Thursday 22st July - Serpentine Chalet Ruins to Finke Two Mile Bushcamp

Apologies for the lack of blue sky in the photographs these last few days, but much to Anne’s annoyance we’ve had cloud cover most of the time since arriving in Alice Springs, not the sunshine to which we’ve become accustomed. Today started the same, but as we were having lunch at Ormiston Gorge the blue returned, which resumed normal service to the photographs taken on the Ormiston Pound loop walk.

Were it not for the 20m swim through freezing water towards the end, this 7km walk must rate as one of our favourites in Australia. Spectacular views over the MacDonnell Ranges awaited us,

and you get to see the amazing folding and faulting of the rocks up close.

We’d been warned that we might have to get wet to complete the loop as the Orminton River is full of water due to the unseasonably heavy rain that much of the centre of Australia has been experiencing recently.

However, we had hoped that our wetting would be limited to a wading, but no, full immersion was required, although we’d bought along our dry-bags which kept our clothes dry and also made good floatation devices. Still, it was worth it. SPOT

The local rainfall has also transformed the Red Centre into more of the Green Centre, with thick vegetation cover over slopes that would normally be bare this time of year. Apparently this is a once in a century occurrence and we should feel privileged to witness the desert in bloom, but to be honest it’s not quite the image of Australia that we had in mind (we’ll have to come back in drought conditions!).

Before packing away the tent this morning we walked and scrambled up to the Serpentine Chalet Dam, about 30 minutes into the hills above our camp.

Again, the underlying geology is laid bare where a small creek has exploited a fault line, eroding a small, almost vertical gorge through the rock, with amazing strata to be seen all around. Serpentine Gorge, 6km to the east, was similar, although on a somewhat grander scale.

Our other stop of the day was a quick look at the Ochre Pits, where local Aboriginals have collected ochre for ceremonial body painting as well as for its medicinal uses for several thousand years. The beds have been deformed until vertical, with vivid purple, red, yellow and white rocks creating a collage of colour.

We must really congratulate the NT National Parks authority for their forward thinking in providing free bush campsites. There are pay campsites with facilities available at the main tourist stops, but if you have a 4WD you can access camping areas such as last night’s and the one we’re at tonight, which is along the banks of the Finke river. There are no services available, but you can find a nice quiet spot to yourself and you are also allowed to have a fire and, as Jim would say, “It’s not camping without a fire”. SPOT