The tour left Standley Chasm for Ellery Creek, where we would have our picnic lunch. The Ellery Creek Big Hole is an oasis in the desert, with a body of water large enough in which to swim. In fact, the Ellery Creek Big Hole is the largest waterhole in the Outback.

On this trip, I had never looked up the images of the places that would be covered in the itinerary. The mystery was under wraps until I arrived. This was a good idea, as the sites were all breathtaking. I had no expectation of what the scenery was like, and the Ellery Creek Big Hole was exceptionally beautiful.

The Ellery Creek

Australia: The Land Where Time Began has a very thorough explanation of the geological developments throughout history in the Ellery Creek and the surrounding land formations, especially the cliff of the Ellery Gorge. I will take the simplest points from that article.

The Ellery Creek stretches 10km as a tributary of the Finke River, which is one of the oldest rivers in the world. It runs through the Ellery Gorge. The “bank is layered rock that has been tilted to 90° from its original horizontal position.” The layered rock is similar to the Grand Canyon’s geology. The Ellery Creek runs through what is called the Arunta Block in central Australia.

The Heavitree rocks form the red cliffs at the Ellery Big hole. The Heavitree quartzite was a sand formation. These landforms blocked the way to the sea from the riverways. The Ellery Creek Big Hole is a landlocked lake, formed when the water of the inland seaways evaporated. Thereafter, thousands of years of massive floods filled the cratered ground to form a lake.

As the saline water evaporated, the minerals deposited into sediments, further compressed to form the layered rocks at Ellery Creek.

Known as Udepata to the aborigines, the lake was a meeting place for the aborigines, especially the Arrernte. As a permanent waterhole in a desert, it has incredible cultural and spiritual significance to the aborigines. It is no surprise that Udepata is represented also in the Dreamtime as well.

Finally, there are animals that make it home in this part of the desert as well. The Ellery Creek area, particularly in the rugged, rocky terrain where we attempted hiking (see below), gives home to some rare animals, including the Central Rock-rats, Short-beaked Chidnas, and some kinds of Black-footed Rock-wallabies.

A Short Hike in the Ellery Creek Area

Some members of the tour went through the “woods” close to the creek for a quick walk. We found signs for the Dolomite Walk, 3 km in length. We did not have enough time to do a loop, and the directions were not exactly clear either. Due to time constraints, we turned back after a brief 20 minutes. But it was a different kind of appreciation of the nature in this area. The scenery is that of a distinct desert, with short, spikey shrubs and a mostly barren scenery. Yet, as said above, the animals that we didn’t see do thrive in this area.

Besides hiking, camping is also a very popular activity at the Ellery Creek. There is a campsite there. Be sure to bring plenty of drinking water if you plan to camp. Finally, our tour guide said that if you come here for camping, be prepared to arrive in a Four-wheel Drive.

The Ellery Creek Big Hole

I did not bring my swimsuit, so after returning to the Big Hole I just sat by the water to admire the scenery. My photographs showed an incredible contrast that conveys the opposite ends of color temperatures. Plenty of noontime sunshine illuminates the whole area, revealing, or perhaps even accentuating, the true colors that one would not normally associate with a desert landscape.

The contrast is that of the ultimate heat in incandescent red at the cliff and the ultimate cool in deep ocean blue at the Big Hole. I marveled at this scenery, for the fact that a desert presents all hues of the color spectrum is utterly incredible.

For those who plan on swimming at the Ellery Creek Big Hole, do not be fooled by the seeming warmth of the red cliffs and the blazing sun above you. The water is very cold. Some people bring their own floaties or boats, both of which are good ideas.

Lunch with the Flies

Came lunch time, and Brent put together a feast for us. I had a wrap, and then some. As said in the preliminaries entry, the flies of the Outback are a major annoyance. There were indeed quite a few of them as we savored our picnic. I hope that I didn’t inadvertently eat a fly or two.

An odd observation that I made about the flies: they liked to hover over the people, more so than the food.

Our next stop is the Ochre Pits, and we would be learning a critical lesson about aboriginal art.

Sources

Australia: The Land Where Time Began.

Red Centre, North Territory, Everything You Need to Know About Ellery Creek Big Hole.