CARAVAN TRAVELS AUSTRALIA WITH BOB & MARION CASSIDY
Week 6:
Sunday 3 April 2011:
Today was our “big walk” day. We intended walking the 2.5km track along Kings Creek in the bottom of Kings Canyon. After a big breakfast of bacon and eggs, we set out in our vehicle and drove to the car park at the entrance to Kings Canyon. We took plenty of drinking water and wore our fly-net hats to keep the bush flies off our faces. The walk itself was mostly paved and an easy “gradient” which did not take too much out of either of us physically. Unfortunately the desert wind had come up and the local birdlife was in short supply; the birds must have been sheltering in the thick bushes. As we started out on the walk itself we came upon a sign at the entrance to the path, showing the distances and times for the walks in and around the canyon. Some “wag” had made up a Ferro-concrete bush hat and bolted it to the sign; typical outback humour!
The sign, with hat attached, at the entrance to Kings Canyon walks.
We had previously been warned about the five hundred steep climbing steps at the beginning of the 6km walk around the rim of the canyon; and Marion’s arthritis problems made this particular climb out of the question for her. A few minutes later we saw the track leading straight up a steep hill-climb to the rim of the canyon; and our decision not to attempt this climb was validated. Simply put, Marion could not have made the climb.
The five hundred steps leading to the top of Kings Canyon – not a proposition for the unfit or elderly.
As it turned out the walk into the canyon was a great way to view the canyon walls from the bottom of the cliffs which towered over head as one walked deeper into the canyon itself. We were happy to have seen the view from this perspective alone!
Kings Canyon from Kings Creek Walk – note the tree at the top centre, giving some idea of the height of these walls.
Albert Namatjira Country
The sheer cliff walls of Kings Canyon.
The walk took us right to the end of the canyon and we took time to sit and enjoy the view and the quiet of the bush. Far above we could see the occasional walker who had taken the walk around the rim of the canyon. They were very small indeed! We took our time walking back to the car park and we were rewarded by some of the birds who came out of hiding to give us the once over. A spinifex pigeon eyed us suspiciously for a few moments and then, having decided we were not a threat, nestled down on the sand at the edge of the track and allowed us to approach with touching distance, before it quietly stood up and walked sedately back into the bush. A few yards further on some zebra finches alighted on branches beside the track and gave us the once over before flying down on to the grass and casually feeding without a care for us at all. We enjoyed this experience very much and it took us some time to stroll back to the car park, where we treated ourselves to a can of soft drink each, before taking the short drive back to the caravan. We got back in time for a late lunch and rested up for the afternoon, reading and relaxing. As the setting sun began its descent, I set up the camera and focused on the Gorge Gill range in the distance to watch the changing colours as the sun crept down behind the gum trees behind us. I was soon joined by some other tourists and we chatted away whilst the sunset show went on.
From this to this:
The desert sun painting the landscape:
Sunset on the George Gill Range, Kings Canyon, N.T. – Apr 2011.
Marion joined me as the final purple colours deepened and the sun disappeared below the horizon; we sat in our folding chairs taking in the scene and myself enjoying a cold glass of chardonnay to end a great day in the bush. It was almost a shame to retire to the caravan for the evening meal and a well earned early night.
Monday 4 April 2011:
Today is our last day at Kings Canyon and we have done all we planned to do, although there is a short walk to do around the resort itself. We have been told to take this walk in the afternoon as the changing colours on the mountains are more spectacular at that time of day. We were only too pleased to take up the morning relaxing and reading; and I also put in some work on our travel blog on the laptop. Imagine my surprise when I caught some movement at the caravan door in my peripheral vision and looked out to see a dingo casually sauntering past our front step! I alerted Marion who was lying on the bed and as she drew back the curtain to look yet another dingo showed itself at the door! I reached for the camera and made a beeline for the door but by the time I got outside the dingos had run off into the bush. I did get one photograph, but it is very hard to see one dingo amongst the trees in the photo and I have not used it here. These were the first dingos we had seen here although there were plenty of warnings about the resort. The ablutions blocks are all fitted with wire gates at each entrance and signs warn patrons to close the gates behind them when they entered in order to keep the wildlife out. The dingos which visited our van did not make a sound and showed no aggression at the time. Although I have witnessed this behaviour during the hours of darkness, I have never seen it in daylight before; quite an experience. The galahs (parrots) in the trees above our van put on a show of annoyance and kept screeching until the dingos had gone away; obviously the birds did not like them at all.
