Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
his scrawled praise, Tom loved eating here (when on location in Alice filming
Quigley Down Under
) as much as the locals do. You've seen the red-checked table-
cloths and the basket-clad Chianti bottles before, but the food is surprisingly
good. A long list of pastas (like the masterful carbonara), pizzas, and chicken and
veal dishes are the main offerings. All meals can come as takeout. BYO.
Corner of Undoolya Rd. and Sturt Terrace.
&
08/8952 0549.
Reservations strongly recommended. Main
courses A$11-A$18 (US$7.15-US$12). MC, V. Mon-Sat 5-10pm. Closed Christmas to end of Jan.
3 Road Trips from Alice Springs
The key attraction of a day trip into the MacDonnell Ranges is unspoiled nat-
ural scenery and few crowds. Many companies run coach or four-wheel-drive
tours of a half day or a day, sometimes overnight, to the West and East Macs.
Some of these appear in “Organized Tours,” earlier in the “Alice Springs” sec-
tion. Expect to pay about A$100 (US$65) for a full-day trip.
THE WEST MACDONNELL RANGES
WEST MACDONNELL NATIONAL PARK
The 300km (186-mile)
round-trip drive west from Alice Springs into West MacDonnell National Park
is a stark but picturesque trip to a series of red gorges, semidesert country, and
the occasional peaceful swimming hole.
From Alice, take Larapinta Drive west for 18km (11 miles) to the 8km (5-mile)
turnoff to
Simpson's Gap,
a water hole lined with ghost gums. Black-footed
rock wallabies hop out on the cliffs in the late afternoon (so you may want to
time a visit here on your way back to Alice). There are a couple of short trails,
including a
1
⁄
2
km (
1
⁄
3
-mile) Ghost Gum circuit, and a 17km (11-mile) round-
trip trail to Bond Gap. Swimming is not permitted. The place has an informa-
tion center/ranger station and free barbecues.
Twenty-three kilometers (14 miles) farther down Larapinta Road, 9km
(5
1
⁄
2
miles) down a turnoff, is
Standley Chasm
(
&
08/8956 7440
). This rock
cleft is only a few meters wide but 80m (262 ft.) high, reached by a 10-minute
creek-side trail. Aim to be here at midday, when the walls glow orange in the
overhead sun. A kiosk sells snacks and drinks. Admission is A$6 (US$3.90) for
adults and A$4.50 (US$2.90) for seniors and children 5 to 14. The Chasm is
open from 8am to 6pm daily, with last entry at 5pm (closed Christmas).
Six kilometers (3
3
⁄
4
miles) past Standley Chasm, you can branch right onto
Namatjira Drive, or carry on to Hermannsburg Historical Precinct (see below).
Assuming you take Namatjira Drive, you'll head 42km (26 miles) on to
pictur-
esque Ellery Creek Big Hole.
The spring-fed water is so nippy that the tourism
authority warns swimmers to take a flotation device in case of cramping. A 3km
(2-mile) walking trail explains the area's geological history.
Eleven kilometers (7 miles) farther along Namatjira Drive is
Serpentine Gorge,
where a trail leads up to a lookout for a lovely view of the ranges through the gorge
walls. Another 12km (7
1
⁄
2
miles) on are
ocher pits,
which Aboriginal people
quarried for body paint and for decorating objects used in ceremonial perform-
ances. Twenty-six kilometers (16 miles) farther west, 8km (5 miles) from the
main road, is
Ormiston Gorge and Pound
(
&
08/8956 7799
for the ranger
station/visitor center). This is a good spot to picnic, swim in the wide deep pool
below red cliffs, and walk a choice of trails, such as the 30-minute Ghost Gum
Lookout trail or the easy 7km (4-mile) scenic loop (allow 3-4 hr.). The water is
warm enough to swim in the summer. You can camp here for A$6.60 (US$4.30)
