Tjoritja National Park, Ormiston Gorge

 7 – 10 May 2022

We left Redbank Gorge and headed east towards Alice Springs, stopping along the way at the Mount Sonder Lookout. There is a magnificent view of the ranges as well as a down to the Finke River below. There is camping along the river but there is no infrastructure at all and access is along the sandy river bed. From there we continued on to Ormiston Gorge.

We arrived at the campground just on 10:00am and found there were lots of sites available – although not all were very level. We chose Site 1 – right next to the one we had stayed on last time we visited. It didn’t take long to get set up and a cuppa going – with leftover scones. After lunch we wandered down to the gorge and were surprised to see the amount of water. There had been significant rain some months ago and the creek still had plenty of water. The small waterholes where birds came down to drink were larger and more numerous.

In the morning we set off on the Ghost Gum Walk. The walk goes up to a lookout near a lone ghost gum, and has great views into the gorge. From there we could see just how much water was still in the creek. After the lookout the walk follows the creek line along a ridge and eventually comes down into the gorge. The walk then continues across to the other side of the gorge, except at this time that would have necessitated a swim through some very cold and quite deep water. We opted to return the way we had come making it just over 3km in total.

After lunch we headed back into the gorge again for a session with the camera in the hope of finding the painted finches that were there in numbers when we visited a few years ago. No luck with the finches but Mick happily photographed Little Woodswallows instead.

We awoke on Monday morning to overcast skies and cooler temperatures. We decided to wait and see if the sky would clear before making our minds up about going out for a drive. We waited until morning tea and with no improvement we headed down to the café for a very nice morning tea. The sky remained overcast until well after lunch time. A patch of blue appeared but didn’t last long so we spent the rest of the day at camp.

We packed up and set off from Ormiston Gorge at 9:30am the next morning, with plenty of time to stop along the way to Alice Springs.

Ormiston Gorge - Tjoritja/West Macdonnell National Park

25 – 28 August 2017

Our next stop was Ormiston Gorge. From the main road it is bitumen all the way to the visitor centre and campground. That, and the addition of a kiosk and easy access to the gorge and waterhole, make this a very popular spot, especially on weekends. We took the advice of reviewers and arrived early. 

There are 20 camp spots in the dusty and tight packed campground and we were lucky to get one on the end of a row, with some afternoon shade. The sites vary in size and some are quite short while others are on a slight slope. The facilities at Ormiston Gorge include hot showers and flushing toilets as well as a new, yet to be completed, barbecue area. The kiosk sells drinks and snacks as well as lunches. If you don't like crowds it would be best to avoid Ormiston Gorge on weekends in high season.

Grey Shrike-thrush in the camp ground.

Spinifex Pigeons are common around the camp ground.

There is just a short walk to the gorge and waterhole along a paved pathway. While on our way we stopped to chat to a local (Alice Springs) bird guide who suggested a couple of likely spots. We took his advice and walked further along the creek to some smaller waterholes where birds come in to drink. There is also the longer and harder Ormiston Pound Walk, which we were assured was worth it for those keen enough to attempt the 3 - 4 hour trek.

Early morning in the gorge.

Ormiston Gorge

Guide, Mark Carter told me where to look for a Spinifexbird. I found the bird (a new tick) but could not get a decent shot.

Wildflowers near the Spinifexbird site.

A very popular walk is the Ghost Gum Loop. This walk takes about an hour and involves multiple well-made stairs (with handrail) up to a lone ghost gum, with a magnificent viewing platform. From there you can return via the stairs or continue on along the ridge and finally down into the creek bed for the return to the starting point. This walk is a Grade 3 but we didn’t find it as difficult as some. There were lots of rocks to climb over, but they weren’t as difficult as the ones at Redbank Gorge.

The steep climb to Ghost Gum lookout is worth it for the view.

The spectacular view from the Ghost Gum lookout.

Male Painted Finch.

Painted finches come down from the spinifex covered ridges to drink at rock pools in the gorge.

Little Woodswallows were about at the top of the loop.

We came across two groups of Dusky Grasswrens on the Ghost Gum Loop. They weren't shy at all.

A black-footed Rock Wallaby catching some sun.

We enjoyed three nights at Ormiston Gorge, visiting the waterholes each day, and taking lots of bird photos. Our next stop was again only a short distance - Ellery Creek Big Hole.