Our site at Kings Canyon Resort, N.T. April 2011.
We donned our fly screen hats and went for a short walk around the resort, discovering the "views" we had been told about were right there at our caravan! At least we got some exercise. The little bush flys were not too numerous but were there in just enough numbers to be annoying whilst walking along. Our fly screen hats worked well and we were glad we had taken them with us. All in all we had enjoyed our stay at Kings Canyon and can not cross it off our wish list of places to go and see. It was time to start getting ready for an early departure the next morning.
Bob and Marion with their fly screen walking hats. April 2011.
Tuesday 5 April 2011:
06.00am. We departed Kings Canyon Resort just on dawn and were treated to a glorious sunrise as travelled east towards the main highway once again. We were so taken with the sunrise I stopped to take a photograph, before continuing our journey.
Sunrise Luritja Road near Kings Canyon - April 2011.
We continued on in the growing daylight and it was not long before daylight flooded the country side and we could observe the wildlife as we passed. We were privilged to spot several flocks of Major Mitchell cockatoos sitting in trees beside the road. It was great to see them as these birds are becoming quite rare and can only be found in remote parts of Australia.
As we turned a corner we crested a small sand dune and there on the side of the road was a large feral camel. He stood very tall and gave us a regal stare as we drove past. This was the only camel we saw on this trip, although we had seen them before during the course of other trips.
Feral Camel - Australia.
08.05am. We turned onto the Lasseter Highway and continued towards the Stuart Highway. We now had just over 100km to go before we reached the Stuart Highway and then we would continue on to Alice Springs. We arrived at Erldunda at 09.19am and turned north towards "The Alice". We covered the 193km in good time, arriving at Alice Springs at 11.42am and after booking in with the friendly staff at the MacDonnell Range Holiday Park, we were soon set up and enjoying a relaxing afternoon. We took a drive into town to obtain some supplies and drove up to Anzac Hill lookout to revist the view of the town from there.
Alice Springs - April 2011.
A nice cold beer and a relax in the shade on the grass, back at the caravan park rounded off a pleasant day. To morrow we would commence exploring the region in ernest.
Wednesday 6 April 2011:
Today we planned on driving out along Larapinta Drive to the Finke River and Palm Valley near the Hermannsburg Mission. We set out to drive the 127km to the Finke River, where the road passed by Hermansburg. The road into Palm Valley was four wheel drive only and followed the river along its course. As we travelled along the bitumen road we spotted a small herd of brumbies but they were very wary and galloped off when I stopped the car. We found that several of the small creeks crossing the road had recently been in flood and water covered the road at many of these crossings.
Crossing recently flooded creek bed en route to Palm Valley.
We duly reached the small mission settlement of Hermannsburg and decided to call in on the way back; in the meantime we continued on our journey. Imagine our surprise when a short distance on we came to the cement causeway crossing the Finke River, only to find the floods had destroyed one lane of the crossing! We stopped to watch the aboriginal children playing in the river before crossing over on the one remaining lane.
Finke River flood damaged causeway, Hermannsburg.
Just over the causeway the bitumen ended and we turned left onto the 4WD track leading to Palm Valley, which was about 16km further on. We found the going relatively easy for most of the way, but there were places where engaging four wheel drive was the prudent course of action, to avoid getting bogged in the soft sand. In places the track virtually disappeared and one had to follow along the river bed until the track became evident once again.
Bob & Marion at Finke River, N.T.
Bob at the entrance to the national park.
Some of the rock landscapes were unique.
The track disappeared in places.
We finally reached the beginning of Palm Valley and stopped to take in the beauty of this unique oasis in the middle of the desert. Rising in the West MacDonnell Ranges, the ancient Finke River meanders for nearly 700kms, across plains and rugged mountain ranges, before soaking into the sands of the desert. It is the backbone of the Centre’s largest drainage system, creating a ribbon of life through a region where rainfall is uncertain and drought is almost guaranteed. Having driven through this landscape we came to appreciate mother nature's creation all the more.
