keep giving more people the opportunity to contribute.
I See you’re doing quite well! Congratulation to James, Freddie looks great! I wish you a save journey. Shared your story with a friend from Brisbane.
James,hope to see you this year. Ebba
Guy, so good to see you taking this amazing trip for so many good causes and demonstrating to us all how important discovery really is!