Simpson’s Gap – A break in the West MacDonnell Ranges

On our second day in Alice Springs, we decided it was time to get back to doing the things we had originally planned. It was the same day we went to Hermannsburg, but before we went there we stopped at Simpson’s Gap. This is going to be a big post with lots of photos.

One thing about going to places for the first time is that you never really know the right time to go. Do you go first thing in the morning, or in the evening. We get told as photographers not to take photos in the middle of the day, but maybe some places are better photographed then.

We most definitely went there in the middle of the day. It was bright, and there were lots of bright spots plus shadows. There were also quite a few people around. Even though the conditions didn’t seem great, we still got the cameras out to take photos.

I took both the GFX 50S II and my Fujifilm X-S10. It was interesting using both cameras, though I was blown away with the GFX when it came to processing the images. I was able to do more with the images, or so it seemed.

Here is a gallery of the images taken with the Fujifilm GFX 50S II.

It is quite an amazing spot and I love the colours of the rocks. I also took lots of textures, but more about that in the future.

Here are a few photos that were taken with my X-S10 and my phone. Look at the file names to see which is which.

The place is also special for black-footed rock wallabies. I really didn’t have much interest in finding them. Though in hindsight I wish I had looked. Suzzanna did look and the following photo is one of hers.

Very cute, don’t you think?

We really weren’t sure about the light and conditions on that day and we decided that the next morning we would go out very early.

We got up and headed out just after sunrise. There is only one word to describe how it was at that time of the morning. Cold.

Very very cold.

The day was forecast to be really warm, so we dressed for that. Unfortunately, we forgot how cold it could be in the morning. Plus Simpson’s Gap can be like a wind tunnel, making it even colder.

We were there by ourselves for a while, and then a small tour group arrived. The tour leaders said it was the coldest morning they had had there.

Here, take a look at the photos we took that morning.

These images are a mix of both cameras.

It was very different the second time and I have to admit I like the photos from our first time there. There was possibly too much shade in the morning. I’m not really sure if there is a right time to go. If I lived there I would go out several times and just try different times and different times of the year. See what is best.

When you are travelling sometimes you just have to be happy with what you get. Enjoy the experience.

Another thing we kept seeing everywhere was dry creeks or river beds. They were amazing. You could see what the trees had collected in heavy rain when the water was running fast.

Simpson’s Gap is also part of a dry river. You can walk along it, though the sand or grit is quite different. It is like sand and looks like sand, but when you get close to it you can see it is much coarser. It is far easier to walk on than the sand you find at the beach.

Simpson’s Gap was a great place to go and see. I would recommend it to anyone who goes to Alice Springs. It isn’t that far to drive. It is down a road, but you can drive almost to the gap. Even with Suzzanna’s dodgy ankle, she managed to get around and see what she wanted.

I think I really have only one more post from Alice Springs before we started the trek home. I hope you have been enjoying the photos from my trip. I will have to start getting out again here so I have more things to post. Talk soon.