DAYS 18-20 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

12 - 14 May 2010

RAINBOW VALLEY – ALICE SPRINGS

What a night last night. Hubby woke up at night thinking he heard a car drive in. He thought it was a bit late for someone to arrive here at night and dozed off. A while later he woke again as the noise was stil continuing. He got up to see what it was. He soon realised it was coming out of our car. Somehow the radio had come on and as there was no signal it was making a crackly sound. He couldn’t figure out how it had come on. So after switching it off with the remote he came back to bed. In the morning we found a huge locust on the ipod. It must have hit the radio with some force and turned it on.

In the morning we went for a walk to Mushroom Rock.

Rainbow Valley from the side had some very interesting features.

There were several interesting faces sculpted into the rock by nature’s forces.

Mushroom Rock was very interesting. It had such different textures throughout the rock.

There were also nests on the roof cavity. We had a debate whether they were wasp or bird nests.

Finally the hubs were unlocked after many days as we were going to go on the main road up to Alice Springs.  So we are back in civilization and road trains were soon overtaking us.

It was not far to Alice and we were there at lunchtime. We stopped at the Caravan Park recommended by Leigh but it was full so we went on to Heavitree Gap Outback Lodge. CMCA members get a really good deal here. We paid $21 per night for a powered site. It is a reasonable caravan park.

The site is close to the Todd River at the base of West MacDonnell Ranges.

We settled in then went in search of a diesel tank cap. We couldn’t get one straight away but an order was sent to Perth. Hopefully it will be here by Friday.

Next stop was the information centre where we armed ourselves with compulsory reading and returned to the caravan park. We didn’t feel like cooking so we went to the adjacent Tavern for dinner. We tried emu, camel and kangaroo skewers. The emu was drowned in herbs. The camel was very tasty. The kangaroo we had tried before so was no surprise. There was a tour group at the next table. Whilst we were eating they were having a demonstration of australian reptiles – lizards and snakes. Not my cup of tea but at least we saw what the king brown and black snake looked like in this area.

The second day was washing and cleaning day. We have had an invited traveller with us since Adelaide – a Mouse! We have baited it with two different traps to no avail. So we totally emptied the car trying to find it. We found where it has been but there is no trace of it. We are not sure if it is still with us as we have not heard anything for the last couple days. I will still get some bait just in case it is still here. We first saw it in the front right hand dasher. So it could be anywhere.

In the evening we caught up with a couple we met at Old Andado. They had kindly offered to help us sort out some issues with our moving map on Oz Explorer as it kept defaulting every few minutes to the satelite version much to my frustration. We spent a couple of hours with them sorting out the problem and having a great chat.

On Friday I spent some time wandering through the galleries taking in the wonderful works of indigeneous art on display. I went to my favourite galleries and some new ones. At Peta Appleyard Gallery I was lucky to see Sarah Brown’s exhibition, Just around the corner that focused on central Australia, as it was the last day of the exhibition. The painings were fabulous and the the show was a sell out – all the works had been sold. Whilst I was enjoying myself in Alice's centre, hubby collected the new fuel cap and tinkered happily around the Oka. I then met hubby for lunch and after doing some shopping came back to relax at the campground.

By the way aren’t the garbage bins cool?!

DAY 17 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

11 May 2010

CHAMBER’S PILLAR – RAINBOW VALLEY VIA HUGHES RIVER STOCK ROUTE

It was so nice to have a rest day yesterday . We are on our way again today but the distance is only short.
 

We retraced our track to Maryvale across dry creek beds.

No sign of the diesel tank cap. At Maryvale they had not seen it. So we will need to get another at Alice.
 

On our way out we met another Oka and, as Oka drivers do, we pulled up for a chat. We needed to pull over to let others through. The other Oka had a tour group so the chat was short but we would meet again at Rainbow Valley as they were going there in the afternoon.

We dropped in at Titjikala community arts and crafts gallery. They had some really nice wood pieces and beads.

Then onto Maryvale Road we went until the turn off to Hugh River Stock Route. Graders were at work here as welll. We followed the directions we were given. We turned off the stock route before the rail bridge to find ourselves on a private road alongside the new ghan rail track.

Undaunted we decided to proceed as it was not far to the next turnoff. We found Rainbow Valley track and headed in. When we saw the ranger we stopped. He was surprised to see us here as this part of the park is not accessible to the public. He was also surprised that we had come in on the route we had. So he directed us to the main part of the park accessible to the public.

