Settling into the New Digs

I moved into my own place on Thursday. The apartment seemed quite cavernous at first, as I had no furniture other than the coffee and end tables, and my camp chairs. I slept on my air mattress which was rather cold to be honest. Winter is just a few days away here and while the days are beautiful and sunny, the nighttime temps drop to about 0C which is cold when floors are not insulated or carpeted. I had my bed and fridge delivered the next day, so was happy about getting off the floor and quite a bit warmer as well. Yesterday I had a sofa and dining set delivered so I'm pretty well set now. I have more stuff coming from Canada, but not much furniture other than my cabinet for my television and a small night stand. The rest is just STUFF. I've gathered things for a cinderblock bookshelf, as there were many extras in the back courtyard. I scrubbed them clean from dirt and spiderwebs, and then bought some pine boards and stained them. Finding a good wooden bookshelf/bookcase can be tricky as most are made out of that melamine particleboard crap that weighs a ton and looks like shit. Any that are made of wood here are very expensive, so I chose the cheaper route. I've had cinderblock bookshelves before and they work well.
     I cooked my first supper in the new place last night for my friend F. who moved in two blocks away. We couldn't get the oven lit (gas oven) so had to use the oven grill as that part of the oven would light - the stove has two ovens - a regular oven for baking and a shallow oven for grilling. We had grilled pork side ribs and they turned out wonderful in the grilling oven. I hope to find a barbecue somewhere so I can get back to grilling on open flame. I have plenty of room in my courtyards for a bbq. There is also a garden in the back courtyard, but has nothing planted in it, likely because of the 10 year drought they just came out of here last summer (Canadian winter). That will be a project for this week and next, bringing in some soil, plants, etc and get that shaped up. It will add to the already green look of the garden. There is a pergola overhead that has some kind of climbing vine growing over it, which is just lovely. Once the garden is planted I'll take photos of that.
     I had 4 cockroaches when I first moved in, but nothing since. I hope they are not plotting to overtake me...I really hate those scurrying bugs. No spiders yet though, and no snakes...they are both very common here in central Australia and the snakes are almost always poisonous.
     There is a park just at the end of my road that runs along the river, so my friend F. and I are going to check that out today, see what the park is like. There are a lot of Aboriginals that camp in the dry riverbed at night, so we may come across some of them. The river only runs during the wet season, which is summer, and only if it actually rains here.
     I discovered that I have 3 skylights in my apartment which is very lovely! There are two small circular ones in the dining/living area. I thought they were overhead lights but I couldn't find a switch to turn them off, and they turned out to be skylights. There is a bigger rectangular one in the bathroom, so I don't need to turn on any lights there during the day. My hot water is solar powered, which is the norm for here it seems. Awesome. There is never a shortage of solar power here.

     So that's the update on the new digs...

A Good Day for Saggitarians.

"Your fiery willpower can help you move mountains, Sagittarius. But you already know that. When it's combined with your legendary optimism, it's a powerful tool you just can't do without. Today you will reap the rewards for your hard work over the last month, in every aspect of your life. The fire that burns inside you and gives you your incredible determination has its limits. Don't misuse it."
     I know that much of astrology is subjective, but now and again, they catch my eye with how close they are to something that has been on my mind lately. This one is no exception. In one week I managed to buy a new car, secure a new apartment, and furnish it. Things were looking grim for a bit, but I was hell fired and determined to get an apartment and I had my heart set on a 4x4 so I can continue to explore the greatness that is Australia. I even managed to inspire a friend to secure her apartment, and she did yesterday. She was becoming frustrated as I was about having to work so hard to get an apartment. There is so much competition for apartments, and setting up a new place from scratch is a lot of work when you live alone. So my new Aussie friend and I have been going through it all together. 
     Today we went in search of pallets so she can lay some down for a mattress until she is able to buy a bed frame for it. She drives a Corolla hatchback and a pallet just wouldn't fit in her little car so we took my new rig. She had rung up the local hardware store, along with a dozen other places and they were the only ones she found that gave away pallets. Many have treated and painted pallets that they must account for and return on the next road train. We managed to stuff a pallet in there, but there just wasn't enough room to squeeze in another past the door. She needed 4 pallets, so we made 4 trips, one pallet each. We didn't mind. Alice Springs isn't very big, so we didn't have to go very far to go back and forth from the hardware store. We did manage to put a small rip in the rubber mat I bought with the Rav 4 but nothing major. I bought the rig to USE, so I USE it. You need a pallet on the floor under a mattress or the mice will be crawling in with you, not to mention who knows what else. I've found 3 huge cockroaches so far in this apartment, in addition to the mice. 
     We also made a trip to K-Mart to pick up a few apartment basics. I needed sheets for my new bed, as my stuff won't arrive from Canada for a couple of weeks. I haven't had to buy any of that stuff at the Government rental, but now I'll need a few things. I miss Walmart (I know there are anti-Walmarters, but I have also taken some of you to WALMART where you spent lots of money) and Kmart is a poor substitute, as is Target. The have very little selection on some things, if they carry it at all. I'll have to survey the Darwin scene and see about picking up a few things when I go there for training later this year. 
     So then I checked out another website for my horoscope and came up with this one:
"If you're wishing for changes in your personal life, then do take care. You could be about to get your wish! The planet of excitement Uranus is in your 5th Solar House of Romance, and is about to be triggered by the Sun in your House of Love. Put those two together and you really do have the makings of some changes in the more personal parts of your private life. Singles are in a good position to meet someone unusual and couples can relight the fire. Have some fun! Balancing our chakras helps us align with our dreams!"
     So things that make you go hmmm...          