First sighting of Palm Valley, N.T.
After spending some time exploring the area and admiring the scenery, we continued on to find the main location of Palm Valley as per the map we had in our possession. After several more crossings of the river we finally came to the end of the track, where we found the entrance to Palm Valley proper; and an information shelter. We greeted one of the park rangers who happened to be there at the time and then sat down to read the information contained on the boards in the shelter. We learned the following from Wikipedia:
Palm Valley, within the Finke Gorge National Park, is an east-west running valley in the Krichauff Range 123 km (138 km by road) southwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia. Palm Valley and the surrounding area is the only place in Central Australia where Livistona mariae palms (also known as Red Cabbage Palms) survive. The nearest specimens are 850 kilometres away in Queensland. The valley is indicative of central Australia’s tropical past, whereas the region is now largely dry Central Ranges xeric shrub land.
The average rainfall for Palm Valley is only 200 mm per year. Although the gorge usually appears dry, there are some small pockets of semi-permanent spring-fed pools that allow the unique flora in this region to survive. During significant rainfall in the region, an expanse of water can be witnessed flowing through the valley gorge. During such events, a variety of aquatic life such as desert fish, shield shrimps (Triops australiensis), tadpoles and frogs can flourish.
We also read about the growth of cycads on the rock walls surround the valley, many of which were on display within our sight.
Palm Valley - the end of the track.
We sat down to have a picnic lunch and discussed the adventure we had experienced in getting to the valley. It was indeed an experience not to be missed, and although Marion had her heart in her mouth at a few river crossings we had enjoyed the drive. I personally had a sense of achievement, having successfully negotiated one or two obtacles mother nature had placed in our path. My approach to the track had been to take it easy, engage the high and low range 4x4 transmission as needed and pick a good line to follow. The road was quite good most of the way, but care had to be exercised if one were to safely negotiate this track.
We decided to count the river crossings on the way back and to our surprise found we actually crossed the Finke River thirteen (13) times, in addition to a few deep pools in amongst the rocks, caused by recent flood rains. I made no mistakes on the return trip and took it easy when crossing the river.
Crossing the Finke River en route home.
Once back on the bitumen we called into Hermannsburg Mission Community to have a look around this old settlement.
Hermannsburg is an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 131 km southwest of Alice Springs. It is known in the local Western Arrernte language as Ntaria. At the 2006 census, Hermannsburg had a population of 559. It was established as an Aboriginal mission in 1877 by two Lutheran missionaries from Germany who had travelled overland from Bethany in the Barossa Valley in South Australia. They named their new mission after Hermannsburg in Germany where they had trained. In 1891, the missionaries left, but the settlement was continued by lay workers until, in 1894, Pastor Carl Strehlow arrived. His son T.G.H. Strehlow became a noted anthropologist and was initiated into Arrernte customs. Pastor Strehlow learnt the local Western Arrernte language and is credited with translating the Bible into the language. Albert Namatjira was born at Hermannsburg in 1902. He developed the ability to use his acute observation of the land to paint Western-style watercolours. Painting in this style came to be known as the Hermannsburg School of painting. The mission land was handed over to traditional ownership in 1982. The Hermannsburg Historic Precinct was included on the Australian National Heritage List in April 2006. Much of the historic township is now protected by the National Trust. [Source: Wikipedia.] Of interest were the old buidings erected in the late 1800s most of which were still in use. The community had a happy atmosphere and was neat and tidy. We did not stay long as we were able to park and have a quick look around.
Hermannsburg Mission Community, N.T.
It was now time for us to return home and we made good time on the bitumen, which was quite a change after the rigors of the 4WD track out to Palm Valley. Once home we sat down and relaxed whilst planning tomorrow's trip out to the gorges.
Thursday 7 April 2011:
Today we planned on another full day "on the road" checking out the gorges to found along the Namatjira Drive. We knew there were several gorges; and having read up on the subject, we decided to visit Redbank Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge and Ellery Creek (big hole). We found it was a drive of some 127km to Redbank Gorge and we spent some time going for a walk along the dry sandy creek bed meandering through the gorge. I have to say we weren't too impressed with this gorge, but better to have gone for a "look see" than to spend the rest of our lives wandering what it was like.
