Day 144 | Ridgetop campground, Redbank Gorge: that's in the West MacDonnell National Park
55 km | zzOz total: 7,481 km
Returning to Kings Canyon a few days ago was a surreal experience.
I remember the surprise, the vastness, the redness, those staggering cliffs, the total specialness of the place, expecting dinosaurs to pop out from between the whacky rock formations.
Second time around, bleak weather, showers, no blue sky to offset the rich red rock but the waterfall was impressive. I had to scurry around dodging drops having sat in my tent all morning waiting for the rain to stop. A very different feeling.
The Mereenie Loop has new nomenclature, Red Centre Way, it’s been mostly resurfaced with that natural gravel instead of the half cobblestone, half soft variegated, mix of 2 years ago. At least it’s mostly solid.
Much of the bush along the road has been burned recently.
At Redbank Gorge the large pool right at the gorge has been mostly filled in with coarse sand from a lesser flood. Camping fees have skyrocketed from $3 two years ago to an exorbitant $5 tonight.
I’m heading back for a second go with Alice.
At least when I contemplate my long term repose back in NZ in a year or two’s time I know that it will be a totally different world even if the setting hasn’t changed so much. The people I knew have mostly moved away, my parents have even shifted town.
Now all I need is some speedy elocution lessons to acquire my NZ accent of old.
That’s going to be the biggest adventure.