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| Ruby Gap to Yuendumu |
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June 14 - 17 2025 |
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A morning walk in the Gap. Step up the steep side of the
rocks, and slide down the far side. |
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The water is crystal clear, filtered through the sand. We
hear the birds, but don't see them. |
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Happy with the colours. |
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We realised we'd walked through Ruby Gap Gorge. The
valley opens out.
Glen Annie Gorge is around the corner. |
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The soft, coarse, sand, and the stones, got the better of
us. After a couple of km we turned back. |
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Ruby Gap Gorge is to the right. |
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Becoming more obvious as we moved closer. |
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Pretty! |
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After a second night camping we departed. Having filled
water tanks from the river.
Following the river bed out where possible. Its easier than the rocky
track. |
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Nicely compacted by previous visitors. |
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Then onward towards Alice Springs. |
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Just enjoying the mountains. |
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Then some tar seal. |
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Which improved the closer to Alice. |
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We didn't stop at the gorges. Saved for another day ... |
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Traffic. Emptied the loo, fuel, food, hardware, then
onward. |
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West along Larapinta Drive. Then Namatjira Drive. |
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To our south the rough side of the mountains. |
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Holding our attention. |
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Past Glen Helen. |
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In Morocco we thought of this as naked geology. The fold of
the land easily seen. |
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To our north the sloping side of the mountains. Strata
angled up to the north. |
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We camped at Redbank Gorge. Just one night then northwards,
through Papunya to Yuendumu and the Tanami Road. Pleased we successfully
negotiated the permit system. |
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We are north of the MacDonnell Ranges. Towards and round
the Belt Range, which has Haast Bluff at its eastern end. |
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The Belt Range. We turn right before reaching it. |
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The 20m cross on Memory Mountain was completed in 2022, and
opened in 2024. Nine years in the making. A symbol of the faith, culture,
and traditions of the Indigenous peoples of central Australia.
Recognisable to me as made of Corten steel, which rusts to a surface
patina then is stable. |
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We turned north towards Papunya. |
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Passing Haast's Bluff. |
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And looking back. |
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I estimated about 20km of desert oaks. All ages, the young
trees quite different to the older. No evidence of camping we could see.
Few side tracks. |
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We followed the ring road around Papunya. Turned north to
Yuendumu on the Central Mount Wedge Road. Which passes Central Mount Wedge
(I knew that!). And more of the desert oaks.
Part of Stuart Bluff Range. |
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We passed through the range, the road stony and rough.
Fewer desert oaks on this side of the range. |
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The camel grunted at us, then ignored us. It looks very
well fed. A solid looking hump.
The approach to the Tanami Road is from the south. Yuendumu is on the
north side of the road.
We camped down a random track about 25km north west of Yuendumu. |
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| Mount Doreen |
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June 18 - 23 2025 |
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