Redbank Gorge from the lookout, N.T.
Back towards Alice Springs, some 29km we turned off the road into Glen Helen Gorge. This historic site boasted a hotel/store and the gorge itself was impressive. En route to Glen Helen we were struck by the differing landscape on either side of the road and I stopped to take some photographs to demonstrate this diversity.
The differing landscape on either side of the highway - note the ribbons of colour above.
West MacDonnell Range near Alice Springs, N.T.
Arriving at Glen Helen Gorge we were immediately struck by the rock cliff wall on the South bank of the Finke River, immediately behind the hotel/resort building. This cliff is quite impressive and the cliff face has been sculpture by wind and rain to form an impressive sight.
Glen Helen Gorge, N.T. 98km West of Alice Springs.
We took the short walk along the edge of the river to the spot where the river cut through the gorge and turned South. This was quite a picturesque and well worth the walk to view it. We also saw quite a few small fish swimming in the pools along the river bank.
Finke River, Glen Helen Gorge, N.T.
After a stroll through the resort building we drove back to Namatjira Drive and turned east towards The Alice once again. Some 87km from The Alice we turned off the road into the picnic area at The Big Hole; otherwise known as Ellery Creek. This water hole has its own sandy beach and is a great favourite with the Alice Springs community. After another short walk to the water hole we could see why it was so popular. There are picnic sheltes and facilities at the car park and in summer the water would be a welcome relief for swimmers.
Ellery Creek Big Hole, near Alice Springs, N.T.
Our day trip was over after visiting Ellery Creek and we decided to give Simpson's Gap a miss as we had previously been there and it was now getting on timewise. We were looking forward to a relax at the caravan park. Thus another eventful day came to an end.
Friday 8 April 2011:
Today was our last day in The Alice and we decided to go and have a look at the historice precinct at the Alice Springs Overland Telegraph Station. A look at the information boards in and around the precinct revealed the following informtion of interest.
The Alice Springs Telegraph Station was one of eleven staffed repeater stations on the Overland Telegraph Line. This line consisted of a single strand of iron wire on 36,000 timber poles stretching 3,000 miles across Australia from Adelaide to Port Darwin. From Port Darwin a submarine cable beneath the sea to Singapore connected Australia to the rest of the world. News from Britain which prior to 1872 had taken three months to reach Australia by sea now arrived within a few hours.
The original Telegraph Station, Alice Springs, N.T.
Following upon the discovery of gold in the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges in 1887; the town of Stuart was gazetted on 28 November 1888. The town was named after the explorer John McDouall Stuart who crossed the Australian continent from South to North in 1882. The overland telegraph route followed his path. In response to public demand the town was renamed Alice Springs in 1933. Alice Springs was named in honour of Mrs Alice Todd the wife of Charles Todd, the South Australian Post Master General, who was given the responsibility of planning and constructing the overland telegraph line.
The original Alice Springs was really a rock pool.
A large outcrop of granite rock runs under the bed of the Todd River at this point, catching and holding any water that comes along. It gives the impression of a spring, but in fact is a rock pool perched on the underground granite rock.
When we entered the old telegraph station we found two men busy at the telepgraph controls, obviously sending and receiving telegrams. They told us that this week they were celebrating the cententary of the station and would be operating the telegraph for three (3) days. We had just lucked in on this celebration! For $3.00 we were able to send our grandson Jake a telegram for his coming birthday; something of historic value he could hold onto as a keepsake for later years.
Telegraph in operation; centenary of the establishment - 8 April 2011.
Thomas Elder imported 120 camels into Australia in 1866. These were the forerunners of the famous Afghan Camel Trains which served the outback for over fifty years; their tracks crossed two thirds of the country where horse and train could not go. Although the camel drivers were commonly referred to as Afghans, many were from Pakistan and Northern India also. Once a year during the period 1899 to 1908 the camel trains brought supplies into Alice Springs and the goods were stored at the Telegraph Station. Imagine the thought that must have gone into that shopping list!
Old camel train - Alice Springs, N.T. 1800s.
