Kata Tjuta lies a short distance away from Uluru, yet is seems miles away geologically. Uluru looks very much like a huge mass of singular rock. Kata Tjuta is a formed from composite, so it has the appearance of all different types of pebbles cemented together. The valleys around the formations were filled with green foliage that was startling in contrast to the color of the rocks - a result of a better-than-usual rainfall in the area. We took a short hike at Kata Tjuta, but not nearly enough to fully explore the area.
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| Kata Tjuta |
And then, onward to Kings Canyon. The story of the original development of this area for tourism has to be the favorite fable I've heard from Australia so far. Jack Cotterill is credited with opening up the area to small groups of tourists and making it possible for them to reach the remote canyon. The road leading into the area was built by Jack and his son, Jim, after they failed to convince the government that improvement of it would be of benefit. By pulling a homemade drag behind their truck, they managed to clear and level an impressive length of roadway (100 km!).
The family also built and serviced ten cabins at Wallara Ranch, providing accommodations for people who wanted to come out and explore the canyon. When the Cotterill's lease agreement for the property came up for renewal with the existing lease holder (the folks who held the actual lease with the Australian government), local legend has it that negotiations fell through when the lease holders wanting to take advantage of the improvements on the property by jacking up the rental rate beyond reason. Jim Cotterill threw up his hands and didn't renew, but he also didn't give in. When the new leaseholders showed up to take over, they must have been astonished to find that the entire Wallara Ranch had evaporated - supposedly the Cotterill's arranged to have heavy equipment delivered in the middle of the night, dug an enormous hole, and bulldozed the whole thing in.
Chris and I did a lovely hike up and around the canyon while the girls took a shorter one with Bob and Barb up and into the canyon along a creek. It was beautiful and rugged, and gave me an appreciation for those early characters who had the vision and the grit to develop Kings Canyon.
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| Kings Canyon Creek Walk |
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| Top of Kings Canyon |
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