Bushwalking and Parrots

West MacDonnell Ranges

Today I went hiking with a new friend who is an avid bushwalker, having grown up in the bush of Australia. We went to Simpson Gap, and climbed a portion of the Larapinta Trail. I'm not sure how far we hiked along the trail as it snaked along the outer edges of the mountain, slowly climbing the skirt. We probably walked about 2 or 3 kms up the trail, which never did approach the peak, and loose rock cliffs prevented us from safely picking out our own trail. The trail was pleasant enough, with terrific views as we pushed onward and upward. Much of the trail was in the shade, which gave us welcome relief from the hot sun. The clouds were moving in when we left Alice but as we approached Simpson Gap, the skies were clear and brilliant blue. We had a dingo follow us for a bit, and then as we sat for lunch, we could hear them call each other. There sounded like two different ones answering each other.
     Funny story about the dingo. Or bizarre..I haven't quite figured which. I took photos of this dingo. At least two. I was late getting my camera out but focused in with my wide angle lens and snapped a couple of shots of the half-breed dingo. It was reddish brown with white. I would post a photo of it, but it appears my photos did not turn out of the dingo for some very odd reason. The shots are completely white, both of them. Yes, the lens cap was off. My Rebel doesn't have a live screen unless I'm in video mode, so unless the cap was off, I couldn't focus in the dingo. Which I clearly remember doing. And now I have no proof.

     Funny story turns bizarre - F. and I sat in the pub yesterday for lunch and we were out on the smokers patio when a local Aboriginal woman came and sat down to smoke at our table. We chatted about various things and she told us about coming back from out in the bush recently, and of plans to go back again this week. I told her we had seen a dingo at King's Canyon park, and she told us that dingoes change what they are after you see them, that they don't remain dingoes. Bizarre. And then today I saw a dingo that failed to be captured on my camera. Just a little strange I thought.
     I saw more spiders on the hike, with beautiful webs full of eggs...gross, but beautiful all at once. We checked the rocks for snakes before sitting down as well...lots of tall grass and crevices they can hide in. Tis a bit of a chore to get someone to rescue you from that trail. No road up there, no cell service, and too dense to land a helicopter. So we made sure we were sure footed, and avoided the tall bush. G. had boots on, but I was in hiking shoes, with my ankles exposed.
     After a lovely bushwalk, we had a cold one in the shade of a tree at the park before heading home. We both had things to do this afternoon, so I started packing. I packed up quite a few things, and then my friend F. came over for supper and a scary movie. While we were chatting before supper, some parrots came into the tree outside my living room window, so I managed to grab the camera in time to get a couple of shots. I need to have my camera ready as by the time I got it out, and got the zoom lens switched on, it was nearly about to take off again. They are beautiful and are Australian Ringneck Parrots. They are also known as twenty-eight parrots, because they squawk "twenty-eight, twenty-eight".
     Back to work tomorrow...hope there are no weird dreams tonight about dingos...

