By Robert M. Teague
Every landscape photographer has a special place in this world, a place where the land speaks to the heart, a place where their thoughts turn for inspiration. That special place may be near home, or it may be far away, but it is part of what makes us passionate about what we do. For me, that special place is the West MacDonnell National Park, located in the heart of Australia's Northern Territory, near the town of Alice Springs.
The West MacDonnell National Park, which encompasses the West MacDonnell Range or "West Macs" as they are called locally, is an area of deep gorges, narrow chasms, desert waterholes, ancient rivers and Paleozoic era landforms. Each of the park’s chasms and gorges has its own unique beauty and character. Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen and Redbank Gorge offer picturesque swimming holes, at Standley Chasm the sun light in the middle of the day reflects off its rocky face in fiery oranges and reds, while Rock Wallabies are easily spotted along the rock face at Simpsons Gap and Ormiston Gorge.
Ormiston Gorge, from the Ghost Gum trail, about 45 minutes after sunrise. Toyo 45AII, Schneider 135mm f4.5, Symmar-S lens on Fuji Velvia 50, with an 81A warming filter.
Stretching some 80 miles (130 km) from Alice Springs to the end of the sealed road at Glen Helen, the road generally follows the West MacDonnell Range, first along Larapinta Drive, then onto Namatjira Drive. Due to distances involved, camping is the best way to be in a position to catch the early morning light; driving after dark is not recommended. Ellery Creek and Ormiston Gorge offer the best campgrounds, while the Glen Helen lodge offers accommodations and meals, along with the park's only pub.
Due to distances involved between Alice Springs and the parks chasms and gorges, camping is the best way to see the park. Ellery Creek and Ormiston Gorge offer the best campgrounds, while the Glen Helen lodge offers accommodations and meals, along with the park's only pub.
Simpsons Gap
Just outside Alice Springs lies Simpsons Gap. Towering walls, with a wide sandy dry riverbed, characterize this gorge. Rock Wallabies abound along the rock walls. Walking through the gorge is easy, with a small waterhole at the end of the gorge, where the trail ends.
Two short walks, near the gorge, offer excellent opportunities to photograph the desert grasslands and native foliage. Ghost Gum Walk, a short interpretive walk, proceeds along a leisurely path through nearby stands of ancient ghost gum trees, while highlighting the native foliage of the desert along the way. Cassia Walk takes a winding route through the grasslands, climbing to the top of a small hill, which offers expansive views of the West MacDonnell Range and Simpsons Gap. Both walks begin near the Visitors Centre. From there, it is another 6km to the gorge.
Simpsons Gap is 12 miles (18 km) from Alice Springs.
Ellery Creek Big Hole
Ellery Creek is characterized by its big waterhole, surrounded by stands of magnificent Ghost Gum trees, towering red cliffs, and the nearby sandy creek. The size of the waterhole, as well as its short distance from Alice Springs, makes Ellery Creek one of the more popular locations in the park. The waterhole itself is located adjacent to the nearby campground and picnic area. There is a short 3 km walk nearby, the Dolomite Walk, which begins at the campground information shelter.
Ellery Creek is 55 miles (90km) from Alice Springs.
Ghost Gums light up in the early morning at Ellery Creek: Toyo 45AII Camera, Horseman 6x12 roll film back, Schneider APO Symmar 210mm f5.6 on Fuji Velvia 50.
Ochre Pits
Perhaps the most easily accessible location to view and photograph Aboriginal artifacts in the park is Ochre Pits. Ochre Pits is owned by the Western Arrernte people, who value it as an important part of their daily life. The ochre gathered here is used for medicinal purposes, magical charms, as well as being used for ritual body decorations, and is traded throughout Australia; considered by many to be the best in Australia.
Ochre Pits consists of a bed of multi-colored, layered ochre, ranging in color from gold to crimson, much of it being located in a small rock face, along a dry creek bed. During the morning hours, much of the rock face will be in shade, making the afternoon hours best for photographing; the side lighting will accentuate the color of the ochre in the rock face, causing the natural patterns in the rock stand out.
Ochre Pits is 61 miles (100 km) from Alice Springs.
Multi-colored Ochre: Toyo 45AII Camera, Horseman 6x12 roll film back, Schneider APO Symmar 210mm f5.6 on Fuji Velvia 50.
Ormiston Gorge
My favorite spot in the park, Ormiston Gorge rises some 900 feet (300 meters) above a deep waterhole. Ormiston Gorge, formed the Ormiston River, a tributary of the Finke River, acts as a gateway to Ormiston Pound. The walk, a 4-mile (7 km) walk from the Visitors Centre, can be quite demanding; it traverses the normal dry riverbed (you will need to hop up and over several large rock falls along the way). However, the gorge walls are home to many Rock Wallabies among its linings of Red River Gums. To see the Rock Wallabies, find a nice quiet spot along the riverbed to sit and scan the rock walls of the gorge (be careful not to make too much noise, they are easily scared away).
I recommend taking the Ghost Gum trail walk, for great scenic views of the canyon. The hike is a moderate hike, at its best in the early morning or as the sun first rises. The walk begins from the Visitors Centre and climbs along the western side of the gorge, to its highest point, where its namesake Ghost Gum tree stands on a rocky outcropping overlooking the gorge.
Ormiston Gorge is 84 miles (135 km) from Alice Springs.
Glen Helen Gorge
Just a little less than 12 miles (20 km) from Ormiston Gorge is Glen Helen Gorge. The gorge is near the end of the paved (sealed) road, so unless you have something other than a rental car, this will probably be your the last stop in the park. Those with a 4x4 can continue on to Red Bank Gorge, and with the proper permits, time and energy, Watarrka National Park (186 miles/300 km).
