When August came, rather than doing training hikes, I trained my brain to prepare for the disappointment of our Alice Springs and Tjoritja West MacDonnell National Park outdoorsy odyssey being postponed or cancelled due to Covid-19. ‘Well, there I go!’ Fortunately, we boarded the flight to Alice on Sunday 22nd August. My partner Dan agreed to join me, a super keen and experienced mountain biker but not so enthusiastic about the hiking. I felt very lucky to be able to travel to the Northern Territory again, and to have a companion for camping and trails in the remote outback of Central Australia.
We hired a Pajero 4WD, plus some camping gear from Nomadic Camping Hire. On the first day we enjoyed stopping at Ellery Creek Big Hole, Dolomite Walk, Serpentine Gorge and the Ochre Pits. Tjoritja West MacDonnell National Park was handed back to the Aboriginal traditional custodians in 2012 and is jointly run with the Northern Territory government.
I’d like to acknowledge we walked on Western Aranda and Arrente Country, and we learned of the deep connection the Aboriginal people have with their lands, their history and culture going back many thousands of years.
Serpentine Gorge was amazing. In the Tnankara Dreamings, there was a fierce Water Serpent spirit-being here. We watched the zebra finches drink from the water and chatter to each other. The short hike up to the lookout gave big views beyond the gorge, high cliffs of red rock where woodswallows fly up and down. There were glimpses of ancient cycad plants in the shade far below. The narrowing of the gorge upstream in the distance was dark and mysterious; dare I say the moments at Serpentine Gorge were sublime.
Serpentine Gorge from the lookout
Ormiston Gorge campground wasn’t too busy, but it was good to know there was an overflow camping area. Rangers were preparing to introduce a campsite booking system, which could turn out to be a smart move. This beautiful place is only around a 90-minute drive west of Alice and was our base for two nights. The stars put on a wonderful show – looking up at Pleiades and Orion’s Belt always gives me such joy in the wee small hours.
The good news was I could pick out some very special day hikes without having to haul a big rucksack from camp to camp on the iconic Larapinta Trail. On Wednesday, Dan and I hiked ‘Section 8’, Serpentine Gorge to Counts Point and back (14.8 kilometres) seeing us up high along the length of a ridge, airy and very scenic. In August the nights can be quite cold but with sunny days in the low to high twenties, we didn’t have to worry about heat stress. Sometimes the wind picked up but there was no wind while we ate our satisfying lunch at Counts Point. I loved hearing soothing crickets. Day crickets! And more woodswallows. The lofty ridgelines stretched off into the distance, views extending west to take in Mount Zeil, Rutjupma / Mount Sonder and Mount Razorback under an enormous blue sky.
Epic views from Counts Point, Section 8 of the Larapinta Trail
On the return journey we shared the trail with Norm from Townsville, who was trekking the Larapinta and sharing anecdotes of the 231 kilometres epic journey on foot. He liked my (modest) pace for the downhill section, not too hard on the body.
This trip’s misadventure was a tiny puncture in my sleeping mat on the second night. Waking up feeling cold on a hard desert ground was kind of scary. A big thank you to Dan who has excellent bike tube puncture repair skills to patch it up the next day. I still had to re-inflate a few times each night, so a second puncture was somewhere, but the patch helped a lot, and I didn’t have another chilly scare.
Many years ago, when I camped at Uluru, I saw an impressive scorpion and wondered if I would see one again, or perhaps a dingo. I saw neither, instead at Ormiston Gorge camp there were tiny mice (one went over my foot!) I was delighted by ‘floor pigeons’, cooing to each other and performing dances. They are called Spinifex pigeons, who prefer to walk than fly, their warm colours and markings blending with the ochre landscape.
Spinifex pigeon (floor pigeon)
Thursday was for Kwartatuma / Ormiston Gorge and Pound, approximately 11 kilometres. I was so happy that the Ghost Gum walk is short and suitable for people of different fitness levels, with such speccy views of the waterhole way down below. The Ghost Gum was classic Outback, contrasting against the redness, its roots travelling deep through rock to the water. We sidled along slopes of spinifex and mallee, past the water and stopped at Ormiston for a blueberry muffin. Yes, there was a kiosk at Ormiston.
