Travels through Australia are not complete without a venture into its old, hot, beating heart. Took me only 20 years to get here and a bit longer for Paul to revisit, yet here we are.
East MacDonnell Ranges - Hidden jewels on roads less travelled
This has now been the second single digit night and I am getting seriously cold. Runny nose. Head ache. Tonight’s resolution: I will finish the day with some hot Lemsip with brandy, lemon and extra honey!
Let’s start with the MacDonnell Ranges or Tjoritja, as the 644km long series of mountains are called in Arrernte. They consist of parallel ridges running east and west of Alice Springs, containing some spectacular gaps and gorges are home to five of the highest peaks in the Northern Territory.
We follow the Ross Highway into the East Macs. I marvel at small, intimate gorges - lesser known than their large West-side cousins. The road is well made with lots of good stops and potentially nice camp grounds. One of the first stops is Corroboree Rock. A short, scenic loop surrounds its base and displays the window, a hole in the middle nicely. Love the area, great energy!
Trephina Gorge is a real killer with blood-red cliffs and the sandy creek bed below. If it is this beautiful in the dry, what a stunner it must be in the wet! A steep walking trail takes us up and along the rim, a great intro this part of the world and the MacDonnells in general. One awe-inspiring view after the other. The serenity. The colours. We shimmy our way back down into the gorge over what feels like hundreds of polished stairs. The hike back takes us along the mostly dry, sandy creek. Only under some overhangs remain a few romantic waterholes. If it is this gobsmacking during the day, how otherworldly will it be during dusk or dawn.
We follow the black top to the Ross River Homestead. The main building, welcoming visitors, is made from the disused Ghan railway bridge around the corner, sleepers, steel tracks and all. Not surprising considering, how far away the nearest hardware store is and how awkward to have everything delivered. This way, each bit of material continues the legacy of an early pioneering marvel with its own story to tell. Looks great too, rustic and genuine. We take in the warmth of waiter inside and the sunny beer garden with the best coffee milkshakes ever.
Off to Irlwentye / N’Dhala Gorge. We leave the tarmac. The track along and inside the bed of Ross River in itself is already exciting and so well worth it, just happy we left the trailer in Alice. After half an hour or so of hopping around, we arrive at the gorge. Ancient petroglyphs or rock carvings introduce us to the butterfly dreaming associated with the area: there are ladder like tracks aplenty , an image of the first cautious steps a young butterfly takes after hatching. It finishes off in star arrangement where it flaps its new wings and finally takes off.
Admittedly, there are a lot of butterflies here, but the real show stoppers are hundreds of finches and budgerigars. I get lost in their acrobatics. Have you ever admired a fish swarm in the ocean? Big flocks of budgies are like that. While chatting. In a surprisingly orderly fashion they descend onto a nearby waterhole. The front row of birds is drinking, then taking off noisily while the next rows move in, having their go. Peter and I are sitting there, watching. Losing ourselves in this spectacle. Needless to say, we try to get a bit closer. Ever so slowly. Until the flock decides it had enough. Of us? Or the water? Who knows. It’s great anyway.
The mighty MacDonnell Ranges are bisected by a number off spectacular gorges and gaps. Potentially leftovers of a much wetter time when rivers cut their way through the mountains. Some of them still carry water and are important refuges during drought. Seriously charming… Emily & Jessie Gap are a couple that we visit on the way back to our camp. We check out the Anthwerrke Caterpillar Dreaming. The cliffs are decorated with parallel lines, depictions of the processions some caterpillars form, head to tail, as they move across the land. Glowing in the setting sun. Mesmerising!
Taking about charming, the evening we catch up with an ex-colleague and now dear friend at the Alice Brewing Co. Takes us less than ten minutes to walk there. What a great place for a pizza and a bit of home brew. You have got to put this one on your bucket list. The brewery that is. Not our Chinese friend. Or maybe that one too.
West MacDonnell Ranges - Where the Perenty hunts
A brand new day. The drugs, mixed with alcohol did the trick last night. Feeling much better!
We head west on the touristy Red Centre Way. At Simpson’s Gap we run into a free tour, courtesy of NT Parks & Wildlife Services! Informative and very funny. Our indigenous ranger tells us about bush food and how to watch and learn from Old Man Roo. Wherever he sniffs and scratches in a seemingly dry creek bed, there will be water. Just follow his lead and dig a bit deeper for cool, clear wet stuff. Needless to say this kangaroo is to be respected and not clubbed to death - at least not today.
