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Our first holiday since moving back to Australia and it was definitely time to gfo and see some of it. With no training at all, we decided to walk seven days of the Larapinta Trail in the West McDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs.
If you have Google Earth installed on your computer, you can view some of the main locations by downloading and opening this Google Earth kmz file. (Now fixed). Alternatively, you can view the online maps at the NT Parks and Wildlife Larapinta Trail website.
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| Day1 to Day 3 | Day 4 and 5 | Day 6 to Day 8 |
Ellery Big Hole
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Saturday 24 June 2006
Day 1: Glebe to Ellery Big Hole and Dolomite Walk
Today: 2km - Total: 2km
It turned out to be quite a shock: going from Sydney and finding ourselves
out in the outback just 6 hours later. Picked up from the airport, we were
driven by Alice Wanderers out a bit over an hour into the West McDonnell
Ranges from Alice Springs to Ellery Big Hole.
Before we knew it we were largely alone, sitting by the stunning waterhole
and enjoying the sun. For our first day, we weren’t going to tear-off, so
instead we set up the tent, relaxed in the sun by the waterhole and began
to unwind from a hectic work-week and preparation. In the afternoon we did
a brief 2km warm-up stroll around a marked trail called the Dolomite Walk.
Once we had our first taste of sunset colours on outback landscape, we were
then dazzled by the stars and the clarity of the Milky Way, spotting
satellites and only interrupted by keeping a couple of game dingoes away
from our food.
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Ghost Gum |
Danielle relaxing at Ellery Big Hole
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Ellery Big Hole at Dusk |
Sunset Silhouette |
David at the campsite
at Ellery Big Hole |
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Sunday 25 June 2006
Day 2: Ellery Big Hole to Rocky Creek
Today: 15.3 km Total: 17.3 km
Not in any of the habits, we started slowly, not leaving until 10:30 am. The packs were heavy with 5 days food and took a bit of getting used to. However, it was definitely exciting to begin and we enjoyed a rolling climb up to the saddle and the view across to the second range and the rolling country between that we’d be covering in the next couple of days.
Over the next few hours though, our lack of any training meant our predictions of distances covered proved over optimistic, so we pulled up a bit exhausted for the night a little early at Rocky Creek, a campsite where the National Parks have put in a water tank.
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Danielle resting near the saddle |
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David walking through the saddle |
David at the saddle |
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Monday 26 June 2006
Day 3: Rocky Creek to Hugh Gorge Campsite
Today: 15.9km Total: 33.2km
Learning from our slow start the previous morning, we set the alarm on the mobile phone for 6:30am and were a bit surprised to find it completely black outside. Ahh, 30 minute time difference! However, a 6am start became a bit of a habit for the rest of the trail. Get the billy on for some tea and watch the colour come into the sky slowly and it is worth getting out of a warm sleeping bag and into the cold morning.
Walking between the two branches of the ranges, the walking wasn’t spectacular, but not too tough either, rolling along over ridges of Mallee. Daytime temperatures of 20-25 deg C were very comfortable, but just looking at the dry, powdery, red soil made you wonder how anything survives out here in summer. Even in the conditions of our visit the landscape felt a bit threatening; almost like you’d rather not turn your back on it.
By the time we got to Hugh Gorge campsite we were just happy to get there.
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The ghost gum at
Ghost Gum Flat |
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Lunch at Ghost Gum Flat |
Desert Grevillia flowers |
Spinifex Above Hugh Gorge campsite |
Spinifex detail
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Hugh Gorge |
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| Day1 to Day 3 | Day 4 and 5 | Day 6 to Day 8 |
