Day 8 Uluru to Kings Canyon Woke early and headed out in the dark to the Uluru sunrise car park. It was busy, but plenty of space for 6:40 sunrise. A lot of digital camera memory was consumed!

Next item was to climb the Rock and compare memories of my last climb 31 yrs ago. Unfortunately, due to high winds and predicted 37 deg temps it was closed. I located the plaques to those killed on the climb and I remember reading them last time and being very cautious.

So Plan B was to head straight to Kings Canyon, 305 km away. My water bottle had frozen in the camp kitchen fridge. I didn't think thru how to get a frozen water bottle into my camelback, so it end up on the luggage rack and was totally melted by Mt Conner. Having cold water in a camelback in these temps is almost a necessity, so I have sometimes paid the exorbitant prices of up to $7 for 1.5 ltrs cold spring water. Even petrol at Uluru at $2.26/ltr and $2.24/ltr at William creek ( expected as access is dirt) seemed a bargain.

The 305 km from Kings Canyon was straight and flat. These conditions continued once turning off Lasseter Highway onto Luritja Road, until the road become hilly and twisty as I entered the ranges. I thought the perfect motorcycle for this road would have been a Suzuki hayabusa,

Set up tent, again on grass ;$18. Then 10km back to the canyon and a 6km rim walk in 3 hrs. This was fantastic and I again met Tori & Tom from Adelaide and walked the last third together and a Belgium family. As it was almost dark, we stayed together.

Dinner was at the only hotel in Kings Canyon resort, and offered camel, kangaroo, beef or pork burgers.

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20120921-075852.jpg Glen, Sean & John & another VStrom

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20120924-215427.jpg Tori & Tom - outback community teachers and stage manager