Top 4 Walking Trails in Central Australia

There is a few ways you can get to Central Australia, Fly, Bus or Drive yourself. Either way getting here takes time and money! If you’re looking for a few days to go easy on the hip pocket, getting around via 2 feet and a heartbeat is the way to go!

Central Australia has many walking trails on offer, some ranging from short distance with some being well over 10km with some serious hiking involved.  The walking trails are a great way for you to not only see  Central Australia but get up close to these mammoth monoliths.   When you are ready to set off and explore, our best suggestion would be to take a backpack packed with sunscreen, food and plenty of water. It also doesn’t hurt to wear a good hat and lather up the sunscreen as the harsh Aussie sun can do some damage. Oh and you might want to bring along a Fly Net otherwise you will  go insane with those pesky flies!!

Here are our Top 4 Walking Trails in Central Australia based on our visit in June 2016.

-Kata Juta (The Olgas) –

No matter what time of the year you visit Central Australia, the days can get quite humid and hot. For any of the walks it’s always best to get up early and get to it. With an early start you can also capture some great shots with the light at that time of the morning. The Valley of the Winds walk at Kata Juta (The Olgas) is sensational. There is some stunning photos to take on this trek, the highlight being when you pass through the narrow gorge to see the valley spread below you. When we visited Kata Tjuta this was the only walk we did, it took us around 4 hours to complete.  We felt that this was the main walk you had to do here as we had read many reviews on how great it was. We were not disapointed at all, its surely breath- taking.

Central Australia
Beautiful Landscape

-Kings Canyon-

This is no doubt one of our favorites! The Kings Canyon Rim Walk is no doubt challenging but very spectacular. It’s recommended to get there at dawn however we did ours around 7-730AM and it took about 4 and half hours. The start of the track would have to be the most challenging. The 500 stairs straight up to the top is bloody hard work, but once you’re at the top you can really appreciate what you have just achieved and what you are seeing in front of you! Follow the track map around the rim before descending into the Garden of Eden Waterhole and then continuing back to the car park in a 6km loop. For this walk, make you sure you pack some snacks, plenty of water, sunscreen and a camera. There is going to be some memorable shots on this walk.

We stayed at the Kings Canyon Resort Campground, which is the only one available closest to the rim walk. For details on our stay here, check out our Kings Canyon campground review. 



Central Australia
Sheer Cliff Drops, be careful!

-Uluru Base Walk-

The Uluru basewalk is a 10.6km circumnavigation walk around Uluru. This walk we chose not to do  our trip as we had time restraints, however we did do the big drive around the rock and stopped at some of the shorter walks. The Mala Walk to Kantj Gorge is a highlight, a short walk with  Aboriginal Rock art on display then the narrowing Gorge. A peaceful place to sit, relax and ponder on the marvelous beauty in front of you.

One thing you must do to tick off your Central Australia bucket list is see the Sunrise or Sunset at Uluru. The ever-changing colours of the rock make memorable photos. We are very happy with some of our shots here!

We stayed at the Ayres Rock Campground which is the closest place to stay in the nearby resort town of Yulara. We loved our stay here and for further details on our stay , check out our Ayres Rock Campground review. 

-Redbank Gorge-

You can easily get here on a day trip from Alice Springs, or else make a few days of it and camp out in the stunning West MacDonnell Range National Park. There are plenty of campsites to choose from, all varying in facilities and price, as well as cabin accommodation.

We remember doing this walk thinking “are we there yet” as this track lacked signage to tell you how far away you were from the gorge itself. Even though the walk is only 2km, its certainty challenging when your walking through dry and sandy creek beds and climbing over rocks. Once you reach the gorge, there is a watering hole for you to take a dip in. This walk is not for the faint hearted but certainly worth it. Out motto was we didn’t come all this way not to do the walks! That’s the whole point of traveling, getting out and exploring whats around you!

 

Central Australia

No matter how hard it is, the reward at the end of the each  walk is what makes it all worth it. Central Australia is a beautiful area to explore, you wont be disappointed at all.

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2 thoughts on “Top 4 Walking Trails in Central Australia”

  1. Thank you Stacey and Wayne for putting these information, trail plus campground together. I really appreciate it when author’s write article that offers readers several options. Look at those scenery! I am sure every step is worth it! Which trail do you recommend for beginners?

    Great article and very informative. Good read.

    1. Thank you Ralph, Central Australia is amazing!!! For beginners there is a many easy walks. The Uluru Base walk, which we didnt do is about 10km, however there is some other short walks at Uluru that are very easy and still beautiful. From memory one is the Marla Walk and i cant recall the other, but they are around 1 to 2km long. At most of the places, like Kings Canyon, Olgas and Uluru, there is a shorter walks that you can do. However if your prepared to give it ago and do the harder ones, its well worth it!

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