Today we spent all day in the East Mcdonnell Ranges visiting four major sites –  Emily Gap, Jessie Gap, Corroboree Rock and Trephina Gorge.

Emily Gap is a small reserve where a river (mostly dry breaks throgh the range.

Indigenous artworks depict a caterpillar dreaming story.

Zebra finches are in abundance around a wet patch of sand in the creek.

There are at least 40-50 in a flock.

Budgerigars alsocome in search of water. We dig into the creek bed and fill two holes with seeping water from the water table to give them all soemthing to drink.

Mistletoe

Hopbush (Dodonaea)

Jessie Gap

White plumed honeyeaters were active in the carpark. After washing our hands and spilling water in the carpark, numbers of them arrived. After stepping back to give them space, they swooped on the wet bitumen.

Grey honeyeater at Jessie Gap

Our eagle-eyed youngest member of our party spotted a Western Bowerbird in the rock figs that seek shelter against the rock face on the southern side of the gorge. It has tuft of pinkish feathers on its nape. It was very sercetive and observed us through the fig branches.

We did locate its bower not too far away. It had collected white and green objects to impress prospective mates. Bones, glass and bottle tops were in the collection. Despite this collection, it could only find figs and not a date.

Corroboree Rock is a sacred ceremonial site of the eastern Arrernte peoples.

Gum blossoms opening in mid winter.

The day reached 32 degrees – warm enough for this small dragon lizard to emerge.

A circular track leads to other views of the rock. Spinifex grass grows on the north-western side.

Butterflies are active on the gum blossom.

We are greeted by the Bluff as we arrive at Trephina Gorge.

We cross a very sandy Trephina Creek to reach the picnic area and trailhead.

The winding river creates an amphitheatre of red rocky cliffs. We walk a track that steeply climbs up on a rocky ridge and follows the cliff line, before descending into a small valley and then down onto the river bed to complete the circuit walk.

Ancient ripple marks are common on the sedimentary slabs of rock.

Holly-leaved grevillea (Grevillea wickhamii) are common on top of the rocky ridges covered in spinifex.

Holly leaved grevillea (mid left) growing amongst spinifex.

Spinifex

Holly leaved grevilleas amongst the red rocks and spinifex.

The track descends from the ridge top.

View down Trephina Gorge

Back onto the sandy river bed.

Ghost gums line the creek where there are rocks. River red gums are found in sand.

A body of water remain in a low point of the gorge – lifeblood in an arid landscape.

The largest known ghost gum in the world is found on the plain where the creek exits the gorge.

Other ghost gums stand vividly against the spinifex and blue skies.

We drive back into Alice Springs late in the day.