Panorama Walk, Trephina Gorge Nature Park - December 2015

I'm going to start this post off with a question, what the hell is going on with our politicians, particularly our prime ministers? Do they receive a lobotomy when they get the keys to the lodge, f#@k me! We've had 4 different prime ministers here in Australia in the last 4 or 5 years and once assuming the office you'd swear their IQ dropped into single digits, repeating inane slogans over and over as if trying to train a dog. Initially I'd had high hopes for Turnbull, he seemed as if he might bring a bit of gravitas to the roll of PM. I was always pretty doubtful that he'd be able to keep the red neck hard right of his party under control, but I was hoping a few centralist policies might start to filter through, f#@k, he's turned into Abbott lite, complete with text book Abbott scare campaigns for the great un-washed. Where are the Curtin and Chifley's, the Whitlam, Hawke and Keating's, geeze I'm getting that depressed that I'd almost be happy with a Howard or Menzies....err maybe scratch the last two but you see what I mean, delirium (or maybe its dementia and I'm imagining all this) is starting to set in. I suppose it could be worse, we could have Trump although we had our own brush with populism with Palmer, yeah that was a successful experiment wasn't it (I can hear most of my Queensland readers turning off as I type this). Anyway with my monthly allowance of profanities now used up in one paragraph I'd better get back to crapping on about travel, as I've just insulted probably two thirds of my already meagre number of readers.

The Panorama Walk is yet another stroll in Trephina Nature Park out to the east of Alice Springs that I visited late last year. I did this short walk fairly late in the afternoon hoping the softer light would help my photo's a bit, you'll have to be the judge on whether that worked or not. The Panorama walk crosses straight over the wide sandy bed of Trephina Creek before climbing above the gorge on the opposite side to the Trephina Gorge Walk, unlike the gorge walk though the Panorama Walk, as the name suggests, continues to climb until you get, yeah you guessed it, a panoramic view.

The wax like trunk of one of the Red Gums lining Trephina Creek.

Looking back down towards the ute and gorge camp ground, that's Trephina Bluff towering above.

Continuing on above the gorge the track starts to climb up a ridge line to the high point of the stroll, the views from up here back down to Trephina Gorge are quite impressive, in the other direction the height allowing me to appreciate the interesting geology of Morder Pound. Crossing over the small summit I continued on down to a small saddle, the ridge that leads to Trephina Bluff towering above now, its rocky crest looking good in the late afternoon light.

Trephina Gorge from the lookout, the gorge walk follows the tops of the other side of the gorge.

Mordor Pound, a bit greener than usual this year.

On reaching an old gate the track turns back and heads into a side valley in the direction of Trephina Creek, the wetter soil in the valley supporting quite a few wild flowers along with a thicker covering of vegetation. In the distance ahead of me Trephina Bluff was guiding me back towards the ute and, after crossing the soft sandy creek for the last time today I was soon back and re-untited with Sam who was contentedly catching up on some reading while she waited for her recalcitrant husband.

On reaching this old gate the track turns and heads back towards the car park through a shallow valley.

The flora was a thicker in the valley.

There were plenty of wild flowers out (or is it a weed?).

Crossing the soft sand of Trephina Creek back to the car park.

Jumping back into the ute and heading back towards Alice Springs the setting sun made for some nice photos. I reckon Sam was starting to doubt that we'd ever get back to town as I'd scream to a halt in order to get another photo. After numerous photos of Ghost Gums, creeks, cows, roads and mountains we eventually arrived back in town way after dark on what had been another great day.

The recent flooding had made a bit of a mess of some of the roads.

One last photo of Trephina Bluff on the drive back to Alice Springs.

Another beautiful Ghost Gum.

The Dirt.

I walked 2.6 kilometres on this walk and climbed 108 metres, I suppose I'd class this as an easy walk although it is a bit rough under foot in places and it does involve a solid, if fairly short, climb. The Daly's have written this walk up in their Northern Territory book if you want some notes. This walk starts from near the gorge camp ground where you can normally get water. The start of the walk is accessible to 2wd cars most of the time, with the majority of the journey out from Alice Springs on bitumen. Like the Trephina Gorge Walk the Panorama Walk would be best very late or very early in the day, a perfect heart starter if your camped at the camp ground probably.

Late afternoon on the Ross Highway.

The Eastern MacDonnell Ranges at sun set.