He then introduces us to the skin colour system of his people. There are eight of them, guiding who is allowed to marry whom or even to talk to. He grins broadly as this gives him a legitimate excuse not to talk to his mother in law. She is strictly taboo. Apparently this system slowly developed when the land dried up some 27,000 years ago. Tribes got smaller yet the territories they claimed to sustain themselves bigger. Contacts with neighbour tribes not only dropped in frequency but could only happen after bigger rain events, when the land greened up and hunting improved. Contacts became highly ritualised keeping frictions to a minimum while facilitating important exchange of news, goods, culture, and brides. With smaller populations, it is crucial to keep the genes flowing in the right direction. And not to inbreed. Islandic people use apps for that. With their skin colours, the Arrernte people developed a sophisticated belief system, arriving at the same result. Without mobile phones.
Besides that the Gap is as dramatic as it is beautiful. There are Rock Wallabies high above the still water and Falcons. The billabong could be inviting on warmer days.
Angkerle Atwatye, the “place where water moves in between”, commonly known as Standley’s Chasm: what a great and spiritual place. The ever tightening valley leading up to the chasm is already pretty special. There are gurgling waters, cycads, palm trees, and butterflies. As if this is not enough, we end up at a dramatic passageway. The valley’s walls are now straight up, forming a deep and narrow chasm. Touching both walls without effort. Living rock. Trying to enter alone. No noise, just a slight breeze gently moving shrubs high above. Scraggly trees add drama. Clouds racing. Rays lights up sheer cliffs. Drawing you into that narrow passageway. Through the rock. Like a birth canal. Light on the other side. And a final hurdle. The treck ends. Wow!
At first, we are annoyed about the entry fee. But then again, there are a lot of visitors. Creating wear and tear and the odd rubbish on the way. Money keeps the treck in good nick, and the locals in meaningful jobs. They make a killer hot chocolate too. The café and souvenir shop if well worth the visit.
Ellery Creek / Big Hole is a popular swimming spot at the next gap. And soo cold. Very few brave ones hop in. And faster out. I hear pthat eople cherish these near-death experiences. When the cold sinks in. When the heart suddenly stops. Usually, I would be in there too. Not today…
Serpentine Gorge, the last one for the day has more mystical qualities. A body of cold water blocks the entrance to the enchanted valley behind. Zebra finches and budgerigars, call this place home. Their erratic behaviour getting to the water and back to safety is a stark contrast to the measured movements of very few visitors. Most of them sitting quietly, taking in the places calm. It is peaceful, the reflections and colours of the rocks in the still water just superb.
The desert shows her fangs - Frostbite and Co
After five hours on the road and hiking, my batteries are running low. I am overflowing with impressions and their intensity over the past two days. To a point where I am getting muddled. Am tired. Luckily everyone else is ok with returning home: hot showers, camp fire and a last home cooked meal in Alice.
Freezing again: may have had my worst night yet, with nightmares, tossing and turning. And then there is calmness just before the first morning rays and very few degrees. Hands wrapped firmly around the first cuppa, I release Olli rom the car. He bounces around like a spring chicken. On mornings like these he defies his age.
By the way: two degrees or “fucking freezing” means
Sleeping dressed in hoodies, beanies, scarfs, and two pairs of socks. Add thermals tees, long-johns and track pants. Take note of the plural “s”. It’s a snug fit, and totally not sexy.
In bed, spooning with your partner, sharing body heat, is a must! Regardless of your arm falling asleep. Survival depends on the mastery of the lesser of these two evils.
Cover mouth and nose with your blanket or sleeping bag. Prevents frost bite. Steel yourself against evil farts lurking down below. Contain them. Try not to move as this will advance gasses towards your olfactories. Stay away from baked beans!
Have hot cooked porridge in the morning - to Paul’s disgust. And cut a centimetre or two of honey into it for good measure. Note: never travel without scissors.
Shower fully clothed - or at least ponder about it. Showering is not the problem. Getting out of the cubicle is. And then dressing really quick. Clothes tend to be non-compliant if one has not dried oneself thoroughly before hand.
It is impossible to text or take photos in the cold as the fingers are too stiff. Rubbing vigorously does not help. Instead, try to defrost hands in fridge or esky.
Never travel without Lemsip. It is basically a mixture of painkillers and vitamin C. Brewed with hot water, extra lemon juice, honey and rum and you got yourself a treat that thwarts off most frost related evils.
