| From Kings Canyon we wanted to travel to the West MacDonnell Ranges to the north. We could either stay on the bitumen and go via Alice Springs or use the Mereenie Loop Road and cut the distance down by 260kms. We chose the Loop Road. It was corrugated and a bit rough in places but it did save us loads of time and fuel. It also allowed us to visit the meteorite crater at Gosse Bluff. | ||
| The navigator picking out our route from a high spot. |  |
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At Kings Creek Station they mentioned that feral camels are becoming a problem and that they estimate there are about a million of them roaming central Australia. The government has just announced a culling program. We came across some standing in the road. | |
| We did our bit and ate one the day before. (Not a whole one, just a couple of steaks and very tasty they were too.) |  |
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We drove into Tnorala (Gosse Bluff). This is a crater that was created when a meteorite struck the earth some 142 million years ago. It is believed to have been about 1km in diameter and released 1 million times more energy than the bomb at Hiroshima. The crater it left behind is about 20km across. We drove in over the rim wall. |
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| This is the view from the centre of the crater looking out towards the crater wall. |  |
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Several kilometres further on we were able to look at the crater from a high spot. It must have made a big bang! |
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| We camped in a National Park campsite at Redbank Gorge. |  |
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The West MacDonnell ranges stretch for some 150kms west of Alice Springs. The hills are broken in places by gorges. Here are some photos of some of the gorges. Redbank Gorge |
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| Glen Helen |  |
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Ormiston Gorge We spent another night in a National Park campsite at Ellery Creek before moving on to Alice Springs. |
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West MacDonnell Ranges
- Details
- Category: Melbourne to Perth
