Australia So Much to See

The West Macdonnell Ranges 2008.  We visit Glen Helen, Mount Sonder, Redbank Gorge and Roma Gorge petroglyph site. 

We returned to our caravan at Redback Ridge and had a short wait for our neighbours to return from their long walk, and share our day’s experiences. 

The track follows the dry and stony bed of the Davenport Creek and had to be taken slowly, otherwise it was not difficult. 

Signage shows it is 8.5 kilometres to the gorge and to allow one hour each way.  High clearance vehicles only.   There is room to leave a trailer just after turning in onto the track. 

We left Roma Gorge having been privileged to see some ancient and untouched Aboriginal cultural history that most tourists do not see. 

A close look at the way the etchings have eroded shows that these are very very old. 

The next day, our adventurous neighbouring campers left early on a walk to the Mount Sonder summit. 

A tour coach arrived, and the tour guide asked to share our campsite space and picnic table to watch the sunset on Mount Sonder.  This was to culminate their day which began at two am when they had commenced the three and a half hour long walk in darkness to the Mount Sonder summit to watch the sun rise.  We shared the beauty with these weary young tourists. 

The etchings are soft and delicate and have been dated at between six and eight thousand years old.  Almost all of the rocks are covered with etchings; some very faint from the effects of aging. 

From the ridge top, looking towards Mount Sonder, as the sun set. 

The lady in blue in the pictures is discussing her desire to swim across with pool with us and her husband. 

While our neighbours walked through the range all day, we went to Roma Gorge.  After a short but slow drive through the river bed, we reached the small petroglyph site.  This is an important and probably the most ancient petroglyph site in centralAustralia, but as it is not well known is it is visited less often than the well known sites.

With the late afternoon sun catching on the tops of the ridge as we walked back, we watched agile wallabies on the steep stony sides of the gorge. 

This wallaby is intently eating something held with his paws.

A closer look at the rocks and water of the gorge, and you could almost believe it was an ice cavern.

After a walk down the sandy and stony river bed, we reached to pool.  There are a series of pools through the gorge, and this can be negotiated by floatation devices and walking.  Wearing a wet suit is recommended.  In the shady gorge, the water can be very cold and swimming is not recommended.  We were soon to learn the wisdom of this warning.   The water at the edge did not feel cold to me and another lady there wanted to swim across to the narrow opening.  Having swum around Emma Gorge in the Kimberley, which had felt colder at first touch, I did not see any danger but did not choose to swim here as it was late in the afternoon and the air was cooling. 

She swam strongly across, waved to us cheerfully and returned, but stopped before she reached the edge.  She had hypothermia and was unable to walk out of the water.  She crawled, assisted by her husband, and it was some time before she had warmed enough to walk out of the gorge.   

We looked down onto the Finke River where water remained in a few pools and riverside campers could be seen.  

Not far west of Glen Helen, the Mount Sonder Lookout gives sweeping views across the Finke River, where a few small pools can be seen, to the range to the north where Mount Sonder is not the highest hill, but with its attractive sculptured shape, it dominates. 

At Glen Helen Resort # on the south side of the road, the Finke River cuts through a range, and there is a small camp site and a café in the old homestead, together with a few other buildings.  It is a short walk to the gorge with a semi permanent pool. Glen Helen is in the more uniform caterpillar like range on the south side of Namatjira Drive, whereas the other gorges and gaps we had visited were in the sculptured range on the north side of the road. 

The road into Redbank Gorge was dirt, but easy access.  There are two camping areas; the Woodland camp sites are spread around a wide circle within a pleasant woodland area.  On top of the ridge, there is a smaller Ridge Top Camping area with spectacular views, and this is where we chose to stay.  The ridge is crossed to reach the parking area for the gorge. 

The range to the south is very different, consisting of a uniform series of folds, like the rings on the body of a caterpillar; particularly when viewed from the air.  It is likely that this caterpillar like appearance of the range gave rise to the Caterpillar Dreaming.  Glen Helen gorge cutting through this caterpillar is not far to the left of the photo.