It’s eight in the morning, 34 degrees and I’m about to make a 200 km journey to Kings Canyon. To say that I’m nervous would be putting it mildly.
The butterflies in my stomach start to flutter as Tara our tour guide and pilot for the day picks us up from the hotel.
This isn’t just any flight, today I’m going on the Professional Helicopter Services Kings Canyon Air Safari.
My nervous excitement reaches fever pitch as I step onto the airport tarmac and into the front seat of the four seater helicopter. With wrap around windows I can see the clouds above and soon enough the red desert whooshing by underfoot.
Up in the air you can really see the remoteness of the area. There isn’t a single house our building, only stretches of endless road criss-crossing the bare desert.
Pilot Tara flying over the great salt lakes of Lake Amadeus
Forty minutes later we arrive at Kings Canyon, circling over the top I’m in awe of the beauty and uniqueness of the site.
A gentle landing, and a few minutes later we are walking alongside the dry creek bed through the canyon.
We pass only a handful of other tourists along our walk. Besides the occasional friendly greeting the canyon is filled with the sounds of cracking bark under our footsteps, birds whistling in the distance and the flies buzzing around us. It’s the exact opposite (and a very welcome rest) from everything I’m used to in Sydney.
The stunning Kings Canyon
Soon enough it’s time for the return journey back to Uluru. As we fly over endless sand dunes dotted with spinifex grass and desert oak trees it feels as though I’m looking at a living dot-painting.
Watch a video of the experience here:
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| Red hot tip: Stay a little longer at the Canyon and do the rim walk at sunset for a beautiful view over the Territory. |