Largest ghost gum in the East MacDonnells
I did the Trephina Gorge Ridgetop Walk whidch was 3-5 hours according to the brochure. It's a 9km end to end walk, it is then an 8km walk back to camp from the far end along the road or if you could get picked up from John Hayes Rockhole - 4WD required, or the road you could cut off all or half of the road walking. Since I was training for Trailwalker I was happy enough to do the road walking to get some more kms under the belt. Tom has strained his foot earlier in the week so didn't feel up to doing the walk.
The walk that just keeps getting longer... (it took me 5 hours to do a loop)
East MacDonnells from Trephina Gorge Ridgetop Track
East MacDonnells from Trephina Gorge Ridgetop Track
East MacDonnells from Trephina Gorge Ridgetop Track
The lookout which has grown 300m further away since the fire...
East MacDonnells from Turner/Bluff Lookout
Me at Turner/Bluff Lookout
The logbook at the Turner/Bluff Lookout
Splinters of rock
The walk comes off the ridge to the top of the John Hayes Rockhole Gorge. The Chain of Ponds walk does a loop through the gorge/with a walking track up the side. You can choose which route to get to the John Hayes Rockhole trailhead - I choose to descend via the Gorge which supposedly had some difficult scrambling. There was only one slightly tricky bit that I found, but I suspect if I had been bothered I could have found an easier way around.
John Hayes Rockhole Gorge
John Hayes Rockhole Gorge
John Hayes Rockhole Gorge - beautiful lunch spot
John Hayes Rockhole Gorge
John Hayes Rockhole Gorge
John Hayes Rockhole Gorge
The road back to camp
Trephina Creek