History and Legends along the West MacDonnell Ranges: A Red Centre Tour
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About the Tour
About the Tour
If you love sweeping desert landscapes, hidden histories, and fascinating facts, then this driving tour through Australia’s Red Centre from Alice Springs to the Mount Sonder Lookout is the tour for you.
You’ll drive between the West Macs, as the West MacDonnell Ranges are known locally, taking in its sights and stories. You’ll hear about the origins of the mountain range’s Aboriginal name (Yeperenye) and hear the legend of the giant caterpillars who, many eons ago, fought day and night against stink bugs but sadly lost. Locals think of the gaps between the mountains as the missing heads of the caterpillars who fell in battle.
Along the way, I’ll also tell you about the grit and tenacity of the colourful characters in the Red Centre who formed Central Australia’s heart and soul. You’ll hear about people like Albert Namitjira, a famous outback painter, John McDowell Stuart, a pioneer explorer, and the reverend named John Flynn who brought christianity to Australians living in the remote outback.
On this 2-hour driving tour, you’ll also see many beautiful and natural sights like:
- Simpsons Gap, a gap in the West Mac mountain range where you’ll have a chance to get up close and personal with cute little black-footed wallabies
- Standley Chasm where you can walk between the narrow granite chasm and hear the story of its spectacular formation
- Ellery Creek, a popular freshwater lake where both tourists and locals cool off in summer
- Ochre Pits, large pits made from multi-coloured clay known as ochre
- The majestic natural backdrop at Glen Helen Lodge, home to Wedge Tailed Eagles, Australia’s largest bird of prey, and an award-winning restaurant
Whether it’s your first time in Central Australia or you’re a local who’s curious about the West Macs, this tour is a valuable introduction to our little piece of the Outback. So come and explore this unique gem in the Red Centre.
Tour Music
Travel Light by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Redwood Trail by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Redwood Highway by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Front Porch Sitter by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Plantation by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Tour Producer
Tour Producer
Clive Gregory
G'day my name is Clive and I'm an accredited Australian Tour Guide, public speaker and accomplished amateur thespian. I have a professional Indigenous Cultural Knowledge Certificate III in guiding from Charles Darwin University and have guided tourists to Central and Western Australia for over 30 years. I'm a member of the EcoTour Guides Association of Australia who are mindful of the environmental effects of tour guiding has on our local environment and we share the 'minimal impact' philosophy with both tourists and visitors alike.
Born in Africa, raised in England and subsequently Australia my culturally diverse background gives me a unique multi – layered social approach and faceted views of the many unique points of interest in all locations within which I guide. This benefits visitors & tourists alike that come to experience the Real Australia.
I started my journey with VoiceMap in 2019 when I saw a need for fully independent travelers (F.I.T.'s) to have a 'tour guide in your pocket' so that they could enjoy my tours in their own time and at their own pace. This is a far cry from my organised Tour Guiding days where large groups of tourists had to travel together on coaches for days on end and had to endure a 'set menu' itinerary with little choice. VoiceMap is a far better way to have your own Australian experience in your own way. Bespoke touring at it's finest.
So come and join me on our VoiceMap tours and experience Australia as you deserve; in your own time and your own pace with an expert guide in your pocket.
I hope you enjoy our tours as much as I did making them.
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Preview Location
Preview Location
Location 14
Simpsons Gap
Straight in front of you now is Simpsons Gap. It was made by giant floods over millions of years cutting through the granite, Simpsons Gap is a natural wonder all by Itself. Home to the delightful black footed rock wallabies whom can be seen... Read More
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Major Landmarks
Major Landmarks
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ANZAC Hill
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Araluen Cultural Precinct
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John Flynn's Grave Historical Reserve
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Mount Gillen
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Simpsons Gap
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Standley Chasm
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Ellery Creek Big Hole
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Ochre Pits
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Ormiston Gorge
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Discovery Parks - Glen Helen
Getting There
Getting There
Route Overview
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Start locationAnzac Hill Rd, Alice Springs NT 0870, Australia
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Total distance187km
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Final location-23.70227454, 132.77213393
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Distance back to start location113km
Directions to Starting Point
Start: Anzac Hill, Anzac Hill Rd, Alice Springs NT 0870, Australia
This tour begins in the car park on the top of Anzac Hill in Alice Springs. Anzac Hill is a high point that can easily been seen as the small hill just to the north of the Town Site.
The most popular way to get there is head North up Telegraph Terrace which runs to the West of Alice Springs past Hungry Jacks (Burger King in the USA) and take the first road to the right (Schwarz Crescent) and follow the signs to Anzac Hill.
When you arrive at the car park try to park your car facing West. You should be looking out over the light industral area with Mt Gillen at your 10 o'clock. This will set you up for a perfect introduction to the start of the West Macs tour.
Show Directions
Tips
Tips
Places to stop along the way
If you get hungry along the way (apart from Woolworth or Coles in the town of Alice) there are only three places you can get food. Firstly Standley Chasm Cafe where you can get a barista coffee and / or morning tea and / or light lunch. Standley Chasm is about a 45 minute drive from here.
Next there's Ormiston Gorge Cafe where you can also get barista coffee and / or fresh fruit juices and / or light lunch. Ormiston Gorge is about an hour and twenty minutes drive from here.
Finally there's Glen Helen Lodge which has a Gold Plate Award winning restaurant. Just quietly; the Steak burgers are delicious. Glen Helen is about an hour and half drive from here.
Best time of day
Ideally in the morning or late afternoon.
Precautions
Please note that there are no petrol stations in the West Macs. The nearest fuel stop from here is Hermansburg which is at least an hour and a half drive. Please make sure you have a full tank before you leave the Alice. Summer in the outback is very hot. The summer months are usually from October to April. It is recommended that if you go on a bush walk out here please make sure that you take your own water bottle. Flies can be a tad annoying so take some fly spray and / or a fly swish. Please also take your own rubbish / garbage away with you as there are no council rubbish collections in the West McDonnell National Park. Please dispose of your rubbish in the public rubbish / garbage bins in the town of Alice Springs when you return. Thank you.
There are many self guided bush walks along the tour today. Should you feel the need to explore them further please take: Your own water bottle, a hat, sunscreen, long sleeve shirt, closed in shoes and an Outback Smile!
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