Glen Helen Gorge had its beginning some 500 million years ago when the area was a large inland sea. Over the course of time, sandstone deposits, which subsequently tilted and uplifted to form, eroded to form the Finke River and the Glen Helen Gorge. The gorge boasts a year round waterhole, and as a result, the rocky slopes around the gorge are home to a colony of black-footed Rock Wallabies, which sometimes appear in the late afternoon and early evening to feed on grass, herbs, leaves and fruits. The Aranda tribes believe that the waterhole is the home of a gigantic water snake and that the first formless beings of the Dreamtime emerged from its depths.
In addition to being a great spot to photograph one of the more photogenic gorges in the park, there is a much welcomed pub at the entrance to the gorge - a great place to end the day with a cool beer. You can get the more popular beers here, like Victoria Bitter (VB) or Coopers (just ask them not to roll the bottle when your order).
Glen Helen is 80 miles (132 km) from Alice Springs.
End of the Road
Just past the end of the road, near the entrance to Glen Helen is my favorite spot in the park. From an overlook parking lot, there is an expansive view of the West MacDonnell Range, Mt. Sonder and the Finke River. This location is an excellent choice for photographing at the end of the day - the low sun produces dramatic a warm light and shadows on the surrounding mountains, while also causing the white trunks of the ghost gum trees along the river to light up.
Setting Sun lights up Mt. Sonder. Toyo 45AII Camera, Horseman 6x12 roll film back, Schneider APO Symmar 210mm f5.6 on Fuji Velvia 50, with a Lee 81A warming filter.
Finke River at Sunset. Toyo 45AII Camera, Horseman 6x12 roll film back, Schneider APO Symmar 210mm f5.6 on Fuji Velvia 50, with a Lee 81A warming filter.
Photo Experience
As a landscape photographer who lives in a tropical environment, I find the differences between my home in Hawaii and the West MacDonnell Range to be both visually stimulating, as well as geographically fascinating - which makes it a place I long to visit as often as I can. Because this is a long, expensive trip for me, I have developed a few mental checklists of photographic subjects that I look for whenever I visit this area. My basic list is as follows:
- Gum trees - Two of the more common gum trees, Ghost and Red River Gums (Eucalyptus) are found everywhere in Australia. Look for them along the edges of the gorges; the visual juxtaposition between the white trunks of the Ghost Gum and the bright blue desert sky can lead to very strong, graphic, compositions. The warm light of sunrise and sunset on these trees, adds a sense of warmth and life to the desert landscape.
- Water - Being a desert, water can be scarce. However, the majority of gorges in the park contain natural year round waterholes. Some of these waterholes are quite large and deep, with areas of marshland, while others are small waterholes, used mainly by animals as a water source. The North-South direction of the majority of the parks's gorges means that many of these waterholes will be shaded during early morning or late afternoon, making it more difficult to include them in any compositions. Look for the more open gorges, like Glen Helen Gorge or Ellery Creek Big Hole. Outside of the waterholes, there are very few places where water is found, although there are two small marsh areas on the Finke River near Glen Helen (one is just behind the hotel/pub, and the other across the road, along the river bed).
- Dry riverbeds - The Finke River, which passes through the park, considered by many to be the oldest natural river in the world, and is easily accessible at Glen Helen. However, since the gorges in the park were all formed because of water erosion, there are dry riverbeds at each of the gorges. Each of these feed the Finke River. These dry riverbeds feature magnificent stands of Ghost and Red River Gum trees.
- Rock formations - - There are just so many rock formations in the park, it is hard to single out one or two types. However, along Larapinta Road, starting from an area near the Ochre Pits, stretching almost to just past Ormiston Gorge, is a rock formation, about 3 to 4 feet high, 3 feet wide, looking like a natural fence. This rock formation works as a natural line in any landscape.
- Aboriginal artifacts - There are a number of aboriginal artifacts in the park, but many can be difficult to find. One of the more easily found is the Ochre Pits. Be aware, that because of the serious nature of some of the artifacts, they may be off limits to photography – be sure to respect Aboriginal culture while photographing in those areas.
This is the desert, so even in the early spring or late autumn you are likely to encounter some very hot days. It isn't unusual to see temperatures topping 100°F (or 38C), with temperatures as high a 115°F (or 45C) during the summer. The heat, along with an almost cloudless sky, means that any photography will probably be limited to the first or last two hours of daylight. This means spending part of the hot portions of the day scouting for locations, making an awareness of the environment and preparation essential.
Be sure to carry plenty of water when walking as well as a good hat with wide brim, to shield your eyes from the hot sun, and good pair of hiking boots to protect your feet from the rocky outcroppings found here. Australia has most of the world's deadliest snakes, and they abound in this area – pay attention to where you walk.
Technical Tips
- There is no need to rush here, take your time, find your composition and use a tripod where possible (just remember, the metal parts of the tripod can get quite hot).
- The light is clear and bright during most of the day, making a slow, fine-grained transparency film (ISO 50 or 100) the best choice for the brightest colors and sharpest photographs. For those who prefer color negative film, the new Kodak Ektar 100 is an excellent alternative.
- A lens hood is a necessity here to reduce flare, caused by the bright sunlight. In addition, try to minimize the numbers of filters used as well.
- The most useful filters are polarizer and a graduated neutral density (such as Lee or Cokin) filters. Warming filters, such as the 81A or 81B, will enhance the warm colors of sunrise and sunset. Be careful when using a polarizing filter, because of the brilliant blue sky, they can be easily overused.
- Lens wipes and blower brushes are almost essential here, given the sand and fine dust in the air, in order to keep your lenses and other equipment clean.
- Wide-angle lenses will be most useful in and around the gorges themselves, while a telephoto lens is useful for those detail shots.
