ALICE SPRINGS and EAST MacDONNELL RANGES

20^th May, 2015

It was a simple matter of retracing our steps for 300 klms from Kings Canyon back to the Stuart Highway before turning north towards Alice Springs. After 200 klms we can see the MacDonnell Ranges which stretch over 640 klms running east-west through Alice Springs. Estimated to be over 340 million years old, wind, water and time have exposed the skeleton of what was once a giant mountain range. We check in to Wintersun Caravan Park on the northern side of Alice Springs. In 1862 explorer John McDouall Stuart led an expedition through the Centre to the north coast, navigating and mapping the country for white settlement. Following in his footsteps the early explorers travelled through this region to site a path for the Overland Telegraph Line which was to run from Adelaide to Darwin. They chose to locate a repeater station alongside a waterhole which they named Alices' Spring. Unfortunately the 'spring' turned out to be a temporary waterhole which only fills after extended rain. However they persevered and the historical reserve which is not far from our caravan park houses heritage buildings and interpretive displays on life in the centre in the late 1800's. The discovery of gold at Arltunga some 100 klms east of Alices' Spring in 1887 provided a population boom for the Centre and the town of Stuart sprang up a few kilometres south of the Overland Telegraph Station on the banks of the Todd River. Like most rivers in the outback the Todd River is dry and only has water after prolonged rain which is very infrequent. In August each year the famous 'Henley on Todd Regatta' is held in the dry river bed – complete with boats, pirates, vikings, etc. etc. Whoever dreamed this event up was on a real winner. Prior to the completion of the railway line from Adelaide in 1929, supplies were transported by the Afghan Cameleers some 600 klms across the desert from Oodnadatta in South Australia. One misconception about the Afghan Cameleers was that they were Afghanis. The camels were transported from Afghanistan but the cameleers who came with them were of Indian descent. The name 'Afghan' is now embedded in Australian history and the part the cameleers played in opening up much of inland Australia was enormous and vital. In 1933 the township of Stuart was officially gazetted as Alice Springs. It is now the second largest town in the Northern Territory.

The next day we set off to do a bit of touristy stuff. The first port of call was the lookout at Anzac Hill

War Memorial on Anzac Hill - Australian Flag and Northern Territory Flag

which afforded us 360 degree views over 'Alice'

CBD of Alice Springs

View to the west over Alice Springs

We then visited the Araluen Cultural Precinct which has different buildings housing specific items relating to the geology, palaeontology, zoology, aboriginal art and culture of the area. We spend most of the day wandering around the different galleries before making our way to the Central Australian Aviation Museum just behind the precinct.

Original Hangar of Connellan Airways (Con Air)

The museum has been operating since 1977 and is run by volunteers. There are some very interesting planes on display as well as information on how aviation has helped people in the outback. Of course no aviation display out here would be complete without an acknowledgement to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Wok stands beneath an early RFDS plane

The people in the aviation museum finally push us out the door so they can lock up and we head back to the campground. The following day is ordained a 'rest day' so we are all relaxed and keen to do some more exploring after that. We load up the Jeep with picnic stuff and drive east along the MacDonnell Ranges. Our first stop is at Jessie Gap where we take a walk in the nature reserve.

Wok at Jessie Gap

Back in the Jeep we head further east and take a walk around Corroboree Rock.

Corroboree Rock

Apparently no corroborees were held here, it is just the name given to the rock by the early explorers/settlers. The rock formation does however have cultural significance to the local aborigines.

Further east we take a side road into Trephina Gorge. 

Picnic Area at Trephina Gorge

The gorge winds its way through the East MacDonnell Ranges, cutting through the red quartzite, creating a valley oasis.

'The Bluff' at Trephina Gorge

After a short break we continue on our eastern pilgrimage until finally we turn onto the unsealed road to Arltunga. 33 klms further on we reach the historical reserve that protects the site of one of the largest early towns in Central Australia and the centre of the gold rush. 

Guess this is one 'old timer' that didn't make it

We stop at the information centre and pick up maps of several self guided walks. There are a number of displays in the centre which could easily be damaged and we are amazed that no-one is on duty. The whole place is deserted except for us and two other couples wandering around. We know that country people are very trusting and this is a really 'out of the way' place but employing extra staff or rangers to help protect important sites like this should be paramount.

Its lunchtime so we have our picnic lunch accompanied by a bevy of bush flies. They are very persistent little b...##**s. Eventually we resort to having our lunch inside the Jeep. Lunch over – it was now time to explore the site of Central Australia's first town. In 1887 gold was discovered here in the creek sands. The miners used hand operated blow dryers to separate alluvial gold or they dug into the rock to extract gold bearing quartz for crushing. Arltunga developed slowly, the harsh conditions, the lack of water and the extreme isolation meant the miners and their families had a hard life. When rich reef gold was discovered nearby the future of the field looked promising. In 1890 drought played havoc as wells dried up and starving horse teams became too weak to cart ore to the battery. When the boiler at the Government Battery burst in 1901, ore could not be crushed for several months and the miners were forced to live on borrowed money. In 1903 a short lived gold rush at nearby Winneckie Depot brought several hundred newcomers to the area and in 1905 a township was surveyed at the crossroads and it became the centre of Arltunga with a well, store and hotel. When the Arltunga Battery closed in 1913 gold became harder to get and the miners moved on. Another rush of miners occurred in the 1930 depression years and again in the 1950's when the area was reworked. There are still some mines being worked in the area outside the historical reserve.

With maps in hand we head to the Government Works site. There are the remains of several buildings at the site as well as equipment.

Abandoned machinery at the battery site

Remains of Post Office and residences at Government Works site

Manager's residence and Asst. Manager's residence

Remains of other buildings at the Government Works site

On our trek around the works site we managed to pick up a few hitch-hikers.

Just a few of the bush flies getting a ride on Robyn's back

We didn't mind them pretending to be back packs but we did mind them constantly buzzing around our ears, eyes and mouths. By the way - flies do not taste nice!

Next stop was at the police station where we met a young couple from Chicago trying to translate some of the wording on the information board. The one that had them stumped was 'sly grog shop' so we explained that it was a place that sold illegal alcohol. We know the troubles we had deciphering some 'Americanisms' when we were in the USA so were very sympathetic to them trying to work out our colloquial slang.

Police Station and Lockup at Arltunga

Further out was the track to the MacDonnell Range Reef Mines. We parked the car and headed up a valley until we reached the first of the mine workings.

Wok gets ready to check out the mine shafts

Then Wok climbed down the ladder to check out the underground tunnels.

Wok at the bottom of the first shaft

The tunnels radiated out to other shafts but they were only large enough to crawl through – not something one really would put on the top of their 'to do' list. At the top of the valley was the ruins of a miner's house.

Remains of miner's house

We just love the time and effort put into placing rocks in just the right spot to make the walls of these stone buildings. This miner's house had a great view back down the valley. After our mine excursion we drove to the Crossroads. The ruins of the hotel is all that remains of the shops and buildings at the town site.

Crossroads Hotel

We'd come to the end of our exploration of the East MacDonnell Ranges and it was time to return to Alice Springs. Even though this part of the ranges is the least travelled by tourists it is certainly worthy of a visit in its own right.