Tjoritja / West McDonnell Ranges

May 16, 2019

Tjoritja / West McDonnell Ranges

Amazing. Beautiful. Harsh. Untouched.

Worth spending at least a full day here - there are plenty of waterholes that you can spend half a day at, and some that can take a while to get too, also worth while seeing the ranges at sunset or sunrise when the light reflect off the rocks.
Lots of exploring to do, and only 20 minutes west of Alice Springs centre. The loop road is bitumen so a 4WD is not necessary.

You should check the water levels before you venture out, some holes are known to dry out if there hasn't been much rain - you can ask the locals in Alice. We were there in late December - and water levels were low-ish.

It is the birth place of contemporary indigenous artist Albert Namatjira - so while driving through you I'm sure you will recognise the landscape.

Standley Chasm - is impressive to see. It is exactly as it sounds, a chasm. No water. There has been some famous paintings that feature Standley by Wenton Rubuntja, and recently it was on TV show Pine Gap.

Ellery Creek - was our first water hole stop.
It is easily accessible from the carpark, which
is an important factor when it is 38 degrees.
The water is freezing, and the sandy banks that surrounds are too hot to stand on.
The water is still, but you can float through the cliffs and onto the other banks on the other side. This was our favourite.

Ormiston Gorge - the water level was quite low when we were there. And because it is stagnant, it was a bit murky.
But still impressive - we felt tiny next to the huge rock face! Very peaceful and still. About a 15 minute walk from the car park.

Glen Helen - it is a bit of a trek from the car park. We got a bit lost trying to find the water, through long grasses, over boulders, the ground was scorching hot - not ideal for thongs. The stop is a lot more established than the other water holes, there are cabins you can stay in, and a hotel to buy supplies - and beer.
Which means it is a bit busier.
The water is a lot deeper, it's freezing and refreshing, but by the time you get back to the car you are dry and hot again.
The red cliffs against the water and blue sky were amazing.

Those are the three water holes I would recommend.

The drive itself is beautiful - plenty of camels, dingos, brumby, emus.

We also stopped at Hermansburg precinct - which is a bit expensive, but impressive to see the structures from 1880's. A look into the harsh life here under the Lutheran Missionaries rule, go if you like history. There's a gallery there with lots of Albert Namatjira and other contemporary indigenous artists.

There are places you can camp - but we stayed in Alice Springs, as no dogs were allowed in the park, and Joey had to stay in town.