Breaking camp in the cold is a tad slower too. Factor in an extra hour or so as anything that needs be coaxed into a different shape or made smaller likes to comply.
King River Homestead via Ernest Giles Road, bacon flavoured budgies
We follow the Stuart Highway south then turn into Ernest Giles Road, 100 kilometres of some of the richest red, mystic, dusty roads. Passing the Bacon Range (yumm) we pay a visit to the Henbury Craters. When a meteor crashed into earth only 4,700 years ago it left 12 craters. The largest meteor weighed several tonnes and hurled into earth at 40,000 km per hour before fragmenting on impact. Each of the craters is quite different, some barely noticeable. The largest one is 180 meters wide and about 15m deep, created by something the size of a small car. It must have been noticeable from afar. "Boooom!" I would love to hear the Dreamtime records about that!
The further we drive west, the larger the flocks of budgies are. Two hundred or more, that’s not rare anymore. They swim through the air with extraordinary coordination. Changing colours mid-flight with every turn: yellow, green, black (shadows). For whatever reason they are attracted to roads. And unfortunately, to the front of our car. I can account for two or three fatalities. I swear, I would have stopped or at least slowed down, but these bastards just play chicken. Appearing out of nowhere. Beautiful and deadly. Kamikazeeeey!
Kings Creek Homestead is a 1800 square kilometre station specialising in cattle, camels and tourism. It was established by the Conways in 1981 and changed hands in 2019. The new owner took a day to get from one end of the property to the other. Being 38 kilometres from Watarrka or Kings Canyon, makes it a great, dog-friendly alternative to the resort within the national park. It has a well set up, spacious camp ground, offering quad tours and heli rides, and has some pretty fancy camel burgers. Great hot chocolates too!
Taking dog for a walk. He is the star of the park. “Geez, you’re pretty!” People say. “Thanks”, I reply. Just to see them looking funny at me, then muttering “You’re ok too.” Ouch!
Here's a little secret (for Aussies this is nothing new, or is it?), especially should you be from overseas: if one equates Alice Springs with Ayer's Rock, then several myths have to be extracted from your gum, like rotten teeth, nice and slowly and with rusty set of pliers:
Both are nowhere near each other. They are separated by desert and 450 km of country road.
With a lot of interesting sights in between.
Kings Canyon is one of them. So lets check it out!
Cock in a frock, on a rock - Watarrka / Kings Canyon
Finally there. Dog is happy in the shade of our car, while we are trotting up the western face of the cliff. Doesn't take long to wonder, what we am doing here. Together with another hundred visitors. Scrambling up god-knows-how-many step steps. Trying not to get blown off. While huffing and puffing and trying to catch a breath. There are some landings where one can pretend to take photographs. Never in front of older co-travellers of course - one has to keep up appearances. Unfortunately seriously red faces and the steam coming out of our ears are a giveaway.
And then we reach the top and it is, admittedly, breathtaking - in more than one way! Once the heart stops pounding and the vision clears, here is what's in store. So not what I expected! We are in a shallow canyon, surrounded by stacks of pancakes. Or beehives.
Scientifically, they are remnants of an ancient coastline and sanddunes, before they were folded into a mountain range putting even the Himalayans to shame. Of course this has been a long time ago and all of the 8,000 meter tall peaks are now gone. Continued pressure created cracks and water eventually eroded valleys into the neat, horizontal layers. Today they form a peculiar maze of labyrinthian proportions, interspersed by amphitheatres before dropping off into the spectacular abyss of Kings Canyon itself. I am in awe. Cannot get the grin of my face. It is laborious to get up here. One wonders if the ancient rocks don’t want us on the high plateau. Finally resigning, they cradle us in its alien landscape, 100 metres above the surrounding country.
The path meanders through the formations. There are blue arrows to follow, but we follow our own compass. Curious to think how this once was all sand and dunes. There are ripples, typical to a beach, fossilised into plates of rock. Amazed by the different structures, patterns and colours.
Approaching the rim is dramatic. The precision of the sheer drop off is impressive. As if cut by laser. Some of the lower parts weathered away, leaving an intricate pattern of shallow caves. Adds to the charm. And much further down, the floor of the canyon, densely forested, even with some water holes as in the aptly named Garden of Eden.
