The Doc has written as travel and photo guide for the East MacDonnell Ranges using Alice Springs as your starting point. Guide can be viewed here.
East MacDonnell Ranges – travel guide
Category Archives: desert
Textures of the Australian Bush: Northern Territory
New report of the textures of the Northern Territory has been posted, here.
mghother@internode.on.net
mghother@internode.on.net
mghother@internode.on.net
mghother@internode.on.net
Pilbara textures
The trip to The Kimberley also included The Pilbara, where iron ore mining occurs on an industrial scale. At Port Headland, 6 bulk ore carriers are loaded at once (more now as the terminal has expanded) and over 20 ore carriers are moored off the port awaiting their turn. Trains bring the iron ore to the port – trains 495 carriages long!
Port Dampier near Karratha is the other large port. It is not as big as Port Headland but impressive nonetheless.
The Pilbara has amazing textures, heavily influenced by the abundant iron in the rocks. So many things are red, the rocks, the sand, the dust and the visitors. The red is caused by the oxidation of the iron in the rocks. Who said you cannot bend rock?
The Pilbara also had some interesting barks, distinctly different from the Kimberley. Enjoy.
Newhaven – revisited
This time last year The Doc had finished his Kimberley/Pilbara trip and was returning through central Australia using Australia’s longest shortcut – The Great Central Road. After a rest stop at Alice Springs he headed to AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary for a few days.
This Saturday he heads off to Cairns then onto Pungalina/Seven Emu in Arnham Land.
A few shots from Newhaven. More pictures here.
Arkaroola, Northern Flinders Ranges, SA
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
Arkaroola is in the northern Flinders Ranges. Millions of years ago a large rift valley was formed. After the rocks were laid down, huge forces beneath the surface pushed the layers up, hundreds of metres into the air. The layers of rock are now visible, often at steep angles and sometimes vertically. It is a unique geological location having sedimentary, metaphoric and volcanic rocks in the one location.
Arkaroola’s unique geological features were recognised by Sir Douglas Mawson, the famous Australian Antarctic explorer. He urged Reg Sprigg to get the pastoral lease of Arkaroola if possible. Reg and his wife Griselda were able to take over the lease in the 1960’s. Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is now run by their children Marg and Doug Sprigg. Those names may sound familiar to some readers, as this family did the first motorised crossing of the Simpson Desert in G60 Patrol.
The best parts of Arkaroola are seen on the world famous Ridgetop Tour whose highlight is the spectacular Sillars Lookout. Surprisingly, many visitors don’t go on the Tour. The tracks at Arkaroola were originally built by mining companies exploring Arkaroola.
There are several old copper mines and smelters around the property including Wheal Turner and Bolla Bollana being examples. The Doc also explored properties nearby Arkaroola and visited the Needles, the Yudnamuntana Historic Site (old copper smelter) and Mt Freeling Station.
There is less bird life at Arkaroola than the Gammon Ranges National Park 30 km to the south. But Arkaroola has a healthy population of Yellow-footed Wallabies, arguably Australia’s most beautiful macropod. The Doc managed to get a few shots.
The tracks constructed by the mining companies allow you to drive in many places across the property. He is a selection of photos from a couple of those drives including Titllite Gorge, Mt Jacobs Track and Stubbs Waterhole.
The Doc also took to the air in a helicopter over Arkaroola and Freeling Heights.
A separate Report on the textures of Arkaroola can be viewed here.
A beautiful place to visit but only part of the broader Flinders Ranges.
Kimberley/Pilbara Trip Trivia
The Doc decided to put some trivia together about the longest trip so far. Enjoy.
