Go West she said.

We had an absolutely wonderful weekend being tour guides for our friends, the Gapinski's.  They have lived in Alice for over a year and have not had the time to head west and see what the MacDonnell Ranges have to offer.

Serpentine gorge

The path leading to Serpentine gorge

Our first stop was Serpentine Gorge, a little less than an hour west of Alice.  We had not seen this gorge either, so this stop was new for all of us.  Of course being March in the outback, a fly net is the number one accessory of the season!  There was a 1.3 km to walk to get to the gorge on a dirt trail with numerous rocks - I am afraid I could not appreciate the beauty of the walk for fear of falling over a large stone (eyes on the path).  Once we arrived we all commented on how beautiful it was.  The kids immediately headed to the large rocks to begin climbing, I think they are all part mountain goat.

Ormiston Gorge

The kids climbing at Ormiston

Our second stop was Ormiston Gorge, we have been to this location before but this time there was more water than we had ever seen due to the heavy rains this year.  I still believe this is one of the most beautiful spots to the west. Once again the kids saw rocks and thought it was a great idea to climb.

Playing around in the pool

Our third stop was Glen Helen Resort (resort does not mean what you think it means here in the outback) where we would be having dinner and staying the night.  The kids ran to get their swimsuits on so they could spend some time in the pool.  The inflatable boat we brought was the biggest hit, and one of the best parts about being around the pool is very few flies.  We enjoyed an amazing dinner in the restaurant, I had a pumpkin, cauliflower and blue cheese soup that was amazing - just can't get enough pumpkin since moving here.  Dinner was followed by some incredible star gazing, where the drinks were almost as plentiful as the stars.  The boys favorite part was being able to run around freely while checking in via walkie talkie occasionally, Dillon has become quite the comedian.

Ellery Creek

On the way back to Alice on Sunday we stopped at Ellery Creek Big Hole (local swim spot) for a swim and a little more fun with the boat.  The water was pretty cold but floating through the incredible gorge made it all worth it.  We were excited when we discovered Lizard Rock at the entrance, we have a sketch of it in our house that belonged to JD's dad but never knew where it was located, well now we do.

Lizard Rock