We are following the trail to Priscilla’s Lookout. I don’t think, it is called that, but this overhang is definitely the spot where Guy Pearce, Hugo Weaving and Terence Stamp showed off as “Cock in a Frock on a Rock" in the final scene of the epic 1994 road movie “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”. How they got up here, in drag, still looking fresh as daisies, no makeup or other malfunctions, is beyond me. Maybe they faked it and were dropped off by helicopter. Including camera crew, make-up artists and caterers.
Nowadays, there are helipads scattered throughout the hike. Each offers an emergency phone, a defibrillator and a large trunk-like first aid kit. Could double as a coffin. If first aid was applied too late. Umpf, what a thought!
Some of the boulders look like they are about to topple with massive cracks running through them. The ground is not as solid as one thinks. The closer you get to the edge, the wider and deeper the cracks are, until forming the bottomless chasms. Like a mountain goat, Peter hops from rock to rock peering into the black pool far below. I am very nervous. Rather wombat-like, you see myself edging cautiously towards the edge. On my bottom and all fours following his gaze.
Halfway through the hike we reach a dramatic crossing with steep steps, a suspension bridge and more sensational views. From here one can divert into the Garden of Eden (the pool we just caught glimpses of from above). Still quite out of breath, we opt for a thermos-coffee instead, enjoying the pumped up, red faces of our co-hikers and the warmth of the midday sun.
The back route takes us down via the southern rim with more spectacular views, surprising valleys and chasms. What a great hike. The four kilometres took us about three hours, including the four legged episodes, steep climbs, pancake formations, grand views, surprising stairs and bridges, nice coffee stops (provided, you bring your own) and luckily without any angina attacks. I have to say, it is deservingly one of Australia’s most iconic parks. Wow!!!
Track Notes
From Roadhouse to Roadhouse
Alice Springs 0 km - 146.9 c/L
To Kings Creek Station 310 km - 194.9 c/
From Camp to Camp
Heritage Caravan Park, Alice Springs (Lat -23.7365 / Lng 133.8701) 345 km
to Kings Creek Station (Lat -24.4042 / Lng 141.8189) 290 km
Links worth noting
Heritage Caravan Park (https://heritagecaravanpark.com.au), Alice Springs (https://northernterritory.com/alice-springs-and-surrounds/destinations/alice-springs), Finke River Desert Race (https://finkedesertrace.com.au), MacDonnell Rages including Jessies Gap, Trephina Gorge, Ross River Homestead, N’Dhala Gorge, Emily Gap, Alice Brewing Co, Simpsons Gap, Angkerle Atwatye / Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek, and Serpentine Gorge (http://www.macdonnellranges.com), Henbury Craters (https://northernterritory.com/alice-springs-and-surrounds/see-and-do/henbury-meteorites-conservation-reserve), Ernest Giles Road (https://www.dangerousroads.org/australia-and-oceania/australia/7466-ernest-giles-road.html), Kings Creek Station (https://kingscreekstation.com.au), Watarrka / Kings Canyon (https://northernterritory.com/uluru-and-surrounds/destinations/watarrka-national-park), Tourism NT (https://northernterritory.com)
Cool music and reads to keep you occupied
"Pricilla - Queen of the desert", the 1994 Australian Road Movie - to be exact: the last 15 minutes when the heroines show off their frocks on the rock!
Music of the seventies to match the frocks and the hilarious antiques of the aforementioned movie such as "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene, "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor, "Finally" by CeCe Peniston, and "Mamma Mia" by ABBA.
Things worth noting
Our overnight stays are chosen because they are dog friendly. In case of commercial caravan parks, be aware, that dogs cannot be left unaccompanied at the park at any time.
When camping off-grid, be aware that poison bait is used in most parts of the Outback to control the number of wild dogs. A dog that has ingested the deadly 1070 bait may be salvaged by inducing vomiting immediately. However, it is best to use a muzzle to prevent poisoning in the first instance.
The best time to visit the red center is Australia’s winter. Days can be in their low twenties. Expect frost as soon as the sun sets. If hiring is your thing, prepare for some early starts during autumn and spring. Walking trails get closed off at temperatures beyond 30 degrees.
Permits are required for few parks in the Northern Territory, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is one of them. Domestic animals are generally off limits. Some parks, such as Watarrka, allow to have a dog in the car park while exploring the attractions. Make sure there is shade and always sufficient water.
Many of Central Australia’s national parks, offer free guided tours. For information about places, days and times google “Territory Parks Alive”.
Handy Helpers
Hema Australian Road & 4WD Atlas
WikiCamps
FuelMap Australia
GoogleMaps
Comments