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East Macdonnell Ranges Stretch in the Isolated That Culminate About 100Km, the Ridges Cut by a Series of Gaps and Gorges Country with Superb Ruby Gap

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East Macdonnell Ranges Stretch in the Isolated That Culminate About 100Km, the Ridges Cut by a Series of Gaps and Gorges Country with Superb Ruby Gap © Lonely Planet Publications 233 The Southeast If the vast expanse of desert north of Alice Springs seems remote, cast your eyes southeast on a map. Stretching down to the South Australia border and the fringes of the Simpson Desert, much of this corner of the Territory is little-visited but beautiful desert dune country. While many sights can be reached by conventional vehicle, you really need a 4WD to fully appreciate the beauty of this region. The remote Simpson Desert in the far southeastern corner of the Territory is an almost trackless region of spinifex and shifting sands that is one of the last great 4WD adventures. But if you don’t have a 4WD and a taste for desert driving, don’t despair. Immediately east of Alice, the easily accessible East MacDonnell Ranges stretch in a rugged line for about 100km, the ridges cut by a series of gaps and gorges that culminate in the isolated but heavenly Ruby Gap. Just like the ranges to the west, this is lovely country with superb walks, lots of bush camping and the eerie historical ghost town of Arltunga. To the south lies a sparsely inhabited region where rolling sand dunes are broken by incredible rock formations (Chambers Pillar is a highlight), accessible Aboriginal settlements and some great outback driving and camping under a vast desert sky. Compared with west of the Stuart Hwy, this is an untouched area and that alone makes it alluring. HIGHLIGHTS THE SOUTHEAST Camping out like an early explorer and circumnavigating the dramatic sandstone beacon of Chambers Pillar ( p242 ) Imagining the ghosts of the past while exploring the old gold-mining town of Arltunga ( p238 ) Ross Cooling off in the waterhole after trekking River Resort through tranquil Trephina Gorge ( p236 ) Trephina Kicking back with a few beers at the bar of Gorge Arltunga the Ross River Resort ( p238 ) Ruby Gap Santa Rainbow Teresa Tackling the tough 4WD track then camping Valley out along the river bed at beautiful Ruby Titjikala Gap ( p240 ) Chambers Pillar Stopping in at the Aboriginal art centres at Titjikala ( p241 ) and Santa Teresa ( p242 ) Watching the setting sun light up the rich colours of Rainbow Valley ( p243 ) TELEPHONE CODE %08 NT Parks & Wildlife Commission: www.nreta.gov.au 234 EAST MACDONNELL RANGES www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com EAST MACDONNELL RANGES •• Emily & Jessie Gaps Nature Park 235 0 200 km THE SOUTHEAST 0 120 miles REGIONAL TOURS To Tennant Creek See East MacDonnell (460km) Ranges Map (p236) The following tours leave from Alice: Gardens Tourist ga D Arltunga Arltun r Historic Atula Ossies Outback Tours (%8952 2308; www Indiana 5 Reserve 87 Claraville Tropic of Capricorn .ossies.com.au; 18 Warburton St) Comprehensive Tana Trephina Gorge Ruby Gap m i Nature Park 8 Nature Park range of 4WD tours, including day trips to Owen Rd E a s t M a cDonne l l Ran g e s ABORIGINAL LAND Springs and Rainbow Valley ($95) and three-day y Alice w Hale River WEST MACDONNELL NP Springs H Simpson Desert tour with Chambers Pillar, Old ss N'Dhala Gorge Ringwood Namatjira Ro Mt Isabel Nature Park P Andado and Mt Dare ($650). Dr 2 F lenty R Pine Gap e r ABORIGINAL LAND g Outback Experience (%8953 2666; www u Limbla ABORIGINAL LAND s ive M Ooraminna Homestead & s .outbackexperience.com.au) Run by knowledgeable 6 Ewaninga Rock Carvings o Numery r a O Bush Camp n r Conservation Reserve s ld Santa Teresa R h a local Leigh Goldsmith, covers Chambers Pillar and S a (Ltyentye Apurte) n ll o g FINKE Todd e R Rainbow Valley uth Rainbow Valley in a day for $150, and East i GORGE Deep v Conservation e NP R Rive r Reserve d Well Allambi MacDonnells for $130. Oak r Todd Finke Stuarts Well Valley Ooraminna River Downs Path Tours (%8952 0525; www.pathtours River Hu Stock Route gh River Rodinga adventure.com) Three-day 4WD tours to the East Henbury Rodinga Range O O'Neill Point MacDonnell Ranges, Chambers Pillar and Rainbow l Titjikala d ( (Maryvale) 4 A W n Valley for $500. e Mt Rodinga d g Prominent Pillar D a n (500m) o d a o T Palmer Valley R n Chambers ly) e r t a Stu t Pillar Historic l o c The Twins a r Bundooma k art C h Reserve Alice Well Mt Trioda portant Aboriginal sites in the Alice Springs H Idracowra Fink w (4WD Only) area, as it was from here that the Caterpil- y Engoordina Mac Clark e Tra Conservation SIMPSON lar Ancestral Beings of Mparntwe (Alice Mt Hakea Reserve DESERT c y Horseshoe Bend k NP Erldunda a Springs) originated. w il ) a e R a Mt Squire Jessie Gap, 8km further on, is an equally in R Rumbalara a l i i l Finke Old Andado L H al ck n Bl a scenic gorge and a good place for a picnic. r S i m p s o n D e s e r t a R Andado st iv h Mt u e G r A Kingston Lilla Finke Both sites are popular swimming holes and e l h (Apatula) a Creek Lambert Mt (T Lyndavale tr Centre have toilets. Camping is not permitted. 