Kings Canyon

Left Alice springs after posting some photo discs and Erin birthday card. Happy birthday for Thursday. Alice is a town shoehorned into the surrounding mountains. Headed through some sand dune country to grassy scrub with rocky hills jutting from it. The kids checked out the emus and roos while we fueled up before hitting the dirt again. The grader had been through since the last wet so after a quick inspection of Henbury crater scooted our way across the grass lands under a rain laden sky to the bitumen frequently slowing and beeping the horn for massive flocks of budgies sand bathing in the middle of the road. Things were a little unsettled in the back with the departure of Anne so Morgie cuddled into her spot and stacked some much needed zeds. Love the attitude to road works out here - oh I need something to fill this washout with - oh it's alright I'll wack the side out of that sand dune or what's the deepest spot? Let's make it all that deep - some times you are literally driving down a tunnel with only the tops of trees visible over the side like a very bumpy luge run. Back on the bitumen to follow the mountain range in. Not dissimilar to the blue mountains in winter especially with the overcast sky and wind just ignore the balmy 27 degrees.Rocked up to wind alert of 90 km/h so battened down tight and went for walk up the canyon floor very different to canyons on Gibb with really big white gums and heaps of flowering shrubs. It is literally a walk down the creek bed so kids clambering over giant boulders and climbing large washed over trees generally having a ball. Back on the general tourist circuit much to the delight of the kids who found some playmates. Back at van kids went for swim before dinner, temp more stable with less than 10 degrees difference between day and night temps though wind chill quite considerable. Thought we had lost Jack when he went for a quick rinse off after the swim. 20 min later he wasn't back, the search found him in bliss still under the shower totally oblivious to time. Caught up on some reading keeping out of the wind. The night saw the wind drop but the rain start. Thankfully it stopped raining early enough for the raising wind to dry the van before pack up.