Weekend Happy Stories

     Well, I finally got to drive my new car home yesterday. After harassing the hell out of Toyota, and the salary packaging woman, I guess I annoyed them enough they were willing to let me have the car. The final paperwork had still not returned from the NT government to the salary packaging person, but they let the car go anyways. I told them it might not have taken as long if they didn't make a serious error in the first place with all the paperwork, and if the salary packaging woman spent more time sending me the correct documents and not someone else's private documentation - which included THEIR bank account information, employment details, addresses and phone numbers...she managed to do this THREE separate times. What an incompetent goof. Her excuse was that she was sending them out to a co-worker who shared my first name. Yeah...sorry. You're still an idiot if you did it THREE times. Finally she deleted my email address from her autocorrect. Dumbass. I also let her know I would be very upset if my information was shared so haphazardly as these folks' info.

     So there I was, at the dealership getting the rundown of my new Toyota Rav 4, and they presented me with a gift basket full of wine, cheese, other treats and a new chamois. I'm not sure if it was standard or because I'd been jerked around all week. Either way, I was happy with it. Off I drove to test it out only to discover they had cheaped out and sold me a car with no gas in it. It was about 20kms from empty...great. I have never been given a car from brand new with no gas in it. Ever. How rude! So I had to fill up at the gas pumps before I came home. It cost about $77 bucks to fill it up (yes, gas is outrageously expensive here compared to Canada, often $1.80/litre or so). I then stopped off for groceries and beer before heading home. My friend F. came over and we drank all the beer while waiting for some pizza to be delivered. It was a 2 hour wait and highly overpriced and in the end I don't think they put pepperoni on it, but salami. I miss Pizza Hut!

     Today my friend F. and I took off at 7am for some yard sales and I managed to get a few great deals. I bought a washing machine for $70 and a set of hardwood coffee/end tables for $40. I also bought an iron and frying pan for $7, an original dot painting (2.5ft x 3.5ft) for $5 (probably sold originally for $250 or more) and a 36 piece set of good flatware for $10. I then headed out to the furniture store to pick out a bed and mattress, and a fridge. Rentals rarely come with a fridge, so I had to buy my own. Luckily they had a great sale on today and I bought a brand new 210litre fridge for $469.  I don't know what the conversion is, but it is a small two door fridge, big enough for me, that's for sure. Apartment size. The bed is a wood and black wrought iron head and footboard, and the mattress is fairly comfy too. I'll get that stuff delivered next weekend.
     From there we went to Cheap Auto or something like that and scored some seat covers, a steering wheel cover, and a sun shade for the windscreen (windshield). Everything was also on sale there, so I did very well. We then went to Target and I managed to get a set of stoneware dishes for $8 and two sets of latte cups (I'll use them as glasses) for $2 each (4 cups). I bought a set of towels as the towels I've been using belong to the government housing, and mine won't be here from Canada for another few weeks at least. There was a great sale on towels too, so I also did well there!

     F. and I then decided we were pleased with ourselves (she didn't buy anything at that point) and went out for lunch and a couple pots/schooners aka glasses of beer. I had the Todd burger, which was the name of the bar and the river it runs along (dry river at that). They put beetroot on it. I asked what the hell was beetroot, as I was imagining something other than beets. Nope. Pickled beets. Gross. I pulled it off. They also wanted to put egg on it...gross again. I managed to get them to leave that off. Aussies are strange! I've never heard of putting eggs or sliced beets on a hamburger!
     A quick trip to the beer store before dropping F. off at home, and I was pouring over my wares. I washed up the towels and dishes and proceeded to pimp my ride. I'm such a messy traveler from eating and drinking in the car, so I wanted to get them on right away before I messed up the seats. There isn't a Tim Horton's here, so I probably won't be spilling any cappuccinos but who knows what else I might spill. I left the rest of the stuff in the car, as I will arrange to drop the washer and tables off at the new place rather than wrestle it out and back into the car when I pick up the keys next week.
      It's all coming together, which makes me happy. I had to bum rides all week to and from work, so now I'm independent once again. I'm going out hiking with an Aussie man I met several weeks ago and haven't seen since though we've been text messaging and sending Facebook messages. We're meeting at 8am tomorrow morning for a hike at Simpson Gap, followed by a picnic. Life is good.

