After visiting Sydney in 2 days , driving along the Great Barrier Reef for 2 weeks , we continue with a road trip in a van in the Australian Outback to experience the desert.
The Australian Outback is a vast, arid, and inhospitable region where the earth is red and rain almost never falls. However, when it does rain, it is torrential, sometimes lasting for several days and flooding some roads.
While it's difficult to measure the size of the Outback , it's important to know that it actually covers the vast majority of Australia. That's why I couldn't imagine going to Australia without setting foot on the red sands of this desert, which, by its sheer size, truly represents the Australian landscape.
Here's how our 1-week road trip in the Red Centre desert went.
Map of my 1 week itinerary in Australia's Red Center
This 6-day road trip in a campervan through the Australian desert is the third part of my 3-week tour of Australia . Here is a map of the route starting from Alice Springs, passing through Kings Canyon and the West MacDonnell Ranges:
Circuit in the Australian Outback - Stages of my itinerary
- Day 1: Flight Cairns Alice Spring arrival at 13:00 p.m. + Van rental and night at Alice Spring
- Day 2: Road to Watarrka National Park
- Day 3: Kings Canyon
- Day 4: Kings Canyon + road back and overnight in Alice Spring
- Day 5: Drive to the West Macdonnel Range - Ellery Creek Big Hole - Ocher Pits
- Day 6: Ormiston Gorges - Glen Helen - Hermannsburg - Return and overnight in Alice Springs
- Day 7: Van drop-off at 10 a.m. + flight to Darwin
Red Center road trip - Why not ULURU?
Why not have ULURU programmed in my circuit? That's the question everyone asked us. To miss the biggest site of the Red Center seems insane and unimaginable for a majority of travelers… Yes but not for me.
Indeed, I had read that this rock is invaded by mass tourism, that dozens of buses pour hundreds of tourists every morning… Of course it's like all tourist sites around the world but me, I didn't want to add hundreds of kilometers for that. Since time is short in my program, I preferred to focus on sites where you can make beautiful hikes, enjoy nature calmly, discover more authentic places.
Moreover, if I had added the Uluru and Olga Mountains stage in my itinerary, we would have had to do everything in a hurry, without taking the time to contemplate the landscapes at our own pace, to land and rest ...
Our first stop on the tour will therefore be Watarrka National Park to fully enjoy Kings Canyon.
Red Center road trip - How to get to Kings Canyon?
In a van, we're not allowed to drive more than 12 km on unpaved roads (motorhome rental contract). So, to get to Watarrka Park from Alice Springs , it was impossible for us to take the shortest route via the Mereenie Loop because this route includes a section of unpaved road.
Be careful because the GPS calculates by default the shortest route and will guide you to the road that passes by the track.
To avoid this, we took the Stuart Hiway, near Erldunda, then turned left to take the Lasseter Hiway then turned right onto the Luritja Road which joins the Ernest Giles Road to arrive at Kings Canyon Resort. It is a monotonous journey of 475 km that we did in 7 hours.
After this long drive, we settled in at the Kings Canyon Resort campsite which is the closest campsite to the site. Small disappointment because the reception is not great, the toilets were really rotten and the price was $ 50 per night…
In addition, having to refuel the van's gasoline van, we go to the spring station where the posted price is $ 2,08, which is almost double the normal price. I don't want to be a big complainer, but this is all the same overdoing it ...
Red Center Road Trip - Kings Canyon Hikes
You can take a short 2km walk ( Kings Creek Walk) which loops through the heart of the canyon. This walk, which goes inside the canyon, can be done in the afternoon as it is very shady.
In the morning, it's best to do the Kings Canyon Rim Walk , a 6 km loop along the upper rim of the canyon. It's a 4-hour hike that begins with a challenging 10-15 minute climb to the canyon's rim. This hike is magnificent and spectacular, with breathtaking views, sheer cliffs, and incredible colors.
This place will remain one of my best memories of Australia!
Another very easy 2,5 km hike ( Kathleen Springs Walk ) in Watarrka National Park takes about 1 hour. It leads to a watering hole where you can sit and enjoy the cool air…
Red Center Road Trip - West MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges are 644 km long mountains in central Australia. They form parallel ridges that start from the east and west of Alice Springs.
West MacDonnell Ranges - Ellery Creek Big Hole
Starting from Alice Spring, this was our 1st stop. As I knew that it took about 6 km of track to reach the starting point of the hike and that we were limited to 12 km round trip, we preferred to do only half of the kilometers in Van and the other half walk. Arrived on the site, we discover a small water hole almost completely dry in the middle of the rocks with a beautiful fault.
West MacDonnell Ranges - Ocher Pits
200 m from the car park (accessible without a track), this site is not exceptional. Maybe it's because of the morning light and the still low sun, but the ocher colors didn't really stand out. The site is not large, does not deserve to spend a lot of time there, and maybe not even worth a visit.
West MacDonnell Ranges - Ormiston Gorge
I was looking forward to seeing this great site with great anticipation and excitement. Indeed, I had read that the Ormiston Gorges were the most beautiful of all the MacDonnell Ranges and that it was the ideal place to observe the flora and fauna.
When we got there, we decided to start with the small half-hour walk and then continue with the big hike of 8 km (Pound Trail), thinking that in this way, we would have the opportunity to see beautiful landscapes. , beautiful plants and especially animals.
Ormiston Gorge - What I liked
So we started with the Ghost Gum Lookout , a short 30-minute hike that leads to a magnificent viewpoint overlooking Ormiston Gorge and loops back to the starting point at the lake. With the morning light, the colors of the rock were vibrant and incredible. I LOVED it!!!
Ormiston Gorge - What I didn't like
Next, we set off for a four-hour hike on the Pound Walk , a trail considered one of the most beautiful in the area. But from the very first climbs, our enthusiasm quickly faded. The site was completely devastated. A fire had ravaged everything, leaving no vegetation and certainly no animals.
We will need a lot of motivation to continue our efforts (because some places are difficult to climb) and especially to support all the flies that harassed us ...
Returning to the gorge along the river bed, the cliffs form a spectacular red gorge but the bed is dry. Fortunately, the views at the end are nicer ...
Red Center Road Trip - Glen Helen Gorge
A little greenery in this red and black desert (because it is partly burnt), it does a lot of good! It is a real pleasure to contemplate this oasis and to listen to the silence.
Road trip Red Center - Hermannsburg
Hermannsburg is a tiny town 131 km south of Alice Springs where an Aboriginal community lives (or survives) far from it all.
Founded in 1877 by a Lutheran mission, it is the oldest city in Central Australia. In 1982, the area was returned to the colonized Aboriginal people. Around ten buildings including the church, the school, the tannery and the missionaries' houses can be visited.
What I did not like is that they present the missionaries as saviors when they were colonizers! I would have liked the site to be run by aborigines when it is an Australian who manages it all. Faced with my questions, he explained to me that it is not a private museum, that it is managed by the government which pays part of the profits to the Aboriginal Community. Yes but still…, I was disappointed not to be able to exchange directly with the aborigines. I had the impression that their history and their territory are being exploited to generate profits while keeping them well out of the way.
Discover the rest of our trip with our last 2 days: Darwin – my favorite