On the Edge of it All: Kings Canyon

Unfortunately, it hit me.  I officially have a cold.  Whether it’s my adjustment to the heat and humidity or the constant change from heat to air conditioning, my ears, nose, and throat have had it.  Everywhere you go you can now identify where I am by following the sounds of someone blowing their nose.  With my cold getting worse, I didn’t know if I’d be able to do today’s hike, the hike I’ve been looking forward to since I booked this trip, the hike that takes me to the edge of Kings Canyon. 

Ever since my trip to England, it has become a tradition when I travel that I have my picture taken overlooking the edge of a cliff.  I didn’t set out for this to be a tradition.  It just happened.  Now when I see a cliff with people on it and a tour that goes to it, I’m there, much to the chagrin of my family. 

There is a piece of advice a friend gave me that I keep in my mental pocket when I travel and occasionally pull out in circumstances such as this: have no regrets. So as not to break this tradition, I got up at 5am, stuffy nose and all, and went for it. Loaded down with plenty of water, sunscreen, and my Aussie hat, I set out on the 3-hour guided hike, praying I’d have the energy to complete it.  I knew I’d have to go slow if I was to finish. The point was to enjoy the journey.

The Oasis

I admit I wasn’t keen on hiking so early, but after we got going, I was thankful to avoid the heat of the day.  Stillness filled the air and the wind picked up as we hiked up the rugged, chiseled steps to the top of the canyon just as the sun began to rise.  The red rocks glowed with vibrancy making the green vegetation stand out in contrast.  We made our way around the rim of one canyon wall, through what’s called the amphitheater and surveyed the many weather beaten stone domes known as the “lost city.”  Steep, ladder-like, wooden stairs brought us down into the valley of the “Garden of Eden” which was full of an oasis of plant life.  It was the perfect spot to break for breakfast and soak in the nature around us.  The steep, red cliff walls hovering around echoed the silence disturbed only by birds chirping and the rustling of the wind through the trees.  I wished we could have lingered longer.  However, the edge called to me and I was on a mission to answer.

On the edge of Kings Canyon

Making our way out of the valley and onto the other side of the rim, I saw it, the edge of it all. A tour member told me someone did a handstand on the edge of the rim, which really was a backhanded way of challenging me.  That’s crazy!  I may be a risk taker but I’m not stupid!  I respect the edge and the windy gusts that met me so I sat down and inched my way towards it, hugging the ground with my legs and peered over.  What an amazing sight.  It was definitely worth it.

After a nice shower, we packed up and headed to our final destination for this tour – Alice Springs, known by the locals as “The Alice,” which is a town of 28,000 people in the middle of nowhere. 

Surprisingly enough, I was feeling better!  The exercise, liters of water, and prayers definitely worked of which my nose and I were thankful.  However, I didn’t know how important this would be, to be able to taste and smell and savor something I never knew I would be eating – camel. 

Eating a camel burger

As we drove into the Kings Creek Station for lunch, we past a herd of camels.  Little did I know they would be on the menu.  I felt like I was at a seafood restaurant looking through the aquarium at the beady eyes of a crab to see which one would be my dinner and then eating their mate in front of them.  I admit, I felt a bit guilty but it wore off.  Thankfully, those guys were off the menu.  I never knew eating camel was an option when coming to Australia.  In fact, Australia has one of the largest camel populations in the world despite them not being a native animal. I had to try it so I ordered a camel burger.  To my surprise, it was quite good, unlike beef or chicken and with a softer texture.  I’d eat it again (camels, watch out).

Reminiscent of school bus trips, it is on the bus that alliances are made and friends are formed.  While one may book tours to see amazing places, such experiences are also found in the people you are sharing the experience with.  Just think… out of everyone in the world, you are sharing these experiences with these select people.  Different circumstances brought them here at this time and place and while you may never see them again, you will have these precious moments in common.  For this reason, I value the people I tour with and love to hear their stories.  For example, there was the Dutch gentleman, a retired school teacher who engaged me in a battle of jokes on the bus ride back,  which was made more convoluted and funny due to the language barrier.  There were also my UK friends, John and Di, who my travel companion and I spontaneously had dinner with once settled into our Alice Springs accommodations for the night where we had our first taste of Australian wine.

It is encounters such as these one hopes will not be only moments shared but will forge friendships that will last a lifetime…or they’ll at least be your “friend” on Facebook.  Regardless, travel takes risks, whether it is peeking over the edge of a cliff to see a new vantage point or meeting new folks, it is such challenges that help shape us into a better form of ourselves.

Scavenger Hunt items completed:

Ate camel