RED CENTRE

Words & Photography Alistair Paton

A NATIONAL PARKS’ BROCHURE DESCRIBING the walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole, one of the few reliable water sources at the base of Uluru, advises visitors to “sit quietly and listen to the sounds of the beginning of time.” It’s a sentiment that could be applied to the entire Red Centre, a large expanse of baking desert that is remote and forbidding and, at the same time, full of interesting and rare plants and animals, and breathtaking geological formations.

Many of the locations here are sacred to First Nations people who have inhabited this land for thousands of generations, and walking through the spinifex or along a rocky creek bed for those of us who have arrived much more recently can get a sense of why. The area’s most famous walking track is the 223km Larapinta Trail (Note: In this issue of Wild , there’s a feature on the trail starting on P111), but you don’t have to disappear for two weeks to experience the special pull of this place or to feel its spiritual connection; many excellent half and full-day adventures are available where you can explore gorges, rocky summits and world-famous landmarks. Here are my favourites.

early in the walk and can be a turn-around point if it’s too hot— the track beyond here is closed if the mercury hits 36 degrees. The second lookout is the walk’s highlight, offering spellbinding views from a saddle between the giant domes; it’s an experience that won’t soon be forgotten.

No matter how many postcards you’ve seen, nothing prepares you for the immense majesty and sheer size of Uluru. From a distance, it appears as the classic calendar view, but as you approach it gets larger and larger, until you find yourself under a rock face taller than the Eiffel Tower. You can’t climb to the top anymore (thankfully) but a circumnavigation at ground level allows you to explore details you never knew existed including caves, gorges, rock art and waterholes, plus multiple sacred sites to the Anangu people. Every morning a free ranger-guided tour leaves the Mala car park—this is a great place to start and get an expert First Nations perspective on a short section of the walk before continuing on the full circuit. The track is flat but there isn’t much shade, so take a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water (advice that applies to any walk in the Red Centre).

ULURU-KATA TJUTA NP

7.4KM, 3-4 HOURS – HARD

One of Australia’s best day walks navigates some of the 36 giant domes that make up Kata Tjuta/the Olgas, which is a 45-minute drive from Uluru and equally awe inspiring (Kata Tjuta is a Pitjantjatjara word meaning ‘many heads’ and the domes here rise as high as 500m). The full walk involves steep ascents and descents and is listed as Grade Four, with two taxing climbs to high points at Karu and Karingana Lookouts. The first comes

8.5KM, 3-4 HOURS

The West MacDonnell Range stretches 161km west from Alice Springs, with a series of wonderful sightseeing attractions along the way. Ormiston Gorge is one of the most popular stops, either for a look at the gorge and a swim at the waterhole, or to make a day of it by undertaking the walk through the gorge and the wider Ormiston Pound, a desert plain surrounded by hills and orange cliffs. This is the recommended option. The walk is a big wobbly circle which is followed anti-clockwise. Start by crossing the dry creek bed and climbing the other side to follow a ridge east, then swing northwest and drop into the pound itself, crossing wide, flat spinifex country. The route back is simple—follow the track west to enter Ormiston Gorge, where the creek cuts through a 300m-high ridge formed (along with the rest of the range) in a cataclysmic ‘folding event’ that started about one billion years ago. The gorge then curves south to return to the visitor centre (look for black-footed rock wallabies high in the cliffs). However, there is one complication—entering the eastern end of the gorge involves navigating a series of waterholes, some of which can only be crossed by wading in the freezing-cold water. It’s a good idea to ask at the visitor centre how deep the water is before heading out (or, in the dry season, if there’s even water at all).

6KM, 3-4 HOURS – MEDIUM

Another contender for the title of Australia’s best day walk, this circuit follows both sides of the mighty canyon, located midway between Uluru and Alice Springs. It’s a strenuous walk with steep rough sections, but the reward is sensational 360-degree views of an incredible arid wilderness. The hike’s toughest test is at the very start, as the track immediately ascends 500 steps up a dry rocky slope. After a rest and a swig from your drink bottle, the path flattens out, visiting a series of spectacular sights including Priscilla’s Crack (named for its starring role in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert), and the Lost City—a maze of sandstone domes that looks like a miniature Purnululu (Bungle Bungles)—and crosses the hair-raising Cotterill’s Bridge before rounding the gorge’s eastern end. A short detour is required here to visit the Garden of Eden, a cool oasis flanked by orange cliffs, palms and cycads. Return to the start via the canyon’s southern side, which has constant views of the immense cliffs of the north wall. Signs offer regular reminders not to venture too close to the edge!

THE EARLY START

15.8KM,

Watching the sun come up from the top of the NT’s fourth-highest mountain (which is also the western terminus of the Larapinta Trail) is an unforgettable experience, and something of a pilgrimage for many Red Centre hikers. It requires an early alarm—early enough to reach the trailhead at Redbank Gorge car park (156km west of Alice Springs) at least three hours before sunrise. But it’s worth it. Start by climbing steadily to a saddle 2.3km away; from there it’s another 5.6km to the top, following a spine of 850-million-year-old Heavitree quartzite. The walk ends at the highest point on the trail. It’s technically not the mountain’s highest point— which is on the other side of a deep ravine and is about 20m higher. But that doesn’t detract from the experience, or the view. If you’ve timed it right, the sun will be just peeking over the horizon and lighting up the mountain’s twin summits, with the rest of the West MacDonnell Range and the surrounding desert bathing in a beautiful golden glow. In winter, temperatures here can drop below freezing, so pack a warm jacket and a thermos. After a well-earned break, follow the same route back to the car park.

FROM LEFT

It doesn’t get more iconically Australian than Uluru Rutjupma/Mt Sonder at sunrise. The peak is the western terminus of the famed Larapinta Trail, but getting to its summit is also a classic day walk in its own right Taking a rest in Ormiston Gorge

Walking on the south rim of Kings Canyon

CONTRIBUTOR: Alistair Paton started overnight hiking in his university days. He tries to get away from his home in Melbourne to somewhere amazing at least once a year.