Skip Kings Canyon and go to Finke Gorge or West Macdonnells instead?

I know where you are coming from Phil but the word "scarred" was used for a reason. Better to suggest that they try a way to do it all and leave it up to them to manage the kids. I wouldn't want to turn the kids off our bush by telling them to suck it up.

Or just answer their question.

This is a problem that a lot of people have when they have young or not so fit and/or healthy passengers. Maybe even disabled as well.

Phil

Will say only reason we didnt do the rim walk was because I was so worried the kids will wander off the edge otherwise if they were older yes we definitely would of done it no questions asked or whinging.

Speak for yourself. I couldn't do it Mick, me old mate. Those steps would have stuffed me.

Maybe ok for you young ones!!!

Phil

90 steps. I wish. :) More like 500. But definitely worth the walk. Our dd has done it twice , at 5 and 8. Given the chance, would go again.

Trev What's a "dd"?

^ I agree with Phil G :) ^

Except I would never do KC 3 times, once was more than enough for me. Its at the top of my don't go back list, just above Oodnadatta lol. Others clearly love it there though.

But that's the beauty of this forum, you get to read many different views on many different subjects

:)

Gday Kevin,
I agree I wouldn't do it 3 times these days either! But the 3 trips I did were very different. First was in Dec 1978 - 3 of us in a Corolla in the middle of a 6 week outback adventure. We called in at Wallara Ranch where the chap behind the bar drew us a mudmap on a scrap of paper - we drove to the site of the current walk, clambered up the hill in the 38 degree heat and followed his mudmap - we climbed down the cliff into the garden of Eden, up the other side and found our car about 6 hours later. No steps - no development at all then and a long time before the resort.

Second trip was 12 months later when I'd gone back to Alice Springs for a little work experience, and went out there again with a bunch of friends. Both trips we camped at a place called Reedys Rockhole which was a great place to camp but is now off limits. It was a nice piece of permanent water just south east of the Canyon. Also it was during this trip, I met my better half!

So having not been there for 30 years, we went back 2 years ago and redid the Kings Canyon walk to see how it had changed. We also did the helicopter flight which was superb.
So like you say, its different experiences that colour what we think of a place!

Hi Phil,

Thanks for your reply mate! :)

Your description of how it was at KC 30 odd years ago has really put it things perspective for me! I guess its like 30 years from now, places like Chamber's Pillar, the Painted desert, Dalhousie, or Rainbow Valley will most likely be a lot different to how they are now & people will be there in droves.

While you were having a ball exploring King's Canyon in 1978, I was exploring Katherine & Katherine Gorge. I fell in love with the place - the last frontier I thought at the time. I went back in 2004 & it was................ sort of OK. I went back again in 2011 & I wished I hadn't gone!

Time marches on! :(

I wish I'd gone to King's Canyon before it became a tourist destination. I'd probably have a totally different opinion of the place.

I still reckon your choices of where to take the family up there today are spot on!

Cheers,

Kevin.......... :)

PS our teenage kids rated the Olgas, Kings Canyon and West Macs in front of Uluru. They are all different and have different features.

Hi Carolyn
I've been to all of the places you mention, a few times, and usually with children in my tour groups. KC is defiinitely worth visiting, the walk into the Gorge is easy along a reasonably level concrete path for most of it. The walk around the rim is obviously much tougher due to the steep climb up, I usually go up the left side when looking up the gorge. Take it easy and you get to the top without too much effort. Once here there is quite a bit of walking over undulating rock (easy) past bee hive rock formations (a liitle like the Bungles in places). Probably another 15-30 mins before you get to the actual rim, this is spectacualr but hold tight to the children at all times, there are no fences and a long long drop! But, this view alone is worth the effort. From here the tack follows the edge with various points where you can get up close and personal and scare yourself. Eventually you come to a series of steps and bridges where the track crosses a side canyon and this leads to the Garden of Eden, quite a few wooden steps up and down. After this you are on the other side of the Rim and the views from the edge here are equally impressive, not to be missed IMHO. Then the track diverts away from the rim and drops gradually over rock back down to the car park (It may even be easier coming up this way, but I've always gone from left to right) My average time to do the rim walk, take lots of photos and really enjoy the experience is 4-5 hours. At this time of year it will be very hot still, so definitely start as early as possible. You know your children best, so are best placed to make that decision in respect of them coping with it.
The Finke Gorge National Park 4wd track through to Boggy Hole, if contemplating going that way is one of the best 4wd tracks in central Australia, but the National Park brochure says no camper trailers, due mainly to the soft sand. Allow two days to do the drive from KC to Hermannsberg and camp at Boggy Hole, but think about the restrictions by National parks in regard to camper trailers.
If you don't go via Boggy Hole you can get to Palm Valley by the relatively easy Mereenie Loop, permit availalble from the shop at the camp ground at KC. BTW, the camp ground at KC is excellent and the bistro nearby provides entertainment in the peak season or a good meal if no entertainment.
The drive into Palm Valley is a beauty too and the camp ground in the Valley is good, you will need to drop tyre pressures for the sand in Palm Valley too. There are various walks here too and they are all hot, but much shorter than KC rim. Allow at least 2 days here if you can. If you heed the National Park advice and not take the trailer into Boggy Hole, you should allow time for a day visit into Boggy Hole from Palm Valley via the northern end and back the same way.
As for the gorges in the west MacDonnell's, all good, and obviously much shorter so a lot easier for the children. If you had time to do all of the above, then that would be ideal. Hope this helps.
Vic Widman

Congratulations to you & your family.
You mustn't miss The Daily Waters Pub.
Whickliffe Well is interesting.
Take care, Safe Travels .Ma.

Hi Carolyn,

Thank you so much for your feedback, its good to hear how you went. Going north you could look in to Lake Woods west of Elliott. Turn left off the highway on the northern edge of town. Its about 10 or 15kms out. Don't know what the official status of the place is WRT camping but a lot of people do go out there to camp.

Hope you continue to enjoy your trip.

Cheers,

Val.

thanks Val, that sounds like a possibility.