What are the MacDonnell Ranges?
The MacDonnell Ranges are a long chain of rugged red ridges in central Australia, stretching about 640 kilometres east and west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.
The ranges are among the oldest landforms on Earth, worn down over hundreds of millions of years. Their gaps and gorges, such as Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge and Redbank Gorge, hold waterholes that attract wildlife.
The West MacDonnell Ranges are protected in Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park. The Larapinta Trail, a famous 223-kilometre walking track, follows the ridges from Alice Springs to Mount Sonder.
Arrernte country
The ranges are the traditional country of the Arrernte people, who see them as formed by ancestral beings, including giant caterpillars. Painter Albert Namatjira became famous for his watercolours of these landscapes.
The East MacDonnell Ranges also hold gorges such as Trephina Gorge and N'Dhala Gorge, which has thousands of ancient rock carvings.
Did You Know?
Mount Zeil, at 1,531 metres, is the highest mountain in the Northern Territory and lies in the West MacDonnells.