Trephina Gorge

Trephina Gorge sits in the East MacDonnell Ranges, which see a fraction of the traffic of the ranges west of Alice Springs, and it is the better for it: a gorge of red quartzite walls above a sandy creek bed lined with old river red gums, with a waterhole that holds through much of the dry. Walking tracks include the Trephina Gorge circuit along the rim and down the bed, the Panorama walk and a longer route to John Hayes Rockhole, a series of pools in a narrow side gorge. Black-footed rock-wallabies live in the rocks, and one of the largest known river red gums stands nearby. Campgrounds are basic and rarely full.

What you actually see

• The gorge walls - red quartzite above a sandy creek bed.
• The river red gums - old trees along the bed, including a giant nearby.
• John Hayes Rockhole - a chain of pools in a side gorge, reached by rough track.
• The rim walk - the circuit above the gorge with views along the range.

When to go

April to September; summer heat exceeds forty degrees. The waterhole is deepest early in the dry. The East MacDonnells are consistently quieter than the western ranges, which is much of the appeal.

Honest expectations

The access road is unsealed at the end and the track to John Hayes Rockhole needs four-wheel drive. Facilities are basic campgrounds with no water. Flies are constant in warm months, and there is no phone coverage.

Nearby

Ross River and N'Dhala Gorge lie further east; Alice Springs is west.