We made our way over to the main part of the park. The Rainbow Valley is a stunning sandstone ridge that rises our of a clay pan. It is almost treeless with an abundance of spinifex bushes.

Many pictures show it reflected in water. However, there was no water here. The ridge is very rich in colours - iron rich reds, ochres, yellows, oranges and whites. The rest of the reserve is quite barren.

We met up with other travellers that were at Chambers Pillar. Then the Oka arrived with Leigh and his group of tourist. Whilst the group went on a walk Leigh and hubby had quite a chat.

Before long it was sunset and the ridge did lit up when the sun’s rays hit it. The ridge just glowed.

Another lovely day in the Australian bush.

DAY 16 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

10 May 2010

CHAMBER’S PILLAR

Amongst the pillars and mounds

Chambers Pillar can be found

Grand majestic and so tall

Nestled in sand dunes – not hard to fall

What a landmark from afar

A beacon to all from afar

What a record of our past

Too many stories of the past

Roll of honour of those who passed

Early traveller's record to show they had passed

Across the ancient lands

Over many dunes of sand

If the pillar could only talk

Maybe the castle will also talk

Of the tales of the ancient land

Of kinship laws broken in this land

Now as the sun sets it begins to glow

And time just continues to flow

We got up early to see the sun rise ofver the horizon and light up the the surrounding mounds

and pillar.

We then spent the day at Chambers Pillar. There are many faces to the pillar.

We went for walk to the pillar and up to its base.

There was a fabulous panoramic view from here of the area.

Many explorers have recorded there presence here.

The walk around the castle was on a track that was not so well worn. Spinifex crowns lined the path.

There appeared to be a kangaroo sculpted in the rock face.

A beautiful patch of green was so out of place with the rest of the surrounds.

The origins of the pillar – Itirkawara - and the castle – Yayurara - lie in the story of broken kinship rules. A fierce evil warrior chose to live with women forbidden to him under tribal law. When he sat doen to rest he turned into stone – the Pillar, whilst the girl crouching with shame turned away and became castle rock.

Sunset was beautiful at it slowly lit up the rocks and surrounding area.

DAY 15 FROM SOUTH TO NORTH - TOP END (NORTHERN TERRITORY) TRIP

9 May 2010

OLD ANDADO - FINKE – CHAMBER’S PILLAR

A slow start this morning as a communal breakfast was organised.

Then it was time to pack up and leave. After we drove out we stopped at the top of the first dune and explored it. There were so many tracks in the sand.

The dunes are just stunning. We could have stayed here all day.

We finally got into the Oka and the bend at the top of the dune took us out of view of the home paddock.

It was a 120 km west to Finke (Aputula).

We retraced our path from yesterday and crossed the Finke again. A grader was there working on the track. As it was Sunday everything was very quiet at Finke.

We turned onto the Old Ghan Track. I don’t think I have mentioned but we have had our hubs locked in now for quite a few days and used 4Wd a bit. It was 165 kilometres to Chambers Pillar from here. The track on the Old Ghan was interesting. We had been warned the the Finke crossing just after Finke was somewhat dicey. When we arrived a grader was a work finishing the last section of the crossing so it was good for us. NT seems to take more care of its roads in the outback than does SA.

Whilst waiting for the grader to finish I enjoyed the flowers near the bank.

The bank on the east side of the river particularly was high and well defined.

In places the Old Ghan track was raised above the surrounding area. It felt peculiar to drive along such a raised road. The only other place we had driven on a raised road was in Alaska many years ago.

The scenery here was different to what we had seen so far. Spindly desert oaks stood out.

There were occassional remnants of the heavy sleepers of the former Ghan tracks.

Several siding ruins still stand along the track. At Engoordina the ruins are quite intact.

The views through the windows were like framed paintings.

At Bundooma very little remains.

The environment kept changing as we travelled down the track.

At Maryvale we topped up our fuel and someone forgot to put the tank cap on. The error was only discovered when we got to Chambers Pillar. You would not have liked to be around when this was discovered.

The last 40 km into the park was a full on 4WD track.

It was interesting terrain and hard driving requiring lots of concentration. When we got onto the jump up the panorama in front of us was spectacular. It was already sunset and the outcrops, pedestals, Chambers Pillar and its companions were all aglow.

Several sand dunes and gates later

we got to the camp ground at the base of the pillar and the castle as the last rays of sun sailed over the horizon.