Kwartatuma / Ormiston Gorge from up high at Ghost Gum Lookout
The Pound loop was awesome. You hike among varied landscapes: along spinifex hillsides, through a pass, into the Pound and crossing the Ormiston Creek. A small side trip to a lookout was quite something. That sense of remoteness with the big sweeping views and arid air. No phone reception. We had lunch under a river red gum with families of budgies chirping all the time. There was a juvenile lingering in a shrub near us, very cute, and I hoped it would survive.
Soon the trail markers take you back into the Gorge and the shade of high red walls on both sides. Wow, it was quite stunning. There was water around from the recent rain so Dan and I already knew there would be a creek crossing up to our knees. We took off our boots and walked it slowly, careful over the rocks, slippery with algae in places. It was memorably freezing!
No, we didn’t swim in any of the gorges, although some were open for swimming. It would have been numbingly cold, and for the record, we went in up to our necks in the Desert Palms resort pool for about 20 seconds. That was hilariously cold. We continued through Kwartatuma / Ormiston Gorge to the trailhead via rock hopping the boulders and crossing soft sand of the creek bed.
Coming back into the amazing Kwartatuma / Ormiston Gorge
Dan and I relocated to Redbank Gorge for a basic camping experience (there was a drop toilet and rainwater tank), being at one with the desert wilderness. On the way to Redbank, we stopped at Yapalpa / Glen Helen Gorge, where it was good to see Glen Helen had reopened as one of the Discovery Parks, and the Gorge was beautiful and swimmable. If it wasn’t so cold.
Grey-headed honeyeaters at the rainwater tank
At Redbank’s Ridgetop camping area I could watch Rutjupma / Mount Sonder at sunrise. This was our big day, Section 12 of the Larapinta Trail to the mountain top and back, approximately 16 kilometres, followed by Redbank Gorge, another 2.4 kilometres. It was very kind of my partner Dan to accompany me, seeing as he is not into hiking.
I learned that Tnankara trails pass through Rutjupma, including a man / euro hill kangaroo, who travelled west to east through this country where the Tjilpa / quoll men saw him. As we started, we crossed paths with a large group of people who had set out in the night, to watch the sunrise at the top. I enjoyed the array of purple and yellow wildflowers with the spinifex as we steadily climbed to the saddle, called Saddle. Here was a lookout for a shorter hike option, announcing on the sign that Rutjupma / Mount Sonder is 1380 metres elevation, and of Heavitree quartzite rock. It was a warmer day but with moderate cool winds sometimes, enough to want rocky shelter when we had snack breaks. The trail itself was fine, fabulous ridge terrain with epic views of the plains and surrounding ranges. I was trudging uphill, with hayfever and trying to stay hydrated, but I felt as free as a bird.
Dramatic rocky scenery
Desert flowers
We moved past a dramatic cliff edge, and other rocky features near the top with various flowering bushes, then past a weather station, and finally we gained the top. I was emotional at the 360-degree views, desert colours and perfect weather. The fractured rocky bluff was to our left – I believe it was the precipitous and official Rutjupma peak. We shared our peak with Genevieve and John from New South Wales and enjoyed chatting with them. This couple were on the open road for months, as were Jess and Ash from Queensland, who we met camping earlier. How cool is that? Such friendly people. There were practicalities at the summit while we had phone reception: checking the SA and NT Covid-19 updates and the weather forecast.
Dan and Kylie at the walking trail peak of Rutjupma / Mount Sonder
Point of turnaround. As the day grew old, we descended with wonderful vistas all the way, sunny greens, oranges, and whites. Ripple rocks telling the story of an ancient seabed. Me trying to photograph lizards while becoming tired. The golden glows of sunset came as we walked in and out of Redbank Gorge, the rocky landscape touched with soft pinks in the early evening. I was pleased that we avoided overheating on the trails, and glad that I felt reasonably fit and mountain-goat-like for the inclines.
Lizard 😊
Rutjupma in the distance
Special mentions go to Alice Springs Reptile Centre, where a thorny devil stood still and ate passing ants like they were a sushi train. I held Rachel the bearded dragon and Dan received hugs from a beautiful olive python.
Rachel the bearded dragon
The Hermannsburg Historic Precinct and Alice Springs Telegraph Station provided fascinating history.
On the sunset camel ride with Pyndan Camel Tracks we went with Tjala. She was a beautiful camel, and it was so very relaxing.
Thank you for reading my blog. Being able to go on these trips, and reflecting on them, is very special to me.
I’d like to acknowledge the Northern Territory Government Parks and Wildlife for their excellent signboard information, including the Tnankara Dreamings.
NT Parks and reserves - a starting point for trip planning.
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