Climbing Mt Sonder

Up at 1.30 a.m. and off at 2. We started the climb up to Mt Sonder at Redbank Gorge at 3 a.m. At 1380 metres, it’s the second-highest peak in N.T.

A slow procession of head torches made their way up to the summit, 8km above us. The actual summit is sacred so you can’t go to the very top but where we watched the sky turn a fiery red was pretty good. It was cold until the sun rose completely.

As the fire from the sky lit up the landscape, I was overwhelmed by the vista before us – it would match anything I’ve seen overseas. Breathtaking views in every direction – wow.

The path on the way down revealed itself to be a rock garden with beautiful flowers and trees sculpted by the wind. The colour of the rocks provided a sharp contrast making it very photogenic.

Back at camp, some people had a snooze then we headed to the oldest river on the planet which is still following its original course – the Finke River. Again, bloody freezing water so a quick dip and then I was off bird watching.

What an amazing day. Dinner was a Sunday roast done in the campfire – it doesn’t get much better than that.Read more