5 - 2024 - McDonnell Ranges, NT - Trephina Gorge

 

Entry 5 – 2024 – McDonnell Ranges, NT – Trephina Gorge

We stayed in Alice Springs for two nights, primarily to wait out the significant, unseasonal rain event to subside. Alice Springs is a major supply point for people in a radius of about 1,000 kilometres. We utilized our time to stock up with plenty of non-perishable foods and our normal weekly supply of fresh food. We were prepared as well as we could, for the next couple of weeks with our food and water needs.

We caught up with Mary’s brother, Michael who lives in Alice Springs. A walk around Olive Pink Botanic Gardens was most satisfying.

We planned to spend five nights in the East McDonnell Ranges, booking a camp site prior the commencement of our travels.

A phone conversation with the local park ranger to verify the road conditions (after the recent significant rain) revealed some sections of the track into the park were covered by water, still with a hard surface at these sections. Of interest the conversation showed the ranger was quite frustrated not having the authority to close the national park entry track to prevent it from being destroyed by vehicle traffic whilst wet.

A while back, we had previously been to the East McDonnell Ranges. Whilst driving towards the ranges from Alice Springs we were surprised how we had forgotten the “Magnificence,” of its unique scenery. The campground setting was also awesome and breath-taking.

Once camp was set, we sat in our lazy chairs, “just admiring our view!” 

There are some optional walking trails.

Late afternoon we walked the Panorama Loop with views overlooking the campground from high up on a peak. The setting sun fired up the rocky peaks.

The setting sun even had an impact on Mary’s glasses and enhanced the colours at our camp site.

We were a long way inland, away from the ocean with its moderating temperatures. It gets cold overnight in the outback with morning temperatures, generally in single digits. The clear cool nights often leave a lot of moisture about. Once the morning sun puts in an appearance it immediately gets on with the job of evaporating this moisture. This included attention to our awning where steam could be seen swirling from its damp surface.

Trephina Gorge is a location where you could spend copious amounts of time, looking with more looking, soaking up its ambience.

There was a Trephina Gorge walking trail. Another pleasurable walk with scenery exercising your neck and eye muscles, with lots of oh-rr’s. 

There was the John Hayes Rock Hole at the end of a high clearance 4wd track. There were a few wet patches of track to negotiate. We did some of the walks from this location, deciding not to finish these options due to the water element - under foot and we were grateful our 4wd vehicle performed admirably.

We cherished our time spent at Trephina Gorge, walking about constantly gazing at the scenery around us, listening to the noisy bird life and watching them fluttering about. Even from the comfortable interior of our nice warm caravan it was pleasurable viewing through our windows, waiting for the sunshine to remove the morning chill.

Our first two days we enjoyed beautiful blue skies at Trephina Gorge. Unfortunately, the unseasonal wet weather continued for our final three days with the days maximum on day five reaching a measly 15 degrees C.

Even with the ongoing light rain and cool temperatures over our last three days, the ambience of Trephina Gorge, still provided us with positive senses.

Naturally the morning of our departure the blue skies reappeared. Though the air temperature was bitterly cold, helping us to get on our way.

It was time to continue north, seeking out the more palatable, warmer Australian weather conditions.