Australia
West MacDonnell Ranges
Ochre-walled gorges cut through the desert, each one hiding a permanent waterhole of shocking cold.
The gorge walls are ochre, the water is freezing, and the temperature outside is 40 degrees. Each gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges hides a permanent waterhole — spring-fed, cold enough to shock, and completely at odds with the desert above.
The West MacDonnell Ranges stretch west of Alice Springs for over 200 kilometres, a series of quartzite ridges cut by gorges that hide permanent waterholes in the middle of Australia's arid centre. Ormiston Gorge is the most celebrated — a swimming hole of clear, spring-fed water at the base of 300-metre walls. Simpsons Gap, Ellery Creek Big Hole, and Glen Helen Gorge each offer their own variation on the theme of cold water in hot desert. The Larapinta Trail follows the spine of the ranges for 223 kilometres, one of Australia's premier long-distance walks. Ghost gums — white-barked eucalyptus trees that glow against red rock — define the colour palette of the ranges.
Solo
The Larapinta Trail is a 223-kilometre test of endurance and self-reliance — the West MacDonnells reward solo walkers who carry their own weight.
Friends
Multi-day Larapinta Trail sections, gorge swimming, and campfire dinners in the ranges — the MacDonnells are built for groups who walk together.
- Ochre-walled gorges slice through the desert — each one hides a permanent waterhole of shocking cold.
- Ormiston Gorge's swimming hole sits at the base of 300-metre quartzite walls, spring-fed and clear.
- The Larapinta Trail follows the spine of the range for 223 kilometres — one of Australia's premier long walks.
- Ghost gums glow white against red rock — the colour palette is three colours, repeated perfectly.
Trail meals refuelling Larapinta Trail legs — the 223-kilometre walk demands serious provisioning.
Alice Springs restaurants as your base — Hanuman's Thai-Indian fusion after days in the red ranges.
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