Home Sweet Home

the layout of my new digs - just click on it for a better sized image

Home used to be where you find the cat, for me anyhow. Now that I am catless and Stormy has been adopted by an awesome Canadian family, how do I define it? I do wear hats, so it could be home is where I hang my hat, which is rather colloquial. Perhaps home is where unpack my suitcase? I'm not sure. I haven't felt like my current housing provided by the government is home. I think part of that is because I knew it was temporary, and the bare surroundings do not make it feel homelike at all. There is nothing on the walls, and the windows have ugly vertical blinds with no curtains or drapes. What is it that makes a home homelike? I always find once I put some color on the walls that reflect my personality, such as posters, wall hangings, family photos, etc I begin to feel at home. I don't own much these days, as the fire last year cured the pack-rat in me, but I have still managed to acquire a few homey things like souvenirs from my travels, artwork for the walls, and thousands of photos I can choose from to print off and frame for the walls. I will have my own bedding and household items once my things arrive from Canada next month, but for now I will have to settle with what I dragged with me on the plane, and have managed to acquire since I arrived in Australia over 5 weeks ago.
     Yup, 5 weeks ago yesterday, I arrived in Australia. In some respects it seems like a lifetime ago and in others, like just yesterday I was waiting and waiting and waiting for my visa to come in. Now I'm here, settled into my new job, several training sessions behind me, and a caseload of about 25 children. I've been camping, hiking, bar hopping, made some friends, met some men, bought souvenirs, mailed postcards, and phoned home several times. I've also managed to secure my own apartment.
     Yup, my own apartment. I've been in government owned accommodation for the past 5 weeks, and while it's been comfortable enough, I've been given the bum's rush to get out there and find my own place as they are short on housing for incoming new recruits. My contract provided for 3 months of free rental accommodation, so they will pay my next 6 weeks of rent at my new place. I do have to put the money out first, and then request reimbursement, but now that I've got that all figured out (I hope) it shouldn't be an issue of receiving payment in a timely manner. I've also been promised a "settling in allowance" but so far have not seen a penny of that. Those payments are to be for 6 fortnights, and are to help with the purchase of furniture, apartment bond, car purchase, etc. Luckily I have been responsible with my first couple of paychecks and have enough to cover the amount and wait for reimbursement.
     The new digs are in one of the popular neighborhoods called Eastside. I am 1.5 kms from where I work, so an easy walk in nice weather, which will be most of the year. I may wish to drive when it's stinking hot but that remains to be seen. The new digs are what is considered to be a "flat" and not an apartment. It is in a long building where the units are slices of the width, so I have windows on either end of the apartment (each side of the building). My unit is the end slice, so I only have neighbors on one side, which is awesome. It is made of cinderblock construction, which also helps with noise, and cooling in hotter temperatures. The flat has air conditioning, as is pretty standard in most places here in central Australia. There is no heat though, but I don't expect much of an issue there. I do have a small electric heater coming with my things, so if need be, can use that to take the chill off in winter. The temperatures at night will hover at 0C sometimes, so it is a real possibility that I might actually find it cold in the desert...

     The kitchen is just off to one side, with no real defining walls, so I will probably try and pick up some sort of island thingy to define it a bit more and add some storage. There are no upper cupboards (weirdly European/Aussie thing I reckon) but there is a box shelf, like an open pantry that runs along the wall above the counter top. I was thinking I might just get some fabric and make little curtains to hide what I'll store there. The stove is gas, which I'm looking forward to. I came to appreciate it at the cabin I last rented.
     I'm not sure where I'm going to put the kitchen table, and arrange the living room furniture. The cable comes in next to the large living room window on the left side, but I can always run more cable to wherever I want the tv to be. I may even separate things into three areas, given the space is long and narrow. I was thinking desk in front of the window, with a couple of chairs, then kitchen table next to the kitchen area, and then sofa and television in the area closer to the bedroom. Who knows...there is a bit of a slant to the property, so it all might slide to one side anyhow, ha ha. I may even use a folding screen to section off some private space...the possibilities are endless! I've watched enough of HGTV to know a little creativity and imagination can go a long way, and I know I possess both of those qualities.

the car park - my left courtyard fence is showing

So home sweet home will evolve once I move in next week and see what the vibe of the flat is. I've been told by a few of my police team members after I accepted the rental that I'm moving into "shaggy armpit land"...meaning there are a lot of hippies in that neck of the woods, and a lot of pot smokers. Funny how that all turned out...

