13th September...........Today we travelled back to the West MacDonnell Ranges to see:

Glen Helen Gorge:......The landscape around Glen Helen is spectacular - a towering sandstone wall is the first thing you see as you arrive. At Glen Helen Gorge the ranges part to make way for the Finke River. The permanent Finke River waterhole is an important refuge in the hot summer months, for all nine species of fish recorded for the Finke, and migrating water birds. From here the Finke River continues and makes its way to the Simpson Desert.

The area's traditional owners believe that this inviting swimming spot is the home of an ancient and powerful Rainbow Serpent, and regard it as off limits.

Ormiston Gorge:......  showed us  the spectacular geology and landforms of the MacDonnell Ranges. The rugged scenery of the Gorge is complemented by a near-permanent water hole.
The water and the shelter of the rocks attract an interesting variety of native fauna and flora, including a number of relict plant species. The recent rediscoveries of the Long-tailed Dunnart and the Central Rock Rat in the Ormiston Gorge vicinity demonstrate what an important role the Park plays as a fauna refuge.

Orchre Pits............The Orchre Pits is a registered site and is protected by Sacred Site and Parks and Wildlife Legislation. The natural orchres in the cliff face provided a source of materials for Indigenous people for their sacred ceremonies the beautiful colours of white, yellow and pink in the rocks makes this a special place. The Arrernte people still use these deposits today.

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Ellery Creek Big Hole:......Ellery Creek Big Hole is one of the most popular and picturesque camping, walking, swimming and picnic spots in the West MacDonnell Ranges National Park. The spectacular waterhole is fed by the West MacDonnell Ranges and surrounded by high red cliffs and sandy Ellery Creek. The permanent water made it a special meeting place for the Arrernte people on the fish and honey ant dreaming trails.

 

 

12th September.... Today we headed for the Hermannsburg Heritage Precinct,

Established in 1877 the mission was the initial point of contact between the western Aranda and the European cultures. The mission provided a sanctuary and source of medical assistance for Aranda people. For many years it was the largest settlement in central Australia. Following a spasmodic start the mission was staffed by Pastor Carl Strehlow(from the Lutheran Church)who constructed most of the extant buildings between 1897 and 1910.

 

Hermannsburg is associated with a number of people of importance to the history of the Northern Territory. Carl Strehlow and his son T.G.H. Strehlow undertook the detailed recording of the Aranda language and culture. The high esteem in which they were held by the Aranda made it possible for them to produce records that still provide baseline documentation for ethnographic research. Hermannsburg was also the home of Albert Namatjira, one of Australia’s most famous landscape artists. Aranda is the 3rd largest language spoken in NT.

10th September....... Today we explored the East MacDonnell National Park and Ranges, places we visited were:

Ross River Resort.....Well that not what I would call a resort, but we are in the middle of Central Australia.

Not much there , but a nice place to stay if that's what you like.

Arltunga Historical Reserve....This was an old mining town, not much left of it. The information centre gave us the history of the area and its people. When gold was discovered in the veins that ran through the East MacDonnell Ranges, people rushed to get their share. With water scarce, it was hard life-style .We were able to see some of the original buildings as well as some of the mining equipment used in those days. The road into here was 4wd gravel. Graeme thought it was good I had other ideas.

Corroboree Rock........The rock itself is an outcrop of dolomite from the Bitter Springs Formation originally laid down in salty lakes 800 million years ago. Dolomite is a soft sedimentary fine grained rock. It is very similar to limestone except magnesium carbonate is the dominant compound rather than calcium carbonate. At the base of the rock you can see dark grey and light grey streaky blobs of 'dalmation rock'. A ring of low ground surrounding the rock makes it look like an obelisk.

 

Corroboree Rock was probably used as an important storage site for ceremonial objects by the Eastern Arrernte Aboriginal people. It is doubtful that it was ever used as a corroboree site, due to the lack of water in the area.

Jessie& Emily Gaps........ Many places in the landscape are associated with the same Dreamtime story. Together these places form a 'Dreaming Trail'. Emily and Jessie Gaps are associated with the caterpillar trail. Emily Gap is the most significant, as this is where the caterpillar beings of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) originated. These caterpillars formed Emily Gap and many of the topographic features around Alice Springs, then radiated out to the edge of the Simpson Desert.

Emily Gap

The first European sighting of Emily and Jessie Gap was in 1871. It was thought that 'Emily' and 'Jessie' were the daughters of Sir Charles Todd, but this was found to be untrue. The basis on which the names are derived is unknown.

Jessie Gap

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9th September........... We headed out of town towards Standley Chasm 50 kms out of town. The Standley Chasm is located in a private flora and fauna owned by the Iwupataka Land Trust and is operated by Aboriginal family members that are descendants from Aboriginal people that have lived in this area for thousand of years Standley Chasm has been gouged into tough sandstone by flood that, over untold millions of years, have surged down a narrow tributary of the Finke River System. The result is magnificent a deep cleft crowded on either side by craggy slopes that rise 80 meters above the floor.  

Later we travelled to Simpsons Gap located 11 km from Alice Springs, another spectacular rock formation Simpsons Gap is one of the most prominent gaps in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Located 18 kilometres from Alice Springs, it features the towering cliffs of Simpsons Range, a permanent waterhole, and opportunities to spot resident wildlife.

Known as Rungutjirpa to the Arrernte Aboriginal people, Simpsons Gap was the mythological home of a group of giant goanna ancestors. Several dreaming trails and stories cross at this important spiritual site.