WEST MACDONNELL RANGES

Ormiston Gorge

Continuing along Namatjira Drive, which fronts the West MacDonnell Ranges I visited Ormiston Gorge. This was a massive gorge. After showering in the camping area I climbed the cliff tops to a lookout where I could photograph the gorge below. Then I walked into the gorge. There were many tourists here and it seemed a favourite with bus operators. There was water in the waterhole and sandy beaches around it. There were also walks further into the gorge for those that wanted to explore. There seemed to be a lot more wildlife here. I could see swallows nesting in the rocks, there were lizards basking and ducks on the water. I also managed to photograph a dingo which happened to be prowling through the picnic area. It was a very skinny looking specimen.

After Ormiston I stopped at Glen Helen. This was on the Finke River but there was so much water I couldn't go further into the gorge to see some of the rock features. I camped at the resort there. The manager was a photographer who was about to leave for a trip to South Africa and so we talked for a while. That night there was a country music singer, who also happened to be a professional photographer. Although it looked bare it proved a good place to camp for the night as use the camp facilities and watch the entertainment at night.

The next day I set out for Hermannsburg. The first stop was another Gorge, Redbank. This was a long walk in to the gorge and the waterhole. The waterhole was very cold. I wanted to go further through the narrow entry and into the gorge to take photographs but the rocks were so slimy that it wasn't safe to walk on them. While I sat there a frog started croaking. Others followed and soon their call was echoing down the narrow gorge making a deafening racket.

Ormiston Gorge

Dingo at Ormiston Gorge

Glen Helen

Glen Helen

Glen Helen

Redbank Gorge

GORGES AND WATERHOLES

Stadley Chasm

The Chasm

To the West of Alice Springs is the West MacDonnell ranges. I  spent a leisurely few days exploring the numerous waterholes and gorges here before going to King Canyon and Uluru. The first place I stopped at was Standley Chasm. This is a one and a half kilometre walk into the chasm, not an easy walk. The chasm has vertical walls which line a narrow stream. The stream was dry in the chasm but it was still a magnificent sight. The walls glowed red and it was only at midday that the sun could reach the floor below. There were a number of tourists here and the views are typical of Northern Territory postcards.

My second stop was at the Ellery Creek Big Hole. This was a very popular waterhole and swimming spot. I swam across the waterhole and through the walls at the end into another pool. There were many tourists and locals here finding relief from the hot weather. A group of young Aboriginal boys played next to me and eventually covered themselves in the slimy mud which could be found on the bottom of part of the waterhole. Later in the day another large Aboriginal family with lots of young children came down to swim. They were the best behaved kids I have seen for a long while. 

Next I stopped at the Ochre Pits. Here a solid wall of different coloured streaks in the rocks marked where Aboriginal people had taken rocks to crush and make paint. There were many colours and the area where a yellow ochre had been mixed up to use for paint could be clearly seen. These ochre rocks were once used for trade and managed to find their way great distances from the site.

Ellery Creek Big Hole

Kids enjoying the waterhole

Playing 'monsters' in the mud

Ochre was used from here

Ochre pits

The Ochre pits

EAST MACDONNELL RANGES

Corroboree Rock

From Alice Springs I spent a day driving out to the East MacDonnell Ranges. This is an area of significance to the local Arrernte people. I visited Corroboree Rock,  and the Trephina Gorge.

About 40 out from Alice Springs is Corroboree Rock. This was probably named because it was thought that corroborees were held here but it is now known that this was not the case. It has been suggested that weapons were once stored here. The rock seems to jut out of nowhere and it doesn't take long to walk around the base.

Further on is Trephina Gorge. At the moment this is dry, but still an attraction for tourists. I walked along the sandy bottom where water would flow when it rained, and I climbed up some of the walls to stand on top and take photographs. The dry river bank was lined with ghost gums and there were numerous birds about so there was probably water further down the riverbed.

Corroboree Rock

Ghost Gum

Trephina Gorge