To drive from the East MacDonnell to the West MacDonnell Ranges on the same day provided an opportunity for comparison that we did not have last visit, as the visits were separated by two days of rain. Today we couldn’t miss it. The difference in the topography of the areas is striking.

The first real MacDonnell Range after leaving Alice Springs

Mountains in the eastern section are predominantly bold red rock structures with massive rocky mounds descending to less prominent lower slopes. By contrast, the western ranges are mostly lightly vegetated lower slopes that comprise perhaps 85 to 90 percent of the height with the remainder a crown of reddish stone perched at the top, like a Great Wall of China. For much of the distance along Namatjira Drive, the mountains are away from the road, giving a feeling of space while for much of

The more distant ranges of the West MacDonnells

the Ross Highway the mountains totally dominate with each break in the rocky range revealing yet another red rocky row. But that doesn’t mean that the western end of the MacDonnells is inferior. Not in the least. Just different!

But the MacDonnell Ranges are different in another way. Unlike most mountain ranges, the rivers that flow from them do not have their source in the mountains themselves but in the generally flat, but more elevated country, to the north. The passages

The Finke River enters the gorge at Glen Helen via a large waterhole

through which the rivers and creeks flow are called gaps if they are so short that you can see right through or gorges if you can’t. Some of the gorges are quite long and twist through the ranges.

Glen Helen Resort has been developed from an outstation of Glen Helen Station. It has operated as a resort for many years, so it is old and its camping facilities are basic, but it has power and hot showers and that is all that mattered with morning temperatures near zero.

Glen Helen Resort faces the Finke River and the dominating red cliff

The resort buildings are located on the banks of the Finke River overlooking a permanent waterhole and facing directory into the red cliff of sandstone that is the river’s southern bank. A few hundred meters downstream the river turns right, forms a lagoon and passes through a gap in the cliff into the Glen Helen Gorge. It is a very attractive place.

Just four kilometers back towards Alice Springs, a sealed road gives access to the most spectacular gorge and the one

The waters of Ormiston Gorge

most developed for tourism, in the area. Ormiston Gorge is upstream of Glen Helen on the Finke River. The entrance to the gorge contains a large permanent waterhole which is vital for wildlife and makes it possible for a ranger station and a substantial camping area to be accommodated. There is also a commercial kiosk providing snacks and supplies.

Ormiston Pound from the Ghost Gum Lookout

Walking tracks of varying levels of difficulty are provided. The walk to Ghost Gum Lookout involves a bit of a climb, including several flights of stairs but the view from the top makes it all worthwhile. The well defined path can be followed further into the gorge, finally reaching the bed of the river for the return journey. A longer walk traverses the Ormiston Pound, a natural feature near the main gorge..

The Finke River, as viewed from the lookout, is the heart of the gorge

The staircase to Ghost Gum Lookout

Ellery Creek Big Hole

There are many other attractions in the area. Most involve gorges, gaps and streams. Located nearer to Alice Springs Simpson’s Gap and Standley Chasm are popular with tourists, the latter particularly at midday when the sun is directly overhead. Tourists wait and watch while the west wall moves into shadow and the right wall is slowly illuminated.

Billabongs in the Finke River between Glen Helen and Ormiston Gorge

Further out Ellery Creek Big Hole, Serpentine Gorge and Red Bank Gorge continue the gorge theme while the Ochre Pits are neither gap nor gorge but the banks of a stream rich in the pigmented material. It is a tangible link to Indigenous history. Further west still Tyler Pass provides excellent views and Goose Bluff shows what happens when an asteroid collides with the Earth. We didn’t venture that far west.

We called in at Simpsons Gap on our way to Palm Valley

With the exception of Simpson’s Gap and Standley Chasm, which are accessed from Larapinta Drive, most features are located along Namatjira Drive, which diverges from Larapinta Drive about 50 km from Alice Springs and runs generally west. If you follow Larapinta Drive you will pass the turns to the 4WD only areas of Wallace Rock Hole and Boggy Hole and ultimately, about 80 km further on, reach Hermannsberg, best

The area that inspired painter Albert Namatjira

known as the home of Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira and the location of the pioneering Hermannsberg Lutheran Mission. A memorial to Namatjira stands beside the road just east of the town and the historic mission buildings are open for inspection for a modest fee.

The road runs through the bed of the river

But south of Hermannsberg, and also on the Finke River, lie the wonders of Palm Valley. This visually stunning place is, because of the roads, is restricted to 4 wheel drive access, so tourists who lack such a vehicle need to hire one or take a tour. The part of the valley where the palms are found is only 20 km from Hermannsberg but the drive took about an hour each way. The road mostly follows the Finke

A challenging part of the drive

River and then Palm Creek. It is often in the bed of the stream, alternates between upgraded gravel and sand and towards the final destination negotiates huge rocks that are neither gradable nor movable.

The Finke River Gorge is the longest such geographical feature that I have ever seen that gives so many wow experiences for its length. The river bed takes most of the width of a wide river valley. It is confined by two facing almost continuous lines of rocky cliffs, deep red in colour and of infinitely different and changing shape. The driver is continually conflicted between the imperative of the road and the demands of the views.

A stand of the rare Red Cabbage Palm that are unique to the area

After 12 km the road leaves the Finke Gorge and follows the smaller Palm Creek. Two km further and you reach the day use and camping areas. The final information shelter is a further 4 km. The challenge to the driver increases as the journey progresses. We drove through Cycad Gorge, most appropriately named, to within a kilometer of the objective and I walked the last kilometer and walked a further 500 meters or so along the combined route of two of the walks.

The start of the walking track that leads to the palm trees

If I knew than what I know now we would have started earlier and not looked at other things on the way. From the lush green of the Australian Red Cabbage Palm to the array of reds that emphasise the walls of the gorge, there is so much to see that it is hard to know what to look at first. Our original plan was to take the van in to the National Park camping area, but we could not get satisfactory information on the road. Having now driven the

The church building at the Hermannsberg Mission

road I am still a bit undecided but on balance I think we would have got in and back out without problem.

The first view of the sun illuminating the Chasm

As a final tourist participation in the Red Center, we visited Standley Chasm, timing our visit to coincide with the sun reaching its zenith. I took the walk on my own, as it was a bit rough for Ruth’s knee. It was school holidays, of course, and children were everywhere, one large school group and numerous family groups as well as other oldies on their own. Like all days lately the sky was cloudless blue but the chill wind blowing through the chasm had most seeking the sunny side of the narrow floor area. Wind resistant clothing was the norm.

Colours in the rocks behind Standly Chasm

The chasm is a wonder of nature. It becomes a water course when it rains. You follow a stream to reach it. From that point of view it is just another gap in the range but certainly one that has caught the attention of the public over a long period of time. It is interesting to watch the west wall move into shade and the sun slowly bathe its eastern counterpart in light, and the claimed fantastic colours were worth waiting for. Interestingly it is the rock face immediately behind the chasm itself that produces the most striking colours. Perhaps the narrow chasm has the effect  of concentrating light on the south facing rock face beyond its limits, but one thing is clear. It is a photographers paradise.

The sun starts to illuminate the eastern face of the chasm

More of the rocks behind the main chasm