East MacDonnell Ranges (Region)
• East-MacDonnell-National-Park
• East-MacDonnell-Map
• Arltunga-Historical-Reserve-and-hotel-camping
• Trephina-Gorge
• Emily-Jessie-Gap
• Corroboree-Rock
• Ross-River-Resort
• Ruby-Gap
• N'Dhala-Gorge-Nature-Reserve

The East and West MacDonnell Ranges

The East and West MacDonnell Ranges stretch out for hundreds of kilometres on both sides of Alice Springs. The traditional owners of the Alice Springs area, the Arrernte people, believe giant caterpillars called the Yeperenye became the Ranges - they entered this world through one of the dramatic gaps in the escarpments of the area.

The panoramic landscapes of the West MacDonnell Ranges are easily accessed from Alice Springs. Each of the West MacDonnell's chasms and gorges has its own unique character and scenery. Simpsons Gap sports a permanent pool and rock wallabies live in the gap's rocky ridges. Standley Chasm lights up in fiery colours reflected by the overhead sun at midday.

Picturesque swimming holes such as Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge and Redbank Gorge offer refreshing relief on a scorching day. It is also possible to visit the Ochre Pits that desert Aboriginal people once used as a quarry for ochre pigments.

The East MacDonnell Ranges, while not as well known as the West MacDonnells, do provide beautiful scenery for bush walking, camping and four-wheel-driving. Visit Arltunga, a ghost town that was the site of a gold rush in the 1930's. Other places of spectacular natural beauty like Trephina Gorge, make a trip to the East MacDonnells more than worthwhile.

Access: http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/access_alice.html

Trephina Gorge

Trephina Gorge, in the East MacDonnell Ranges, is noted for its sheer quartzite cliffs and River Red Gum lined watercourses.

Two gorges dissect the range: Trephina, with its wide views and sandy creekbed, and John Hayes Rock Hole with steep, narrow rock walls.

The Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park

These small Gaps in the Heavitree Range are the first features you come to on your trip into the East MacDonnell Ranges. They contain interesting Aboriginal paintings and are important spiritual sites to the Eastern Arrernte Aboriginal people. The Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park, a scenic area close to Alice Springs, is an example of the Parks and Wildlife Commission’s commitment to the Northern Territory’s rich and diverse Aboriginal culture. The Park protects sacred sites and galleries of rock painting significant to the Arrernte Aboriginal people and associated with the Yeperenye (caterpillar) and other dreamings.

Corroboree Rock

Corroboree Rock Conservation Reserve is about an hour's easy drive from Alice Springs. Corroboree Rock is an outstanding dark grey column of dolomite. It is of great importance to the Aboriginal people of the region.

The rock itself is an outcrop of dolomite from the Bitter Springs Formation originally laid down in salty lakes 800 million years ago. Dolomite is a soft sedimentary fine grained rock. It is very similar to limestone except magnesium carbonate is the dominant compound rather than calcium carbonate.

At the base of the rock you can see dark grey and light grey streaky blobs of 'dalmation rock'. A ring of low ground surrounding the rock makes it look like an obelisk.

Cultural Features
Corroboree Rock was probably used as an important storage site for ceremonial objects by the Eastern Arrernte Aboriginal people. It is doubtful that it was ever used as a corroboree site, due to the lack of water in the area.

Ross River Resort

Ross River Resort has a variety of attractions and activities for you to enjoy. Abundant birdlife, Bushwalking, Sunset Camel tours and Hot Air Ballooning can be organised on request through Frontier Camel Tours.

• Accommodation & Rates Cabins - from AUD $50.00 per person/per night/twinshare
• Bunkhouse - Adults from AUD $22
• Camping Ground - from AUD $10 *Rates subject to change without notice.

A tourist facility formed around the original Loves Creek Homestead built in 1898 by the pioneering Bloomfield family as a working cattle station.

Ross River Resort offers:

• Friendliness and service
• Air conditioned cabins with ensuite
• Swimming pool and spa
• Public telephone
• EFTPOS facilities
• Cafe bistro in historical homestead
• Conference facilities and group catering
• Stockman's bar
• Abundant birdlife
• Bushwalking
• Fuel,
• Ice and
• Gas bottle refills
• Billy tea, damper,
• Wwhip cracking and boomerang throwing (10am - 12 noon daily)
• Camping ground and caravan park with powered sites
• Budget accommodation
• General store and kiosk
• Transfers
• 1.4km airstrip and helipad

Contact:
• Ross River Resort
• Toll free 1800 241 711
• Phone +61 8 8956 9711
• Fax +61 8 8956 9823
• Mail PO Box 3271 Alice Springs • Northern Territory 0871 Australia
• Email rrr@rossriverresort.com.au
• Web www.rossriverresort.com.au

N’Dhala Gorge Nature Park

N’Dhala Gorge Nature Park is located 90 kilometres East of Alice Springs, via the Ross Highway and is accessable by four-wheel drive only. This shady gorge contains a wide range of rock carvings and paintings. There are well over 6,000 individual petroglyphs (prehistoric carvings) as well as art sites and shelter sites. One way that Petroglyphs were created was by holding a sharp stone against the rock and striking it with a heavier stone.

Arltunga

Arltunga is located on the 5 000 hectare Arltunga Historical Reserve. The Arltunga Historical Reserve was established in 1975 and since then there has been a systematic attempt to restore and maintain the existing buildings. At Arltunga Historical Reserve you'll find a complete ghost town - with the remains of mines, mining camps and stone buildings. The police station and gaol have been completely restored and there are even old mines you can walk through.

Arltunga was officially central Australia's first town, born out of a gold rush after alluvial gold was discovered amongst a dusty and dry creekbed during 1887. It was a hectic little goldmining town and it's historical heyday lasted from the first gold strike in 1887 until 1913. The fortune seekers of the day of the nations of the world had to travel 600 kilometres from the Oodnadatta railhead, often on foot which seemed to take for ever, to seek their fortune in the harsh central Australian environment. Arltunga once supported some 300 people. At the time, Alice Springs consisted of just the Overland Telegraph Station, and was little more than an outpost that had expanded as it became the supply base of Arltunga. Mining activity continued in the area for 30 years.

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