Sunday Go To Market

So being carless on a Sunday, I ventured downtown in search of the Red Kangaroo, a local bookstore specializing in Australian books. It was a bit of a hike at 2.3 kms each way, but the day was gorgeous, with a cooling breeze and the bright blue skies I have fallen in love with. And of course, walking anywhere puts one back into touch with nature that is often bypassed as one whizzes by in a car. I discovered that the ugly looking olive like knobs on the trees blossom into these simply gorgeous yellow puffballs. I also came across a group of Aboriginal men sitting in the riverbed together, passing away a lazy Sunday. The riverbed has an unusual amount of grass in it this year after a 10 year drought. It won't run again until next summer, that is provided it does rain. For the rest of the year, it is bone dry in most spots, although if you see greener grass like in some of the photos, you can bet those roots have secured a bit of a waterhole beneath the surface.

I managed to find the bookstore, after browsing through the Sunday market on Todd Mall (which is a pedestrian only street perfect for open markets). There were plenty of treasures to be found, and I bought myself a silk and pashmina scarf for $15. There were several Aboriginal women who were sat on the grassy knolls with their dot paintings on canvas. They were beautiful, but I can't spend money on such beautiful artwork just yet until I secure an apartment and furnishings. For now I have settled for tea towels which depict Aboriginal artwork very nicely at a very affordable price. The market was busy enough, although I was late in arriving as it opened at 9am, and it was after noon when I got there. There was plenty of jewelry, textiles, artwork, food stalls, and other crafters. It will be a great place to secure some Christmas presents when the time comes.

By the time I arrived back home again, I was parched and tired as I had forgotten to take a bottle of water. I think such escapades will demand the use of a backpack so I can carry my wares, and a bottle of cold water. Dehydration can happen quickly here in the outback, and just because we are in the fall of the year, the air remains very dry.
I'm ready for a Sunday nap!

The Ides of May Down Under

Well, here we are at the ides of May already. Before you know it, 2011 will be half over. Where did the time go? It seemed like I was waiting for months and months to come to Australia and now I've already been here over a month. And I couldn't be happier. While there are things and people that I miss back in Canada, Australia has been the right move for me. The weather is my absolute favorite thing - bright blue skies nearly every single day, and temperatures in my favorite zone - teens at night, twenties by day.

There are some changings coming soon, settling in ones. I bought myself a 2010 Toyota Rav 4 and get to pick it up on either Tuesday or Wednesday. I'll be able to tackle some of those 4x4 only roads now, once I get an outback kit together. There are certain things they recommend you don't go without while traveling the 4x4 roads. Things such as jumper cables and extra oil are standard to have in a vehicle, but other things are just as important when you are driving in the outback, such as:

1. tow strap and snatch strap
2. shackles - for hooking up the straps
3. at least 10 litres of water (for people or radiator)
4. basic tools - screwdrivers, pliers, wrench, etc.
5. tarp or mat for changing tires - the ground temps can reach 60-70C in the summer
6. long handled shovel - for digging a dead man 
7. air compressor & tire gauge
8. first aid kit
9. fire extinguisher - in case your engine catches on fire
10. extra hoses and belts
11. fuel funnel, water funnel
12. jack plate (for putting the jack on if you are on sand or soft dirt)
13. gloves - digging and tire changing is rough work when it's hot and dry - ripping a new blister would certainly impede the process
14. dehydrated food packages - it could be hours or days before someone comes by if you're really bogged and alone
15. satellite phone - somewhat of a luxury but I will probably get one down the road. There is no cell service in the outback. 
16. outback road map - not all roads are shown on a tourist road map
17. bright orange distress sheet - you may blend in with the outback environment so this will show search parties where you are from quite a distance
18. an axe - I have always kept one in my vehicles - for firewood, defense, or getting a tree out of the roadway
19. compass - another things I always travel with
20. sleeping bag - the desert outback can get pretty cold at night

So I have a bit of shopping to do this week once I pick up my new rig. Some of the items I already have, while others have not really been necessary in my previous vehicles and locations, so will have to buy new. The outback is thousands of square miles of wilderness, so one must always be prepared. I was a Girl Guide - I try to always be prepared...

What's New in the Zoo

Well, I came home today to find a mouse curled up snacking in the poison tray under the stairs. Nice. So I picked up the tray, mouse and all, and he was so doped, he continued to snack...then as the box moved and he realized his surroundings were changing, he jumped out, but I was able to recapture him, caught him by the tail and evicted him promptly out the door and over the fence...this poison is supposed to kill them with one piece, and I've gone through about 20 boxes of poison so far...where in the hell are they coming from and where are they dying are my questions...

