The land we now know as Watarrka National Park has been home to the Luritja people for tens of thousands of years. And its natural beauty makes it a travel destination of wondrous proportions.
Given its remoteness – three-and-a-half hours’ drive from both Mparntwe (Alice Springs) and Uluru, in the Northern Territory – one of the few accommodation options is the longstanding Kings Canyon Resort. It’s in the throes of a $22 million transformation after Aussie tourism giant G’Day Group, which has 300 properties nationwide, took it over in 2021 and rechristened it a Discovery Resort and Holiday Park. (Stage one of the monumental reno is complete, while stage two isn’t far off.)
To access the property – and all that surrounds it – you will need to hit some long stretches of dirt road, ideally in 4WD fashion. But here are five reasons why it’s worth the bumpy ride.
Feel like king of the canyon
The number-one reason to make the trek to Watarrka National Park is to experience Kings Canyon in all its rugged, red-tinged, rocky-domed glory. Organise a guide through the resort and set out before daybreak to take on the out-of-this-world rim walk – so the sunrise can soothe you as you tackle the first 500 steep, heartrate-increasing steps. What’s to follow is a six-kilometre circuit along which you’ll pass through the Garden of Eden, a sacred waterhole bursting with lush green plant life, and a rock formation dubbed “Priscilla’s Crack” after it appeared in the quintessentially Aussie 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Hate hiking? See it from above in a chopper.
Glamp, but don’t go without
As with everything, glamping exists on a spectrum. But the resort has six spacious safari-style tents that very much sit on the upper end. They might blend into their surrounds, but they’re decked out like smartly appointed hotel rooms. Find super-soft linen sheets on the king-sized beds, and comfy couches plonked right in front of a zippable wall (open it up and watch the world go by). Plus, air-con, an ensuite and even a Nespresso machine. Tent-averse? Go for a spa room where you can soak in a private tub while looking out onto the scenery through a huge picture window; some of the baths will soon become all-encompassing “monsoon” showers. And there are also 100 recently refurbished standard resort rooms, also with all the mod cons you need.
Dine under the desert moon
A flickering firepit sits at the centre of a circular space hidden away from the rest of the resort. It’s the setting for the revamped outdoor dining experience, Under a Desert Moon. After poolside canapés and sparkling vino, you’ll be ushered to the in-the-round dinner – five generous courses with matching wine. While the menu changes with the seasons, it leans on ingredients native to the area; you might find smoked, pulled kangaroo with pepper-leaf-infused jus or a miniature quandong swirl cheesecake. In the cooler months, rug up; when it’s a little warmer, bask in the balminess.
A sky full of stars
Living in a big, bright metropolis means your view of the stars is obstructed by light pollution. Given there’s often not much to see at night, I, for one, forget to even look up. So, when a weary-eyed me swiped open the blackout blinds at 5am – ahead of tackling the above-mentioned rim walk – I saw a sky full of stars like never before. Sure, I’ve gone relatively rural in my life, camping in what felt like the middle of nowhere. But never have I ever seen the seemingly never-ending black abyss that is the sky floodlit by stars in such a way. It was like standing in a spotlight, which might seem like hyperbole if you spend a lot of time outside of the city. But if you don’t, prepare to be starstruck.
A sibling for Field of Light
The name Bruce Munro might not ring any bells, but chances are you’re familiar with his work. How the internationally acclaimed British-Australian artist plays with light is seriously spectacular; his installations are immersive, monumental and often site-specific. One in particular you might recognise is Field of Light: 50,000 radiant spheres illuminate Uluru in the largest and most remote iteration of the artwork to date. But in April next year, Munro is bringing a second work to the Red Centre. Called Water-Towers, 69 two-metre-high pillars will light up the landscape of Kings Canyon Resort, changing colour in time with the music that emanates from within these “towers”.
The writer was a guest of Kings Canyon Resort. Stays start at $380 per night. Book online.
