Day 35 Devils Marbles to Banka Banka Outstation

We both got up before sunrise to enjoy the first sun rays coloring the Marbles bright orange.

We were in no rush to leave this beautiful spot and after breakfast we walked around some other sections of the Marblesn where again we took heaps of pictures.

Luckily the supermarket in Tenant Creek was open on Easter Sunday but that was about all that was happening in this outback town.

A lunch stop at Mary Ann Dam (just north of Tenant Creek) was really nice.

We camped at Banka Banka Outstation that night. A bonfire with entertainment was organized for all the camp guests that evening which was really nice.

Day 34 Binns Track to Devils Marbles

From Arltunga we had two options; heading back the same way to Alice or follow Binns Track (a 4wd track) a bit more north. We chose the second option and it turned out to be a really nice and do-able track. Again it gave us a real feel of the true outback. 

The drive also involved a lot of getting in and out the car for Monique as she had to open and close the gates that prevented stock escaping their farmers properties, but also indicated when we entered aboriginal land. And there were lots of gates we found out!

The track took us to the Plenty Highway where we had a walk around Gemtree Station. 

From there it was back to Stuart Highway where we had to start thinking of our next camping spot. Eventually we decided to drive all the way to the Devils Marbles as we calculated we could just be there before sunset. It meant that for the first time we drove faster then our normal 80 kph.

The campsite at the Devils Marbles was gorgeous and not as crowded as we expected. We walked around these amazing round rock boulders until the sun went down completely and enjoyed the rest of our evening watching the stars.

Day 33 East MacDonnell Ranges and Arltunga

At Trephina Gorge we enjoyed some great walks this morning. We even had our first up-close encounter with a dingo (wild dog)!

From there we left the sealed road behind us and drove to the historic site of the Arltunga Goldfields. At the information site we gathered some information about self guided walks and spent the afternoon exploring the ruins and  the old mine shafts.

There were hundreds and hundreds of birds around, mainly zebra finches and parakeets. 

The night was spend at the Arltunga Hotel campsite which was a bit of a let down. But hey, we weren't expecting a five star campsite to begin with.

Day 32 East Mac Donnell Ranges

After having such a good time in the West MacDonnell Ranges we had to go and check the East MacDonnell Ranges out as well of course!

We made several stops with Trephina Gorge being the true highlight. We spent the night at the Trephine Bluff campsite and enjoyed the quiet and peaceful atmosphere and were impressed with the whiteness of the ghost gums!

Day 31 Another day in Alice

Sometimes the beauty of Australia is overwhelming! Our last morning in the West MacDonnell Ranges was spent gazing at the view whilst enjoying brekkie. Gorgeous!

Back in Alice Springs we went back to G'day Mate Tourist park where we just enjoyed the luxury of having a shower, internet connection, a pool and other travelers to share stories with!

Day 30 The West MacDonnell Ranges

It was still early this morning when we started the Redbank Gorge walk. It was half an hour climbing along the rocks in the riverbed. At the end awaited a beautiful small gorge filled with water, and we spend quite a bit of time soaking in the beautiful nature around us.

From here we drove to Hermannsburg (an historic mission station) and on the way we enjoyed the view of The Gosse Bluff so much that we decided to check it out from up close. The mountains we looked at worked out to be the remnants of an meteor impact about 142 million years ago. Pretty impressive.

The night was spend at the lookout where we camped 2 nights earlier. Just because we loved it so much.

Day 29 West MacDonnell Ranges

Seeing the sun come up over the Ranges this morning was amazing and the day just kept on amazing us.

We stopped at all the 'highlights' on our way; Ellery Creek Big Hole, Serpentine Gorge where we climbed up to the lookout, the Ochre Pits (a rock formation that almost looks like its painted) and we ended the day at Ormiston Gorge. This was definitely the most impressive one with its massive towering red walls.

We had a refreshing swim in the waterhole before setting up camp at the nearby Redbank Gorge.