Blogs from West McDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania

Waking long before dawn on Thursday morning - my eleventh day on the Larapinta Trail - I'd not even gotten out of my tent when a group of guided hikers strode through the campsite sounding like an army battalion marching into battle. With no vehicle access between Serpentine Gorge and Ormiston Gorge 30km away, they would have to knock off that entire distance in one long day. But for those of us that were fully self-sufficient, the opportunity to split the walk in half by spending the night on the crest of the Heavitree Range at a campsite unofficially known as 'Hermit's Hideout' was simply too good to resist... even if it meant having to carry even more water than if we were tackling it in a single day. With a fellow hiker who had just ... read more

Look at any map of Australia, and your eye will immediately be drawn to a name in the very centre of the continent: Alice Springs. Although only a fairly small town by most standards (population: 30,000) it appears on every map of the country for the simple reason that it is the largest settlement for a very, very long way in any direction. Historically, at least as far as European settlement is concerned, Alice Springs' greatest claim to fame is a telegraph station just a few kilometres to the north of the current town centre, which served as a relay point on the Overland Telegraph Line between Adelaide in the South and Darwin to the North. It is from this telegraph station that one of the most famous and iconic of Australian hiking trails begins: the ... read more

We are back in Alice Springs tonight where winter has suddenly arrived. Apparently it was minus five degrees here this morning. This morning we were still camped out in the Ranges at Ormiston Gorge and though it was certainly one of our coldest nights and mornings yet, I doubt it was as cold as here in Alice. I did go rummaging through my clothes compartment in search of extra warm outer gear and my gloves though … so it must have been chilly. We have a spectacular week exploring gorges, plains, old mission towns and watching the ever changing countryside roll past. Not a lot of kilometers involved which is a bonus. More time to sit and soak up the bush, the birds, the ochre coloured hills and peaks around us, and the lushness of the ... read more

This morning we got up at 5.10am to head out to the Field of Lights which is an art installation put together by a fella called Ben Munro. I love an art installation as much as the next person but it was freezing. Basically this guy has put 50,000 light bulbs which change colour in front of Uluru and apparently Qantas air freighted them all in without breaking one (they are the sponsor so its the least they could do). Bubble wrapping them must have been a bugger though. I have to admit it's pretty spectacular but tough to get photos of. After a quick breakfast we filled up the water and headed to Kings Canyon (the Tigers loss a distant memory). I decided to treat Becs and we stayed at the Kings Canyon Resort and ... read more

After the success of the Bay of Fires walk, I was keen for another walking holiday, and after a little bit of research elected the Larapinta Trail as my next challenge. Starting and finishing just out of Alice Springs, I was lured in with memories of beautiful landscapes that I hadn't properly explored in my previous visit, and promises that the Larapinta Trail is "one of Australia's most spectacular trekking and bushwalking experiences". I brushed over the part in the brochure that said "ideal for the more ambitious walker" and didn't properly appreciate what "walking the high ridgelines of the West MacDonnell Range" might really mean. I certainly have no memory of reading that "the Larapinta Trail will delight... read more