West MacDonnell Ranges

From Coober Pedy we were back on bitumen travelling up the Stuart Highway - boring for me, no dust for Helen!  Topped up with fuel at Marla then again at Kulgera where we stayed the night at the Caravan Park, we were lucky to get the last powered site - late at night the wind changed to a cool southerly and Helen had to shut all windows as wind was extremely strong.

Always nice to be back in the Territory.

Leaving Kulgera the temperature had dropped to 10 degrees and wind was strong however no flies!  Travelling with a tail wind up the Stuart Highway we stopped for coffee at Erldunda and decided not to go to Ayres Rock (Uluru) as it was school holidays which included Easter and there would be heaps of people.  With the news that the Rock would not be opened for climbing after October, a lot of people were heading there to climb it for the last time.  In Alice Springs we stayed in Wintersun Caravan Park, nice grassed sites, for 4 nights. While there we washed the van down, had the car serviced at Outback Mechanical NT, who I could highly recommend, even provided a loan ute!

The flys had been pretty bad this trip and still very friendly.

Went for a drive out to the West MacDonnell Ranges to Glen Helen Gorge where we even got our fly nets out to defend ourselves against the millions of flies.  After Glen Helen we drove up to Mt Sonder lookout then onto Ormiston Gorge where we had lunch at the small cafe near the car park, even inside the flies seemed to find us, but less in numbers. Travelled to the Oche Pits where desert Aboriginal people once used as a quarry for ochre pigments; Ellery Creek - the waterhole is fed by the West MacDonnell Ranges and surrounded by high red cliffs and sandy Ellery Creek. This was enough gorges for the day so headed back to Alice for a cool shower and a cold beer.  On the next day we went back to complete the West MacDonnell Ranges gorges and visited Standley Chasm ($10 each entry fee, thank you!) where the walk in took us through burnt out countryside then completing the gorges at Simpson Gap.
We called into a Camping Shop to purchase a new flask as after 40 years ours has died but had seen lots of Australian outback roads over the years! So we had a new flask to continue our travels north.

Started at the most western gorge, Glen Helen. A few were cooling off in the water which looked most inviting.

Another very popular spot, Ormiston Gorge, We had lunch at the small kiosk near the car park.

Outstanding colours of the Ochre Pits - "Tjoritja"

Ellery Creek Big Hole

Serpentine Gorge

Arriving at Standley Chasm

Only waited for a few minutes before the crowd had left to get the photo with the colour and Hels.

On the walk in we passed a lot of area burn out by a recent fire about 9 weeks earlier.

Walk into Simpson Gap was more impressive with the large gum trees.