On the brighter side, I found out today that I was accepted for financing with Toyota Australia so after signing on the dotted lines today, I am the new proud owner of a Toyota Rav 4! The color is Liquid Bronze...kind of a bronzy green color, but hard to tell from the photos as they were all taken in the shade. Their car lot is shaded under canopies, due to the heat much of the year. I should be able to take it home by next Tuesday or Wednesday, if not sooner! I can't wait. I am getting a few extras as well, like a rubber mat for the cargo area, and a nudge bar (aka a 'roo bar so I won't wreck the engine if I hit a kangaroo). Then I shall be hitting the roads next weekend, probably headed for Triphena Gorge first as I couldn't make it there in a car the last time due to a floodway still being flooded. Lookout, here she comes!



Life is good down under...

King's Canyon

I went camping this weekend with some new Aussie friends. We left on Saturday morning and headed out through Hermannsburg only to discover we couldn't get to King's Canyon on that route without a 4x4.  Stupid google directions. I should have known better. So we retraced back from Hermannburg (about 120kms each way) and headed down the sealed Stuart Highway, turning in on the Lassiter Highway, and then onto the last stretch to King's Canyon Resort Caravan Park. We set up camp - F. brought a swag, which is a canvas bed with covered foam mattress that you climb into and fold the flap over your head to keep dry in case of rain. I was offered one, but have a spider fear, so opted for a cheapo tent from Kmart, as did K. We all had the same sleeping bag, rated to -4C, which was more than enough. I bought an air mattress as well, as I can't do the hard ground. After setting up, we had a few cups of cider before heading to the "barbie" to cook our "tea". Turns out what they call a barbecue at the campgrounds in Australia are actually gas flat top grills, no open flame, no runged grill. I had bought a nice steak and was looking forward to throwing it on the bbq, but instead fried the hell out of it on this grill. The veggies turned out very well and the others had sausages. There were no picnic tables or bbq pits at the campsites, so we stood around the grill and ate by the light of a "torch" (flashlight).

From there we headed to the campground pub, called the Thirsty Dingo. We also had a dingo visit our campsite when we were sipping ciders. To me it just looked like a dog. We didn't have any babies for it to steal...the Thirsty Dingo was just an ordinary pub inside, with a nice garden outside. It had been raining on and off all day, which was annoying since we were in the dry outback desert climate, but it finally gave up and we saw the stars. After a number of glasses of draft beer, we headed back to crawl into our sleeping quarters for the night. I didn't sleep well, new surroundings and all, and heard something crawling up my tent walls. I flicked on my flashlight and saw a HUGE BLACK SPIDER crawling across the screen portion of my roof, beneath fly. It was the size of a friggin' tarantula...I nearly shit my sleeping bag...but didn't. I didn't even scream, as it was on the outside after all. I did however keep checking back to see that nothing came back up over. I heard climbing for a few hours, up and down the tent, like I was being stalked by a spider, heh heh. Thankfully I was not in a swag but my tightly zipped up tent. F. was less concerned about spiders and more concerned a dingo was going to eat her face off...not sure where that fear comes from.
The next morning we rose, had some breakfast and packed up the campsite, heading for King's Canyon. The hike was to be a 6km walk, so we packed lunches and water. The first bit of the hike was the hardest, straight up and up and up to the rim, and then it improved greatly after this. The scenery was just breathtaking, and I shot nearly 300 frames with my Rebel. I was initially disappointed that it was overcast, but hopeful that the clouds would break apart and the sun would shine in the azure blue sky again, which it DID! The landscape was almost like being on another planet, very surreal. The canyon had once been underwater, and the shape of it was from several million years of water carving out various parts of it. We saw many varieties of desert flowers, persistent trees despite the lack of water, and breathtaking cliffs. I managed to avoid tripping and falling over them. Phew...
We took a few marked detours for breathtaking views, and the hike overall was about 8 kms. I could have stayed all day, it was just amazing, and well worth the initial steep climb in which I thought my asthmatic lungs would explode. Thankfully I brought two puffers, as the first one ran out.
After the hike, we had a snack and hit the road for home. It was a much quicker drive without the unnecessary detour of the previous day.

King's Canyon rocked and so did we.