Time, distances and economy
- the Kimberley/Pilbara Trip lasted 108 days;
- total distance travelled was 27,000 kilometres exactly (what a coincidence!). The Patrol has now driven over 70,000 kilometres on The Excellent Adventure;
- most kilometres travelled in one day, 1,032 kilometres;
- average kilometres travelled each day was 250kms. In reality the figure was less, as 9,000kms was driven to and from the Kimberley which were concentrated days of driving;
- best fuel economy was 12.4 litres per 100 kilometres. In 2WD, not towing, driving on the bitumen;
- worst economy 15.1 litres per 100 kilometres. In 4WD, towing the trailer in sand at Cape Peron National Park;
- average for the trip 14.4 litres per 100 kilometres, which makes sense as the trailer was attached for much of the trip. So the Pod Trailer adds about 2 litres per 100 kilometres, a modest increase compared to towing heavy trailers or caravans;
- most expensive diesel was $2.50 a litre at Mt Barnett Station Roadhouse, Gibb River Road; and
- total fuel bill, decided not to add it up!
Flights
Several flights were taken on the trip including:
- helicopter trip over Purnalulu National Park (Bungle Bungle Range);
- light plane flight out of Drysdale Station over Prince Regent River and the Mitchell Falls;
- seaplane flight to the Horizontal Falls;
- helicopter flight over the Horizontal Falls; and
- 2 day helicopter trip over King Sound (Derby) and here, Buccaneer Archipelago and The Artesian Range.
Corrugations
Over 60% of the trip was offroad. On badly corrugated roads, you can hit over 10 corrugations every metre (the four wheels do). A very, very conservative figure would be the car, trailer and driver went over 20 billion corrugations!!!! No wonder things break and get damaged.
Breakages
The breakages included:
- hub cover on Patrol, it fell off and was lost on Charnley River Station;
- broken wire on coolant alarm (it has broken twice before). Field repair that is still working;
- striped thread on a shock absorber. The front shock was replaced (The Doc was carrying spares). No dramas as the damage was detected early;
- after a car service an ignition fuse started to blow. It turned out to be a bare wire shorting on the rear towbar and nothing to do with the service;
- front control arm bushes needed replacement;
- a broken windscreen 3 days before the trip finished. Thanks to the driver who did not slow down properly on the Plenty Highway. The Doc got more stone hits on the windscreen that morning than the rest of the trip combined;
- rivets on an awning came out, thanks to the corrugations on the Plenty Highway on the return trip.
Tucker
Best meal, no contest, Restaurant at Mornington Wilderness Camp. Drysdale River Station also put on a good meal.
Cadjeput Waterhole
Murchinson River, Kalbarri National Park
ASCII
AWC – Wildlife Matters Spring 2015
In this issue:
- Historic partnership in the Pilliga forest and at Mallee Clfifs
- Restoring the lost mammals of central Australia at Newhaven Wildlife Sanctuary: the planet’s largest feral cat eradication project
- Historic return of endangered Woylies to Mt Gibson
- Securing the Northern Quoll
- Piccaninny Plains bird surveys to unlock wet season secrets of Cape York
- Ground-breaking feral cat research extended to Cape York
Read the latest Issue here.
Newhaven Sanctuary, Central Australia
On the trip home from the Kimberley The Doc visited AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary (jointly managed with Birdlife Australia). Newhaven is 350 kilometres north west of Alice Springs and borders the Great Sandy Desert. Report is here.
Katherine to Kununurra – The Kimberley
Great Central Road – Australia’s longest shortcut
The Doc is now in Alice Springs for 2 days preparing to go to AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary on the Tanami Track north of Alice.
This trip started with a visit to AWC’s Bowra Sanctuary and will finish with AWC’s Newhaven Sanctuary. The 2 big AWC sanctuaries for birders. The Doc would love to get some good shots of Princess Parrots at Newhaven, time will tell.
Then The Doc will make his way home after 4 months on the road. The most likely route will be the Plenty Highway (starts just north of Alice Springs) to Boulia in Queensland then back to the bitumen through Longreach and Outback Queensland to Ballina for a week, then Sydney.
Using the Great Central Road saved 1,500kms and 2 long days driving and he hopes the Plenty Highway will give a similar saving. This trip has roughly another 4,000kms to go, bringing the grand total a bit under 30,000kms over the 4 months. It has been a long trip on rough roads and the body is beginning to say enough.
A few photos from Laverton in the West until Uluru in the East along the Great Central Road.
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