Tuesday 9th July, 2024
Yesterday morning we woke to a thick mist. I had hoped to photograph the effects of sunrise on the surrounding hills/mountains and river, but instead have some photos and video of the mist. Still, it was very beautiful and the mist had cleared by the time we were ready to leave.
We went first to Ormiston Gorge for a walk out to the waterhole, then a delicious lunch of vegetarian focaccia sandwiches and hot drinks. This is a particularly popular spot and there were groups of older school children on the walk as well as families taking picnic hampers down to the waterhole. Someone kindly took a photo of Stephen and I together, using my camera, rather than one of our phones.
Our next stop was a hillside free camp with beautiful views. We wanted to get rid of our rubbish before going to Standley Chasm but the bins were full and the area quite messy. We moved on. The next stop was at Ellery Creek Big Hole Campground where we parked in some shade and had a cuppa.
Our final stop on the journey was at Point Howard Lookout, which had besides beautiful views some good camping areas. It is a designated 24hr Rest Area, with tank water (needs boiling) and many bins so we could finally get rid of our rubbish. It was tempting to stay, but being low on drinking water meant that going to a proper camping area seemed a good idea.
We stayed here at Standley Chasm about five years ago in the Winnebago, in one of the powered sites. There is drinking water, toilets, a couple of showers and campers kitchen, as well as a very lovely café. When we were here last time they offered evening meals, but now it closes at about 5.00 p.m.
They also have an overflow area where we stayed overnight. It was fairly good for the Starlink and the Sherwood was the only obstruction recorded. Today we’ve driven back into the main area and found a spot in the car park where we can stay overnight tonight. We had more of a choice this morning than last night when we arrived.
We have internet via 4 bars of 4G, but very slow. I checked the obstructions to see if the Starlink could do better, but the car park has too many obstructions. Still, life is not always just about internet, of course.
This is also a popular tourist spot and gets extremely busy during the day. Fortunately it quietens down at night. Did I mention that it’s school holidays here in the Territory, so kids of all ages are here. We like isolation (no one else came into the overflow area last night, but occasional bustle of serious walkers with large backpacks, walking sticks and large hats as well as families and occasional older persons is nice for a change.
We are still experiencing desert chill, with cold nights and mostly mild temperatures during the day. We are getting very tired from moving each day, and having a two night stay here in Standley Chasm is just what we need. Even though our travel distances are short we fit in little side trips and sight seeing, and often arrive at our destination in the late afternoon.
I would say that the Western MacDonnell Ranges is one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever seen. I’m very grateful that we have the opportunity to be here, especially as we are getting older. It’s quite something that neither of us have serious health issues that impact our ability to do this, even doing the little two step climb up into our loft bed in the Sherwood.