Sat 7th June – Day 28: Redbank Gorge – Alice Springs (Via the West MacDonnell Ranges)

Up before dawn as the next-door neighbours were obviously going trekking to watch the sunrise over the ranges from Mt Sonder (6hr walk away). I sat outside with a cuppa in the pre-dawn and watched the mist creep up the valley. There is something very peaceful in those few precious minutes before the sun makes her appearance – possibilities are endless. However this morning the sun didn’t appear as normal and the mist intensified to become low dark threatening clouds.
We decided to pack the trailer completely before doing the gorge walk ‘just in case’. Good thing too as the first drops of rain (the first in 7 months) fell as we left the car park. Intermittent though they were, there was a promise of more to come.
The tourist books say that this narrow gorge is fantastic to swim and float through on air mattresses. That day however, as we trudged up the dry riverbed under the grey sky we came across a small body of water - jet black and absolutely freezing (no swimming here thanks). Still it was clear enough to see small fish darting about in the shallows and we got the hint of her beauty with steep red cliffs towering overhead.
Back to pick up the trailer, our next stop ‘Ormiston gorge’ touted to be one of the best. Unfortunately everyone else thought so too and the campground was packed. We settled for a quick walk out to the gorge in the now near constant drizzle and headed further east.
Another quick stop to see the ‘Ochre Pits’ – a colourful outcrop of ochre on the banks of a sandy creek bed which saw Toby stride out ahead and return some 5 mins later saying ‘ seen them, I’m going back to the car’.
Onwards towards Alice we decided ‘Ellery Creek Big Hole’ would be our stop for the night. On arrival the rain was becoming increasingly heavier and ‘Toby’ refused to leave the car to even see the gorge – so much for sightseeing. This gorge proved to be the most spectacular of all so far and even though the water level was also quite low it captured the beauty of the area perfectly.
Back at the car we realised we had a leaking tyre and spent the next ½ hr with the compressor working overtime as the rain came down. Some mad tourist girls went past wearing bikinis hell bent on swimming in the freezing waters only to return 5mins later absolutely blue from head to toe!
Late afternoon and we were now also cold, wet and with the prospect of a 40min set up in the rain – it just wasn’t worth it so we hot-footed it towards Alice, passing lots of kangaroos obviously intrigued with the puddles of water on the roadside.
At the Big 4 just out of town we realised a grave error as the vans lined the road waiting to get in (The Finke Desert Race starts tomorrow!). At our turn the obviously flustered lady behind the counter enquired as to whether we had booked? ‘For Monday – yes, for now – no!’ There was no way we would get in anywhere tonight. Pete, as only he can used all his charm and convinced her to let us have an emergency spot right next to the toilets and BBQ area – it meant backing the trailer about 50m onto a small grassy area, already 20cm under water, buy hey hot showers were right next door so what did we care!
MacDonnell Range Holiday Park (BIG4 - Power $41.35)