My Little Walkabout in the MacDonnell Ranges

Australia may not have been hit as hard as a lot of places during the recent recession, but it hit me hard enough and after being deemed redundant it was time to take a break. Of course Australia has a fine tradition of going on walkabout, which is one thing to do with your mates, a 4x4, and a lot of beer; but is an entirely different thing to do by yourself in the original spirit of the idea. So, after deciding this was the way to go, the next thing was to figure out where to go.

I have some friends in ‘The Alice’ (Alice Springs, NT) and I knew that the town was situated in a rather famous mountain range, the MacDonnell Range. My thinking on the issue was that it would be better to go somewhere mountainous instead of out in the empty brush if for no better reason then it would be more scenic. In this respect I was right, but it also posed a lot of challenges one would not find in the desert.

After visiting my friends in Alice, I set off on foot to the west, into the mountains. This led me to Simpson’s Gap, one of the more famous spots in the region due to its pool of extremely cold water at its base. The problem was that apparently too many people had the same idea and I kept coming across people: other walkers/hikers, cyclists, and people in 4x4s. After asking around, it turned out that if I really wanted to be by myself I would have to go much further west, passed the famous Ochre Pits.

So off I went, following the road until I reached the junction leading to the Ormiston Gorge. At this point the pavement ended and so too did most of the other people. This was much more what I had in mind when I decided to set off into the wilderness. After Ormiston Gorge, I went totally off road across to Mt. Sonder and then down to Redbank Gorge. While this was everything I was hoping it would be, by the time I came across other people at Redbank, I was quite happy to see them.

I guess I am too spoiled on all my conveniences and carried far too much with me. Further, had it not been for my three litre Hydrapak hydration pack I can only assume everything would have been a lot more miserable than it was. Despite being in the desert, there were quite a few pools with a lot of very cold water, which was nice. I know in the stories they talk about people going on walkabout for weeks and even months at a time, but for me a week and a half was quite enough. Having my ever trusty mobile with me, I called and had my friends in Alice come and pick me up.

Although this is hardly a great story of survival, the mountains were quite beautiful and the alone time gave me plenty of time to think about the world and my position in it. So coming back from my little walkabout I felt much more clear headed and optimistic about things than I did when I set off. Next time though, I think I’ll be a lot more selective about all the stuff to bring with me, though of the things I’ll be sure to include will be my hydration pack.