31/9/16
Golf has taken centre stage for the moment , with 2 games in a row , so last night ( Friday ) we headed out to a light show called Parrtjima . It's a show based on aboriginal dream time about Alice Springs and how the Macdonnell Ranges were formed by caterpillars .
The show is a free event , with buses to pick you up & drop you off again all provided free of charge!! It is held at The Desert Park and they light up all of the ridge behind the park , there's laser show as well and you can interact with the lights and fiddle with the patterns that are projected . There's also 3 large caterpillars illuminated , and several mushrooms that have painted landscapes on them , that are also illuminated , and have an audio playing at each one with a story - we didn't hear much - it was a bit noisy and the audio wasn't loud - hmmm , maybe we are going deaf ?????
The lasers were quite interesting , with the green light appearing to sparkle . There was a large structure that projected murals onto the ground below , and there was also a fashion show ?????? not sure on that one though .
The range behind looked good when illuminated with aboriginal motifs , but appeared to be repetitive and lacking something - we were a little underwhelmed considering the advertising they had been doing all week and the great revues from people on the radio . Others enjoyed the show though , and buses were full to overflowing , we were fortunate to be first to be picked up and also first to be dropped off again !!!
1/10/16
Today we did some washing & food shopping , before heading off for a drive in the West Macdonnell Ranges .
Lunch packed , clothes back in off the line , we headed west . The ranges kept us company on the left hand side of the ute the whole way .
Some wildflowers are still out but most appear to have finished at the moment , this one was beside the road .
Another ridge line had appeared on the right hand side , so now we appeared to be driving down a large valley . Before long we had reached Simpson Gap , but decided to check it out on the way back, and continued on toward Stanley Chasm . Before much longer we'd arrived at the turn off , it was another 8klms in to the gorge . The ranges that appeared earlier on the right side , were hiding the gorge . The road in was scenic , with natural bush coming up to the edges of the road . Mountains seemed to surround us and it was difficult to know where to look .
Arriving at the carpark , we made our way to the kiosk to pay our entry fee - $12 each - and for that we get to walk 600m uphill to the gorge , we could have followed another track - rated difficult and dangerous - that took you higher up the ridge . There is also another track that runs south from the kiosk and it joins up with the Larapinta Trail - a rather famous 223 klm walking track that runs from Alice Springs Telegraph Station through the West Macdonnell National Park to Mount Sonder . You can walk it all , or any of the 12 sections . We didn't do any !! Here's the track to the chasm.
The track in runs beside a creek bed , there is some water in small pools , and must come from deep below , as you can smell the sulphur in it . There are many river redgums along the way - one was a bit interesting - a dead branch has fallen years ago and wedged in the yolk of a branch . It has stayed there for a long time , as the tree has now grown around it . The top of the dead branch is about 300mm long , the bottom is about 2m .
We found another one like it further up the track . Continuing on , we started to find cycads - only a couple of thousand years old , growing happily in the valley .
The colours in the rocks and clay etc were amazing .
A bit further along and we'd reached the chasm - an imposing sight . The chasm is only about 5m at it's widest and has near vertical sides about 60m tall , but is only about 50m long . The end of the chasm is fenced off , which is a shame as it would be good to have a look at the other side !!
High up on the ledges , and any spot they can grow , are flowers and trees . Not sure how they are clinging there though .
The colours in some sections of rock are almost like a rainbow - almost !!
There is a flannel flower that grows in the mountains and flowers most of the year - this is the one .
Here are some more plants & flowers .
After having lunch we headed back down , stopping occasionally to check the view and soak it all up. On one stop we could hear a hum - there is a bees nest in a hollowed out trunk of a redgum - we decided to leave them alone .
Back to the carpark and into the ute , we headed back toward Alice Springs - the ranges looked good stretching into the distance .
We stumbled over Honeymoon Gap near the turn off to Simpson Gap .
Into Simpson Gap and parked , wandering down the track gave us a great view . There was plenty of water in the pools , but you are requested to not swim here .
Back to the ute , we decided it was time to head back , so we went back through Honeymoon Gap and took another road back into Alice Springs . This one would come out near where we are staying , so that was a bonus .
Well that's it , hope you enjoyed our day half a much as we did , it was pretty good . Here's a map link :-https://drive.google.com/open?id=1lxXNG_vqc16jt8GNoBrnDOx8pSQ&usp=sharing
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