Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

ROAD TRIPS FROM ALICE SPRINGS 383
Road-Trip Tips for the East & West Macs
Facilities are scarce outside Alice, so bring food (a picnic perhaps, or
meat to barbecue), drinking water, and a full gas tank. Leaded,
unleaded, and diesel fuel is sold at Glen Helen Resort, Hermannsburg,
and Ross River Resort. Wear walking shoes.
Many of the water holes dry up too much to be good for swimming—
those at Ellery Creek, Ormiston Gorge, and Glen Helen are the most permanent.
Being spring-fed, they can be intensely cold, so take only short
dips to avoid cramping and hypothermia, don’t swim alone, and be careful
of underwater snags. Don’t wear sunscreen because it pollutes drinking
water for native animals.
Two-wheel-drive rental cars will not be insured on unsealed
(unpaved) roads—that means the last few kilometers into Trephina
Gorge Nature Park, and the 11km (7-mile) road into N’Dhala Gorge
Nature Park, both in the East Macs. If you are prepared to risk it, you
will probably get into Trephina in a two-wheel-drive car, but you will
need a 4WD for N’Dhala and Arltunga. The West MacDonnell road is
paved to Glen Helen Gorge; a few points of interest may require driving
for short lengths on unpaved road. Before setting off, drop into
the CATIA Visitor Information Centre (see “Visitor Information” earlier
in this chapter) for tips on road conditions, and for details on the free
ranger talks, walks, and slide shows that take place in the West and
East Macs April through October. Entry to all sights, parks, and reserves
(except for Standley Chasm) is free.
Twenty-three kilometers (14 miles) farther down Larapinta Road, 9km (5 1 ⁄2
miles) down a turnoff, is Standley Chasm (& 08/8956 7440). This rock cleft
is only a few meters wide but 80m (262 ft.) high, reached by a 10-minute creekside
trail. Aim to be here at midday, when the walls glow orange in the overhead
sun. A kiosk sells snacks and drinks. Admission is A$6 (US$3.90) for adults and
A$4.50 (US$2.90) for seniors and children 5 to 14. The Chasm is open from
8am to 6pm daily, with last entry at 5pm (closed Christmas).
Six kilometers (3 3 ⁄4 miles) past Standley Chasm, you can branch right onto
Namatjira Drive, or carry on to Hermannsburg Historical Precinct (see below).
Assuming you take Namatjira Drive, you’ll head 42km (26 miles) on to picturesque
Ellery Creek Big Hole. The spring-fed water is so nippy that the tourism
authority warns swimmers to take a flotation device in case of cramping. A 3km
(2-mile) walking trail explains the area’s geological history.
Eleven kilometers (7 miles) farther along Namatjira Drive is Serpentine Gorge,
where a trail leads up to a lookout for a lovely view of the ranges through the gorge
walls. Another 12km (7 1 ⁄2 miles) on are ochre pits, which Aboriginal people quarried
for body paint and for decorating objects used in ceremonial performances.
Twenty-six kilometers (16 miles) farther west, 8km (5 miles) from the main road,
is Ormiston Gorge and Pound (& 08/8956 7799 for the ranger station/visitor
center). This is a good spot to picnic, swim in the wide, deep pool below red cliffs,
and walk a choice of trails, such as the 30-minute Ghost Gum Lookout trail or the
easy 7km (4-mile) scenic loop (allow 3–4 hr.). The water is warm enough to swim