Eastern MacDonnell Ranges area was the plan for today a grand plan that as always seems to come unstuck with the total lack of hours in the day to get through what we have planned. We ventured out on the Ross Highway and pulled up on the side of the road and I spent 10 minutes with my largest screwdriver smashing clumps of mud off the wheels and suspension from yesterdays effort. Next we stopped at Emily & Jessie Gaps within the first few KM of the trip. The Gaps are exactly what there name says, gaps in the range that look like they may be rivers in the wet season, quite spectacular with the high red cliff around you and the rock art. Quite pretty but we moved on quickly to Corroboree Rock just 10KM up the road. This is a strange formation that looks like the side of it has fallen off and it has several holes right through it quite high up.

Next stop John Hayes Rockhole and it was the highlight of the day after a slow 4KM 4WD track through multiple river beds. Most of it was single lane that was no problem on the way in as we had the place to ourselves but on the way out we had 4 difficult passes to negotiate with other vehicles coming in. Luckily we met most of them in reasonably convenient sections. The walk around the rockhole cliff and down through the gorge was quite nice. Some interesting bird nests on the canyon wall. A couple who came in just before we left followed us out in a two car convoy as he was not a very confident 4WD person.

Next stop was up the road a couple of KM to Trephina Gorge for a lunch stop and a very interesting chat with a couple from Bathurst who happen to be in the same caravan park as us but at the other end. They had some very useful tips for us and advice for our onward travels. We did the gorge walk up around the rim and back down through the gorge. Time was getting away from us so we abandoned the other walk here and headed off on the road again. We stopped briefly on the way out to look at a 300 year old Ghost Gum, an impressive tree.

The roads around this area are weird, they are single lane bitumen with a half car gravel shoulder on each side and signs warning you to slow down and move off to the side to pass other vehicles. You can imagine what it’s like with all these ‘dickheads’ flying past throwing gravel into your car wind screen! We arrived at the turn off to the gorge to be presented with a large water crossing that I got out and checked out before crossing. No worries with that one but soon after we came to an even large one. I may have baulked at this one but for the guy who has left his missus on the other side and drove through it (showing us the way) so his missus could film him going through it. He then picked her up and came through again while we waited. Several other smaller water crossings, dry river bed crossings and some KM of sandy track we got to the gorge campsite. Only one couple camped here tonight.

The walk goes through the gorge for a short distance and stops at several petroglyphs (rock carvings). They are pretty worn by the weather these days but still clear visible. The trip back was interesting having to give way to a horse, several cattle and a calf that just continued to run down the road right in front of us for ages. We eventually got back to the caravan park for some well earned tea well after dark with one interesting moment when I took the wrong exit on a roundabout and we ended up in the middle of some “aboriginal situation” with police everywhere and us getting the hell out of their as fast as we could!!!!