Category: 2016 Desert

26 July, 2016

A showery morning cleared to a fine day for our drive out of Alice Springs. Numerous wildflowers, purples, pinks, whites, yellows,  grew in the fields beside the road.

We drove some time towards the Arookara Range before we turned and ran parallel to it. It was lovely scenery through here. We stopped here to open gates.

Wildflowers continued all day through the long low red dunes we drove beside.

At Mac Clark Conservation park we drove past great pools of water to where the ancient Acacia Peuce trees grew. They were the only trees in an otherwise flat landscape and once again this was like no other landscape we had seen before.

ABC RURAL:

 http://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2013-05-28/acacia-peuce-tree-simpson/4717284

Since Molly Clark died, Old Andado is now a museum of a special kind. Her family have left the house as it was when she left it. We enter a room half expecting her to be sitting in an chair. Her bank book from 1966 showed the conversion from pounds, shillings and pence to decimal currency.

Old Andado Station:

https://www.oldandado.com.au

 

27 July, 2016

The following morning we visited Molly’s grave which was across the creek behind the house.

 

When we drove up the dune near the station, a vast expanse of greenery stretched as far as the next dune. Incredible!

For the next 30 kilometres or so we travelled over flat country bypassing bogs and water lying on the road.

We drove between the dunes covered with vegetation.  Past the Wagon Claypan we were surprised to be driving through a forest of low eucalypts.

We fuelled the car and ourselves with pies, a beer and an ice-cream at Mt Dare. Leaving there, we drove the rough track over stony ground, creek flats and gullies past Mount Hammersley, a pimple on an otherwise flat land, to the oasis at Opossum Waterhole surrounded by gums.

 

From here the road to Dalhousie Springs rose to give good views and then fell to muddy clay pans.

The camp was full of travellers. We took a soothing swim in the steaming springs floating on noodles and allowing the small fish to nibble at our skin.

28 July, 2016

Another swim in the springs to warm ourselves on a cold morning then we drove to to the Dalhousie Ruins. The crumbling stone buildings were stabilised about 20 years ago and as we topped the rise and first glimpsed them surrounded by date palms, we thought we were in Morocco again.

 

 

Soon we were on our way on the French Line, another desert to conquer, the Simpson.

 

 22 July, 2016

After Curtain Springs we took the sealed Luritja Road to Kathleen Springs and walked the gorge where the Rainbow Snake passed. Many birds flitted in the ruby saltbush. Where the spring crossed the path, huge tadpoles swam like the ones we saw in the Uluru pools. Camels had destroyed most of the blue quondongs that once grew here but they have been replanted.

Camp for the night was at the King’s Canyon Resort and later we walked to the viewing platform to join the multitudes. We are not used to the crowds.

23 July, 2016

An early start for the walk up King’s Canyon and we were on the road again along the Red Centre Way, another dusty, corrugated and rocky road.

 

 

Once we turned the Camel’s Hump and drove along the Gardiner’s Range, the scenery became stunning with red outcrops and cliffs studded with vivid green spinifex close to the road. We called into Albert Namitijara’s house, a small two roomed cottage he built for himself. 

The sign at the Palm Valley Road announced the 21 kilometre drive to be EXTREME 4WD – ALLOW 3 HOURS, however we found the drive to the camp through the valley of the Finke River to be better than the main road. The numerous river crossings allowed us to give the vehicles a much needed wash.

 

24 July, 2016

We discovered the extreme 4wd track was the five kilometres up to Palm valley over numerous rocky crossings and rocky outcrops. The gorge is really spectacular, probably the most stunning we have seen this trip. Cycads grew on the cliff faces and the tall palms were a grand backdrop. We heard many birds but saw few and other than the multitudes of black ants, saw no wildlife.

We thought we’d seen the best of the park until we took the short climb to the lookout near the camp.

 

It gave a wide panorama over the amphitheatre of balancing rocks, weathered cliffs displaying  a rich palette of desert greens and browns which would have been a perfect place to film a Wild West movie. Some cowboys allowed me to take a photo.

The Hermannsburg Historical Precinct is the former Lutheran Mission and we called in and walked in and around the 1890’s buildings which was a change from the natural delights we had been experiencing these past weeks.

Two nights in a bed in Alice had us ready for the road again. We needed the camp beds for a good sleep!

 

21 July 2016

Another scenic drive today along the well maintained Mulga Park Road which meant we could scoot a long distance as camping on this road was not permitted.

 

Before long we were at Surveyor’s Corner, the meeting point of the Western Australian, Northern Territory and South Australian borders.

 
We passed many communities along the road as we ate up the kilometres. Artists had painted signs at the entrances to the towns.

The ranges through this area are spectacular and though they are low, they have the colours of the pencil case.

 

Travelling on the road north to Mt Connor we crossed again into the Northern Territory late in the afternoon and camped a short distance past the grid that marked the border.

 

Our camp on SA – NT border.

In the morning we continued up the road to approach Mt Connor from a different direction to that which we had passed on our way to Uluru.