The Myth of the Red Centre, a pecking Emu and Kings Canyon

One of the Great Australian Myths is that the centre of Australia is both dry and red – so much so it is often referred to as The Red Centre. This however is total myth, no doubt originating from wily Australian cattle farmers who have perpetuated the story in the hope of gaining sympathy and compensatory handouts from both Federal and International agencies. Uluru (or Ayers Rock) and The Olgas symbolise this imaginary landscape, often being photographed as blood red monoliths smouldering in a red desert. As one who has been to both within the last few days I can assure you this is not the case and any photos emerging from this region showing Uluru glowing red in the sunset have obviously been Photoshopped!

Yes, once again, the Drought Busters from Scotland have brought welcome rain to yet another part of Australia.

The Olgas are a small but impressive range of hills about 50k from Uluru, dramatically emerging from a flat plain. Normally seen as red, rounded hills against a blue sunny sky, when we arrived in the pouring rain they took on an uncanny likeness to Suliven in west Sutherland – that same rounded look against a grey, sulky sky with rain somehow managing to penetrate the Goretex. Making the best of things we did one of the gorge walks and then decided we should head over to the main attraction – Uluru.

It is still possible, but politically incorrect due to Aboriginal beliefs, to climb the rock and I had been wrestling for days with my conscience – to climb or not to climb. However the decision was taken for me – the climb is automatically closed for health and safety reasons if the weather forecast indicated a 40% chance of rain – with an actuality of 100% rain it was definitely closed for us. Instead we visited the Cultural Centre and did one of the walks round the base of the rock – both of which were surprisingly interesting.

To be fair the rain did not spoil the experience too much. Both the Rock and The Olgas, even in a sea of green (due to a good wet season not just our presence) rather than red, were dramatic and we take some solace from the fact that although most tourist photographs show them glowing red, we are in the small minority to have experienced them looking like drookit Scottish hills under a dreich cloudy sky.

Leaving Curtin Springs Station and its million or so acres behind us we set off north for a few hundred kilometres to visit another of the “must do” sites – Kings Canyon – although not before a local emu took a liking to Sandra and gave her a good pecking – luckily I had the camera at the ready.

Unfortunately there are no campsites in the area except the two official ones at Kings Creek and Kings Canyon Resort. The rain was still with us and the dirt road was a bit muddy with many water crossings - not rivers, just flooded roads. The Kings Creek campsite looked OK but it was still about 40 k from the canyon and the campsite road was covered in a deep, red mud – so onward to KC Resort. Slightly more up-market than we were used to with computerised check-ins and on-site entertainment (“The Roadies : Australia’s best loved comedy act” - allegedly) we set up camp in the pouring rain – not the best of experiences. As with most of the more up-market commercial sites we have been to the facilities were very good although having dingoes scavenging round your tent was one of the non-optional extras we could probably have done without.

The next day dawned grey but hopeful. So Sandra decided to do her craftwork in the morning and head out to Kings Canyon about lunchtime – a good decision as the weather cleared and we had a fantastic day. Kings Canyon can be highly recommended and we would put it above much better known places such as Uluru and The Olgas. We did the two main walks – the first was a very easy walk up the canyon floor highlighting the flora and fauna. Littered with massive boulders, some as big as houses, which had fallen from the surrounding cliffs we were re-assured by a sign which said the last major rock fall had been in the 1930’s – so they were probably due another one any day now!! We survived.

The “Rim Walk” was spectacular. A very stiff climb to the top of the cliffs took us to a rough path round the rim of the canyon with some breathtaking views culminating in a descent into “The Garden of Eden” – a cool oasis with a water hole just right for swimming surrounded by exotic plants and trees. A long climb back up the side of the canyon then back to the tent for a meal and some well deserved cold beer.

[As I don’t currently have Google access and I have forgotten to bring my copy of Arthur Mee’s Childrens Encyclopaedia with me – can anyone tell me what the difference is between a canyon and a gorge?]

Not sure about our next port of call yet but we plan to head north and take the Mereenie Loop Road – yet another dirt track, currently closed to non-4WD traffic due to mud and washouts. This crosses Aboriginal land and you are supposed to have a permit before using “The Loop”

More anon.