Day 30 West MacDonnell Ranges

451km today touring the West MacDonnell Ranges.  It was mother nature tugging at our heartstrings most of the day and invading our visual senses continually, except for the times we were driving over some dusty and rough roads, with the occasional unavoidable mud puddle thrown in.  The countryside is quite green.  It has rained recently, although not enough to make the rivers and creeks flow. Today we visited John Flynn's grave, Simpson's Gap, Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek Big  Hole, Serpentine Gorge, Ochre Pits, Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge, Gosse Bluff (the 140 million year old meteorite impact crater which we drove into) and passed by Hermannsberg. The countryside changed as we approached Hermannsberg.  It became almost like parkland with grassy fields clothed with similarly shaped and sized pine-like trees.  It was a bit cloudy at the start but improved during the day until, as we drove home in the twilight we had clear skies, wispy clouds and a fantastic sunset.  It was indeed a big day in every respect.

The highlights were:

• changing colours as the sun waxed and waned
• the reflections at Ormiston Gorge
• Gosse Bluff seen from Tyler's Pass
• the spectacular views of Mount Sondar  
• the brumbies that crossed our path

And we did it all in one day!

060514 Flynn of the Inland's grave

060514 Simpson's Gap

060514 Standley Chasm

Ellery Creek Big Hole

060514 Serpentine Gorge

060514 Driving out of Serpentine Gorge

060514 The Ochre Pits

060514 Mount Sondar

060514 Ormiston Gorge

060514 Reflections in Ormiston Gorge

060514 Glen Helen Gorge

060514 Gosse Bluff

060514 Brumbies near on the road to Hermannsberg

060514 Twilight looking east