The East MacDonald Ranges do not have the reputation for magnificent scenery in the same wat that the West MacDonald Ranges do. We loved them - they are quite different! Different eco-systems with more arid desert flora and fauna, fewer, permanent water holes, and beautiful in a different way.
Pictures will show more that I can write!
Emily gorge
Jesse Gorge
Corroboree Hill
Trephina Gorge
John Heyes Rock Hole
N'dhalla Gorge
This gorge contains over 200 Aboriginal rock carvings, most of which depict the local clan's Dreamtime. Here the story of creation revolves around three caterpillers and the life cycly of metamorphasis. In the above carving you will see a caterpillar (the long hairy looking thing), flying butterflies (the star shaped carvings) and eggs (the round shapes).
Arltunga
Arltunga is a old gold mining town on the of the plains east, after the East MacDonald Ranges. Very, very arid! You can see gold everywhere! But it is so fine, like dust, that you can't actually pan for it. No readily available water meant that most miners were unsuccessful! The government of the day put in a mine and used cyanide to access the gold. A very eerie and strange place, very well preserved in the middle of nowhere!
The first owner of Ambalindum Station, where we stayed one night had the right idea. Provide much need food, fruit, vegetables and meat to the local mining community at Arltunga. At 1.5 million acres, an incredibly large station that has just acquired an additional .5 million acres. The original homestead and cottages have been renovated and are now rented out to visitors. The owner lives in another old stone homestead some 7 klms down the road.
We took the Binns Track down to the Plenty Highway.
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