We woke up early to see the sunrise and were not disappointed, the views were superb, better than at sunset when Mt Sonder is in the dark. After taking a lot of pictures we started our journey back to Alice Springs, but this time we stopped along the way to visit all the sites.
1_Ormiston Gorge
Very nice gorge, red cliffs, water holes, ghost gum trees.
Rating: great, stunning landscapes
Walk: Ghost Gum Tree loop (1h30, medium)
Wildlife: we saw some black-footed rock wallabies, they look like small kangaroos
Distance to main road: 8km (sealed)
2_Ochre Pits
Pits lined along a dry creek, they have various coloured ochres (yellow, white and re-brown) , they were a source of paints for Aboriginal people.
Rating: not impressive but pretty
Walk: short walk (20min return, easy)
Wildlife: n/a
Distance to main road: very close (sealed)
3_Serpentine Gorge
Very large and impressive gorge.
Rating: great, very impressive lookout
Walk: to the lookout (1h30 return, to the gorge easy, demanding to the lookout)
Wildlife: funny little birds
Distance to main road: 3km (unsealed)
4_Ellery Creek Big Hole
The biggest permanent water hole in the MacDonnells, nice red cliffs, good for a swim.
Rating: nice
Walk: short walk (10min return, easy )
Wildlife: n/a
Distance to main road: 2km (unsealed)
5_Standley Chasm
This narrow gap slices neatly through the rock and is bordered by 80m high red cliffs.
Rating: very nice
Walk: to the chasm (40min return, easy)
Wildlife: lots of lizards
Distance to main road: 8km (sealed)
This narrow gap slices neatly through the rock and is bordered by 80m high red cliffs.
Rating: very nice
Walk: to the chasm (40min return, easy)
Wildlife: lots of lizards
Distance to main road: 8km (sealed)
As the chasm is located on private land there is an entry fee of $8 to pay.
6_Simpsons Gap
Towering gap, nice red cliffs, water hole.
Rating: nice
Walk: short walk (10min return, easy)
Wildlife: lizards and kangaroos
Distance to main road: 5km (sealed)
6_Simpsons Gap
Towering gap, nice red cliffs, water hole.
Rating: nice
Walk: short walk (10min return, easy)
Wildlife: lizards and kangaroos
Distance to main road: 5km (sealed)
We really had a great day visiting all those nice sites, quite tiring so as it was a very hot day. Back in Alice Springs we tanked our van before starting our long journey to Uluru, 450km. Our aim was to do part of the way to have less kilometers to drive the next day. As it is not advised to drive a dawn, dusk and night in the Outback due to the wildlife, we only drove up to Stuats Well, the first 'town' going south from Alice Spring, where there is a petrol station and a campground with some free sites, you just have to pay AU$3,50 for a shower. The owner has some emus and kangaroos in captivity and Gosia reckons that his dog is a dingo. This place has a special atmosphere and really gives you the feeling to be in the middle of nowhere, and the people are weird but very nice.
