We took our time today...for a change we did not see the sun rise and got up a bit late! We drove to Alice Springs and nearly got into troubles as we just had enough petrol to reach the town! We did some shopping, picked up some info about the East MacDonnells at the tourist office and then left Alice Springs towards Emily Gap, our first stop in the East MacDonnels. Emily Gap is only 20km from Alice Springs and it is a very important sacred site for the Aborigines. We planned to have lunch before exploring the site and were not very happy when we arrived as there were TOO MANY flies! No chance for us to eat outside, we had to eat at the back of our van. Then we put on our flies nets, bought in Uluru but not used yet! We were so glad we got them as without the flies will drive us crazy. The gap itself is quite nice but not stunning. On the East side there are aboriginal paintings, very simple ones that are supposed to represent caterpillars. We then drove to Jessie Gap, 8km further, the gap is less nice, lots of flies as well and also similar paintings. We did not stay long and soon continued our journey towards Trephina Gorge, the last site in the East MacDonnells accessible with 2WD vehicles. The road after Jessie Gap became very scenic. We stopped at Corroboree Rock (50km from Alice Springs), a nice rock formation located in beautiful landscapes. It is in this area that can be found the Perentie (Varanus giganteus) is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia, and third largest lizard on earth. After Corroboree the road becomes very narrow but is still called the Ross Highway! The last 8km to get to Trephina Gorge are unsealed, on the way a stop at The Ghost Gum Tree is worth it, this tree is believed to be the biggest ghost gum tree of the East MacDonnells, 30m high (see picture). We stopped for the night at the nice campground of Trephina Gorge. We were surprised to find out that we would not be on our own as there was another guy camping. The campground has basic facilities and is located in a very nice area, however we will have enjoyed our stay more with less flies and lower temperatures!
