Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon, also known as Watarrka, is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range about southwest of Alice Springs and about south of Darwin, within the Watarrka National Park. Name Kings Creek runs along the bottom of the canyon, and gives it its name. The creek was named by the explorer Ernest Giles in 1872. He wrote in his book Geographic Travels in Central Australia from 1872 to 1874: "I called King's Creek after Mr. Fielder King... an old and kind friend of mine". The Aboriginal (Luritja and Arrernte) name for the creek and canyon is "Watarrka" (pronounced what-ARR-kah), which is the Luritja word for the local umbrella bush (Acacia ligulata) that grows in the vicinity. The national park thus gets its name from this landform. Location and access Kings Canyon is located southwest of Alice Springs via Larapinta Drive (only accessible by 4WD), or along the Stuart Highway, Lasseter Highway, and the Red Centre Way, which are all sealed.