We spent a couple of hours walking around the station precinct and touring the several building which were open to the public. Whilst having a look through the old barracks building, which was later used as a store and school, we noticed a couple of holes made in the walls. These holes were in fact rifle holes used by the early occupants to defend the building from attacks by Aboriginals. Whether or not they were ever used as such is a mute point, not enlarged upon by the literature.
Old Barracks building - note rifle hole centre left wall.
After our visit to the telegraph station we drove around to the Stuart Caravan Park to visit our travelling friends Robyn and Peter and meet the Aboriginal artist, Tommy Crow. We were hoping to purchase a couple of his paintings but weren't sure if we could afford them. When we arrived we found Robyn and Peter at their caravan and after hearty greetings and a cup of tea, they took us over to meet Tommy Crow at his caravan. We found him working on his art in a small makeshift studio and he made us welcome to his humble abode. Tommy told us he had played the didgeridoo overseas and in Australia. HIs artwork has made him famous for his unique style and he uses his art to help close the 17yr life expectancy gap between whites and aboriginals in Australia by donating 10% of all proceeds to this project. We had a good talk with Tommy and found him to be friendly and intelligent; we were both very glad to meet him. He offered us some paintings and we ended up purchasing two of them from him.
His website is http://www.sunsetdreamingaustralia.com.au and is well worth a visit to see the televison advertisement he made for the Northern Territory and his history. His artwork is also available for sale on this website. Tommy Crow at work - Alice Springs, April 2011.
Tommy Crow and Bob with one of the paintings Bob & Marion purchased.
Tommy Crow artwork - Stuart Caravan Park, Alice Springs.
Meeting Tommy Crow was a highlight of our visit to Alice Springs and an occasion we wont forget. We cannot thank Robyn and Peter enough for taking us to see him. After sitting down for another cuppa and a good chat, we finally said our goodbyes with hugs and promises to stay in touch. It was back to our caravan to have a relax and prepare for our departure the following day. We sat around feeding the birds that came to play around us and enjoyed a quite evening.
Mynah Bird and Crested Pigeons.
Saturday 9 April 2011:
06.55am: Once again we were off to an early start as we wanted to take our time on the road, but still make some miles towards home via the Barkly Highway. We set off towards Tennant Creek along the Stuart Highway, passing through Ti Tree at 09.18am and Barrow Creek at 10.23am. We were making good time and passed through Wycliffe Well at 11.31am before making Wauchope at 11.45am. We were making good time and decided to call into the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) to take some photos. We arrived at 11.52am and whilst there I surprised a dingo who did not run for cover although he kept his distance.
Devils Marbles near Tennant Creek, N.T.
Dingo at Devils Marbles N.T.
We took our time having a look around and walking amongst the many rock formations that make up this interesting place, which is a sacred site to the Aboriginal community in the area. Generators are not allowed in the camping area any more as they are said to disturb the spirits living amongst the rocks. I'm not sure I go along with that, but I guess we have to respect the local beliefs.
Devils Marbles N.T. April 2011.
We departed the Devils Marbles after lunch at 12.32pm and arrived at Tennant Creek, where we topped up the tanks with diesel at 1.48pm. Tennant Creek is a regional centre for the Barkly Tablelands in the Northern Territory, it contains government services and local business. Famous for being the site of the last great Australian gold rush it was also an important link to the overland telegraph station in the 1800s. The town is named after a local creek which the explorer Stuart named after one of his friends who helped finance one of his unsuccessful attempts to cross Australia south to north. (Stuart eventually succeeded in this endeavour.) After a short drive around Tennant Creek we departed there at 2.03pm.
At 2.2.0pm we arrived at the three ways and turned right onto the Barkly Highway; we were now on the "last leg" of our trip home, although we have a few nights on the road to go yet. Passing the 41 mile bore and the Barkly Homestead we arrived at our overnight camp, Soudan Dip, at 05.46pm. It did not take long to set up and get the generator going and Marion prepared a lovely evening meal. We watched a bit of satellite television to catch up on the local news at home and then retired for the night. Camping here for the night brought back memories of the last time we camped here on our way to Darwin with our grandson Jake. Jake and I had started a camp fire and sat around having a very serious discussion on the merits of life in the bush.
Jake and Bob Campfire Soudan Dip N.T.
END OF WEEK 6 SEE YOU SOON
