1 day Alice Springs to West MacDonnell Ranges Tour

Departing early from Alice Springs we make tracks to visit the Reverend John Flynn Memorial who was one of the founding members and main instigator of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

As we travel further along the Alice Valley we come to the Twin Gums, a site made famous by the talented Aboriginal watercolour artist, Albert Namatjira. The Twin Gums sit within an area of significance for the local Arrente people with many of the local song lines intersecting and crossing before continuing on to other areas.

The scenic beauty of this site with its tall white barked Ghost Gums and deep green foliage set against the red rock of Burts Bluff is a truly memorable sight.

The Standley Chasm is named after the first school teacher in Alice Springs and is a spectacular gap in the ranges, with its sheer red walls running parallel and only 3m’s apart. We venture along the path leading to the chasm and on our way explore Gall Springs.

Gall springs is a micro eco system of ferns, mosses, reeds and paper barks with its cool trickling water and continuous calls from the resident birds, it is a true oasis and a reminder of a previous wetter period that prevailed over the landscape.

We then dive into the Aboriginal culture as we visit the Ochre Pits, which is another site of significance for the Arrente people as it is a particularly rich source of ochre used for colour in traditional business and ceremonies. The colour range and the quality is amazing making it a highly regarded area.

A quick stop at Finke River Lookout provides a panoramic view of the region taking in Mt Sonder to the West and Mt Giles to the East of Ormiston Pound where you can see the head waters of the mighty Finke River.

Following the twists and turns of Ormiston Creek we arrive at the ranger’s station where we enjoy a picnic lunch before we begin exploring.

There are loads of things to do, with the Ghost Gum walk offering spectacular views into Ormiston Pound and out over the waterhole creek line, with its purple shaded quartz rocks fringed with rust red colourations. The cool waterhole also offers the opportunity for a swim amongst the picturesque landscape.

Check out the Ellery Creek Big Hole, which is a gap in a vertical wall of rock, creating expanses of bare flat rock marked by ripples laid down during its formation. As the water passes through the gap it speeds up and as a result digs a big hole downstream. The water hole is a favourite with the locals from Alice as a weekend retreat and BBQ spot.

Our last stop of the tour is Simpsons Gap, which is where towering buttresses of rock maintain a cool shaded area throughout the summer making the small water hole there another local favourite, as they can escape the summer heat.

It is then that time to say farewell and we hope you enjoyed a taste of Australia’s outback.