West MacDonnell Range

Magnificent will do for a description. The temperatures are down so walking into the beautiful locations is a breeze.
However the water is deep and cold in these Gorges, so the swims are short.

Redbank Gorge is a relatively short walk, the gorge is narrow and brilliantly coloured in red as you might expect. There were a few other walkers in there and their howling about the cold told us we had almost arrived. The gorge carves out of the range through a number of pools, each a different heights, and the steep sides of the gorge mean there is only one way in and out - the wet way.

The next day at Ormiston Gorge was an epic. The terrain is majestic. The 8.5k Ormiston Pound walk takes you over the range and down into an area that looks like a giant meteor crater. It loops back through Ormiston Gorge, and again you choices are: the wet way; or go back. Retreating means retracing 7k, so we strip off and swim our gear over the creek. Care needs to be shown here, as just last week we were listening in on National Parks UHF radio, and a gentleman was evacuated from this gorge after a heart attack. He was very lucky because a walking party doing the Larapinta Trail who were on hand had a defibrillator kit that resuscitated him. The St. John and Ranger teams managed his evacuation after that.

Did you know there are no medical helicopters in the NT. The Royal Flying Doctors Service can provide fixed wing craft, but as a minimum you will need a road nearby for a landing. Be careful when you are out here!Read more