DAYS 101 - 102 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip
ALICE SPRINGS TO MARLA VIA EAST MACDONNELL RANGES
What a different day today. The rain has stopped and it is not quite as cold. However, it is still very muddy and there is water lying around. This morning a free pancake breakfast was served at the caravan park so we lined up with everyone else for a lovely pancake. After breakfast we headed to MacDonalds for a cuppa so as to access the internet as the wireless connection at the caravan park did not work last night. As the clouds were lifting we headed for Anzac Hill.
Finally we were able to see the beautiful Alice panorama. Alice Springs is situated in a beautiful spot between the ranges.
A decision was made to visit the East MacDonnell Ranges. They really are a forgotten treasure. The ranges are very scenic. At Emily Gap the dreamtime caterpillar paintings are clearly visible.
The cliffs are so different to those we had seen in the west.
They look as if someone had tried to push them over.
Jesse Gap was another spot where there were aboriginal paintings of the same dreamtime story.
Emily and Jesse Gaps although similar were also different. Both had sandy bases but the areas looked quite unique.
The drive through the ranges was very scenic.
Corroborree Rock really stood out as something very different from the surrounding ranges.
Finally we went to Trephina Gorge.
Instead of rocks, as in the Kimberley, we walked along a sand base to the gorge. Two waterholes still had water.
A beautiful and tranquil place. Near one of the water holes there were faintish paintings on the rock.
A beautiful campsite was very inviting but time constraints meant we couldn’t stay here. On our way out we stopped to see the largest ghost gum in the eastern ranges.
We want to come back to the centre again and spend time looking around. Alice has changed a lot from when we were here 27 years ago. The MacDonnell Ranges are beautiful and we would like to revisit them.
The time has come to head further south so we are now camped near the dry Fink River in a rest area full of other caravans and motorhomes. We spent quite some time around a campfire talking to some of the fellow travellers. They are all heading north. They must think we are crazy heading south.
We woke to find it was 3 degrees outside. I think we will be acclimatised by the time we get to Jindabyne the way the weather is going here. It was interesting to note that we were on the main road between Adelaide and Darwin and there was no mobile signal available on the next G network.
There was lots of traffic heading north but no where near as many Britz or Wicked vans as in the west. We pulled in to Marla and couldn’t believe how busy it was. All those who had camped at Finke were on there way back for the race finish in Alice. The traffic was crazy here.
This was the place where we turned off for the Oodnadatta Track.
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