Tuesday 3rd August - Trephina Gorge Nature Park to Ruby Gap Nature Park

The East MacDonnell Ranges just keep getting better.  You have to put in more effort as the bitumen runs out after 65km and the best bits are only accessible with a high clearance 4WD, but if suitably equipped you're missing out if you don't go exploring.

A morning walk through Trephina Gorge

followed a scramble up to the lookout above,

the latter having magnificent 360o views.

We then headed down the 4WD track to N'Dhala Gorge National Park, more an open air museum with over 6000 Aboriginal petroglyphs hidden amongst the rocks of the gorge.

It's such a tranquil site, with the rustle of the wind through the trees the only sound other than bird song (a lack of any other tourists also helped!).  To add to the spectacle, we were treated to flashes of green against the red walls as budgies darted around. SPOT

It seems like a great place to camp, but we wanted to push on to the Ruby Gap Nature Reserve, another 4WD only destination, with the 40km bumpy and windy track taking an hour and a half to drive.

The sign at the start saying road impassable wasn't going to stop us having a look, but the soft, waterlogged sandy bed of the Hale River did bring us to a halt as the riverbed is the "road" the final 7km up the gorge.

We consoled ourselves by camping at the gorge entrance by the river, warmed by a fire.  It's still cold at night, so we're looking forward to heading north and finding warmer temperatures. SPOT