87 n Pebbles e C ABORIGINAL LAND NORTHERN Umbeara Creek New Crown TERRITORY Mt Falconer Mt QUEENSLAND Kulgera te Bushwalking Mt ou Etingimbra Reynolds k R Charlotte er Stoc Goyder Waters Sweeping panoramas extend from the Victory yd Mt Grundy Poeppel Go Downs Mt Duff Corner A high, narrow ridge walk (8km one way, 2½ St n d e n g e Mt Dare r s o nOld GhanR Raila ev L hours, unmarked, medium) between Emily en ind WITJIRA so s NP Tieyon n ay SOUTH Simpson Desert and Jessie Gaps. Look out for wildlife, such Marryat C C Mt Howe r re Conservation e e AUSTRALIA THE SOUTHEAST ek k Dalhousie Park as euros, black-footed rock wallabies and Rout Springs Creek wedge-tailed eagles. The trick is to get De Rose Hill e H someone to drop you off at Emily Gap, then have them continue on to Jessie Gap to get Aboriginal culture and abandoned mining plan to camp overnight camp at Trephina, the picnic and esky ready. EAST MACDONNELL areas. Arltunga or Ruby Gap. Apart from the The road is sealed for the 85km to Ross Ross River Resort, camping is the only ac- CORROBOREE ROCK THE SOUTHEAST RANGES River Resort. Arltunga is 33km from the commodation available. CONSERVATION RESERVE Ross Hwy along an unsealed road which can Past Jessie Gap, you drive over eroded flats, Although often overlooked in favour of the be quite rough, but it’s usually OK for 2WD EMILY & JESSIE GAPS NATURE PARK with the steep-sided East MacDonnell Ranges more popular West MacDonnells, the East vehicles in dry conditions. The alternative Following the Ross Hwy east of the Stuart looming large on your left, before entering a MacDonnell Ranges are no less absorbing return route via Claraville, Ambalindum Hwy for 10km you arrive at Emily Gap, the valley between red ridges. Corroboree Rock, and fewer visitors can mean a more enjoy- and The Garden homesteads to the Stuart first of two scenic gaps in the range. Nobody 51km from Alice Springs, is one of a number able bush experience. The Ross Hwy snakes Hwy is recommended for 4WDs only. knows for sure how they got their English of unusual tan-coloured dolomite hills that east from Alice to the historical former Access to John Hayes Rockhole (in names, but both gaps are associated with an are scattered over the valley floor. goldmining town at Arltunga and is a very Trephina Gorge Nature Park), N’Dhala Arrernte Caterpillar Dreaming trail. A small cave in this large dog-toothed scenic drive through a jumble of high ridges Gorge and Ruby Gap is definitely by 4WD The highlight here is the stylised rock outcrop was once used by local Aboriginal and hills drained by gum-lined creeks. only. paintings on the gorge walls, though after people as a storehouse for sacred objects. Along the way you pass several small parks Although most of the attractions out this rain you might have to swim across the wa- It is a registered sacred site and part of the and reserves where you can explore rug- way can be seen in a single day, you may terhole to see them. Known to the Arrernte Perentie Dreaming. Despite the name, it’s ged gorges (such as beautiful Trephina), find it more rewarding to take it slowly and as Anthwerrke, this is one of the most im- doubted whether the rock was ever used The Southeast The Southeast 236 EAST MACDONNELL RANGES •• Trephina Gorge Nature Park www.lonelyplanet.com www.lonelyplanet.com EAST MACDONNELL RANGES •• N’Dhala Gorge Nature Park 237 020 km EAST MACDONNELL RANGES 0 12 miles Panorama walk (3km, one hour, easy) Great views over creek down from the waterhole. The rough To Plenty Hwy To Plenty Hwy Trephina Gorge and examples of bizarre, twisted rock strata road here gives a real feeling of remoteness. (14km) (5km) are highlights of this walk. There’s no reliable fresh water supply here – C Chain of Ponds walk (4km loop, 1½ hours, medium) refill at the other camp sites. attle w From the John Hayes Rockhole camping ground, this ater F 4WD Only lo walk leads through the gorge, past rock pools and up to N’DHALA GORGE NATURE PARK ren Pinnacles Bore Pass c a lookout above the gorge.
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