Kings Canyon - Watarrka National Park

The only good reference I can think of to describe Kings Canyon is to compare it to the Grand Canyon. It is a rock formation in the desert of similar origin (a canyon carved by a river), and even though it can not quite compete with its American equivalent, it is a great place to visit and is totally isolated in the middle of the Australian Red Desert.

From the outset, to get there you must travel about 400km from the closest airport in Alice Springs. The drive from Alice is on the Stuart Highway, the road that connects Alice Springs to Darwin in the north. The road has all the aspects needed for a good "road movie"-style road trip. Wide horizons, miles of road and the scorching sun of the Australian desert. I recommend that you bring your own soundtrack, because there is not a single radio station along the way. And there were not many gas stations the whole way (I remember there was only one).

Hiking in Kings Canyon involved an 18km walk, enough to give you a first-rate asthma attack if you're not careful, but it's also a chance to get up close and personal with some truly incredible flora and fauna. The rocks have been worn by time, lizards dart by your feed, and the rough red soil shines under the Australian sun. The whole place is beautiful. It's like a miniature version of the Grand Canyon.