Braitling

YULARA TO ALICE SPRINGS 18/7/2021 to 24/7/2021
After our four night stay at Yulara we headed off towards Kings Canyon, backtracking 136 km along the Lasseter Hwy and then turning north. The countryside became greener with areas of scrubland as well as red sand dunes. On the way we saw a dingo, a few camels and some wedge-tailed eagles. After setting up at the Kings Canyon Resort camp ground which was very dry and dusty we walked to a sunset viewing platform nearby to watch the changing colours on the rocky George Gill Range. Next morning we headed off about 9am for the short drive to the canyon car park where we began our 6km Rim Walk. After a steep climb up many stone steps we reached an area 100 metres above the carpark where we had great views of the rugged range and the plains beyond, before continuing on the circuit over rocky and uneven surfaces which required us to constantly watch our step but the views were worth it. At one lookout point was a deep gorge with sheer flat sandstone cliffs on either side. At another section we descended a staircase to a bridge over a ravine with a waterhole and lots of green vegetation beneath us. After a tiring day we enjoyed a meal at the Outback BBQ within the resort. The next day we drove to nearby Kathleen Springs Gorge and headed off on an easy 2.6km flat walk through an area of grassland and small shrubs with a row of river red gums indicating the course of the dry Kathleen Creek. Because of rain some weeks before our visit, there are a lot of wildflowers, mainly mauve coloured, hairy flowers on low growing shrubs and seed heads on some grasses. At the head of the gorge was a lovely tranquil area of shaded green vegetation and a waterhole fed by a permanent spring with the red cliffs rising on either side. The next day, the decision having been made, we headed off on the Mereenie Loop dirt road from Kings Canyon to the MacDonnell Ranges and after letting down the tyre pressures we tackled what turned out to be one of the roughest dirt roads we’ve ever encountered. It was punishing on both the car and caravan, not to mention US!! The MacDonnell Ranges became visible in the distance and soon we were driving between two arms of the range. Finally, after about four grueling hours we came to the sealed road again and after a short stop at Tylers Pass lookout where we had views of Gosse Bluff and other parts of the West MacDonnell Ranges we drove on. We found the access road to a free-camp at Finke River 2 Mile (opposite the closed Glen Helen Resort) which had been recommended by fellow travellers. Unfortunately, in maneuvering the car and van in a tight turn, we got bogged up to the axles in the soft river sand but fortunately there were other helpful campers who came to lend a hand and we were successfully pulled out. We set up on the harder surface of river pebbles with a view across the Finke River where some brave souls were swimming. On inspecting the van for damage from the extreme vibrations on the dirt road, I found that I had forgotten to put rubber bands on every container in the fridge and many jars had lost their lids including a jar of minced garlic which had emptied its contents all over the fridge and the stench was something to behold!!! IT WAS NOT A GOOD DAY. To cap it off the fridge would not run on gas and running it on our batteries meant that our battery power expired about midnight so we had no power for even running the water pump. Fortunately, next day Frank discovered a couple of wires had become disconnected at the back of the fridge and fixed it and the sun allowed our solar panels to recharge the batteries. Over the next three days we made our way along Larapinta Drive, stopping overnight at campsites within the national parks. During the days we visited Glen Helen Gorge, Ormiston Gorge, the Ochre Pits, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Serpentine Gorge, Standley Chasm and Simpsons Gap. All the gorges were stunningly beautiful and different, some requiring more steep climbing of rock steps or rock-hopping over river boulders but it was all worth the effort to see such amazing places. Nearly all the gorges had a waterhole and some had big river-sand beaches with majestic river red gums growing. The soaring red and rugged cliffs rising 50 to 80 metres on either side made them cool and shady places. In some gorges there were flocks of bright green budgerigars which would fly through the chasm, land briefly to drink and then take off in a flurry of wings and fly straight towards us, rising at the last moment to avoid us. We drove on to Alice Springs where we had booked a site for a week at a caravan park, passing more of the rugged MacDonnell Ranges as we proceeded. The undulating ranges are mostly topped with a “spine” of exposed rugged red rock making them look like a giant serpent has been buried in the earth and just its spiky spine is visible.Read more