From Alice Springs we headed west into the West MacDonnell ranges and National Park. This area has got a good reputation for 'must see' places, so we were a little worried about how packed it would be. As it turned out, it wasn't too bad.

First stop, not too far from Alice was Simpsons Gap. This is a lovely little gorge, or more correctly 'gap' in the ranges with a small pool of water in the gap. To get to the gap we had to walk a short distance along a path and creek bed. Along the way there were a number of small waterholes which the Budgerigars and Finches were enjoying.

As there were quite a few people walking the path the birds weren't sitting still long enough to photograph. So on our return walk we waited until most people had left and then we just sat quietly and waited for the birds to return. Our patience was worth it. That was until we heard what sounded like a drone coming, then all of a sudden all the birds stopped what they were doing and went quiet. Idiots!!! There are signs saying NO DRONES.

We packed up and headed back to the carpark where we spotted this moron packing away his drone, we also saw the Ranger. So I made a bee line to the Ranger and she promptly told me she had spoken to him.

After helping out the coach driver parked next to us with his broken air conditioning belt we headed off to our next stop, Standley Chasm. On the way we were passed by a vehicle travelling a lot faster than us, the driver took it upon them selves to overtake us on a blind bend, over solid lines and as it turned out, three cars coming the other way. They only just got around us and back on the right side of the road!!

Standley Chasm is on private property, so there is an entrance fee of $16 each. It was kind of worth it, as the walk to the chasm is lovely as it winds its way up the valley before reaching the narrow gap in the hill. The chasm is OK, but people just want to plant their girlfriends in the middle and spend forever taking photos of her. Most inconsiderate.

Next stop Ellery Creek Big Hole. This was just a nice spot, again with a waterhole in a gap in the hills, it did have a nice sandy beach, but you wouldn't get us going in and interestingly enough we only saw one man that had gone in and he said it was bloody cold!

Then it was on to the Ochre Pits. This is a spot where the Aboriginals collect Ochre for various purposes, painting and medicine are probably the main uses. We had seen Ochre pits before, but these were amazing, in size and colour.

Ormiston Gorge was our next stop and our last gorge for the day. This is a very commercial site, with campground and a cafe and many walks. We only walked to the waterhole in the gorge, it was lovely with huge River Gums growing along the banks. As it was now getting late there were only a few people there, which was nice for us.

It was now time to find a campsite for the night. Our fist try was on the Finke River at two mile campground, but it had a lot of campers in it and wasn't too nice. So we went on to Redbank Gorge. There are two campgrounds here and on arriving at the first site we found it was only half full, so we spent a very pleasant night here.

In the morning we headed into Redbank Gorge early, beating most others in. So we had the place to ourselves, for a while. Without others in there we were able to photograph birds and take in the ambiance of the gorge, it was lovely. This gorge was similar to the others, in that it was lined with magnificent River Gums and there was a waterhole in the bottom of the gorge.

Next stop, Tylers Pass Lookout which had fantastic views out towards the south and Gosse Bluff Conservation Reserve and the meteorite crater there. This was to be our next stop and lunch.

In the crater we read how the Aboriginals believed the crater was formed when ladies dancing in the Milky Way dropped a baby and it hit the earth. Well that is the quick version.

Next stop was the well known Palm Valley, another place that came with high recommendations and equally high expectations, and boy did it deliver! This oasis is amazing and the campground, probably the best we had stayed in, certainly for the $10 each that they charged. There was room between sites, grass for tents, flushing toilets and showers. But the main attraction was Palm Valley. It is one of the few areas in Australia where the Red Cabbage Palm grows and it all comes down to the shape of the valley to protect them from the elements and to supply water all year round, even in this arid dry area. I'll post photos.

We could have spent two days in Palm Valley, but we are starting to run out of time. So in the morning we topped up with fuel at Hermannsburg for $1.85 cpl, before heading to Boggy Hole in the Finke Gorge NP. The track in is marked as suitable for high clearance 4WDs and it is strongly recommended not to take trailers. Well we did.

This track was challenging, but well worth the effort, it took us through some amazing scenery. The track mainly follows the Finke River, so there are a number of waterholes that you pass. We spotted a pair of Black Swans in one hole and they had three babies with them, an amazing sight.

We did pass a number of beautiful campsites, but we were pushed for time and wanted to get through the park, this was dashed when one of our tyres gave up after too much punishment. This meant another late night and us setting up off the side of the road somewhere.

With our tyre issue, we were now heading back to Alice Springs to see if we could get a replacement. So it was a quick stop at Henbury Meteorites Conservation Park. There are twelve craters here, ranging from quite large to very small. After a quick look we were on our way again, stopping at Stuarts Well Roadhouse for lunch and to see if they had a tyre. Unfortunately no. A quick stop at Rainbow Valley, another lovely spot with an amazing rocky outcrop and we were off to Alice where we were lucky to get a campsite on short notice.

In the morning I made a call to a tyre place I was told could probably help us with a second hand tyre, it turned out they had an older new tyre they wanted to get rid of, so they sold it to me for $200 fitted, less than half price!

While waiting for the tyre to be fitted, we went into town to pick up a few supplies and to see if Julie could pick up a painting from one of the local Aboriginals, and she did, a lovely piece done by a lovely lady.

After picking up our tyre we were once again on the road, we wanted to make Kings Canyon before dark