MacDonnell Ranges

The MacDonnell Ranges round Alice Springs are the most easily accessible hills in central Australia. A series of separate ranges running east-west extend over an area of 400km from east to west and 160km from north to south. They consist of much eroded quartzite and sandstone. The sandstone has rounded forms, but jagged ridges of limestone strata can be seen on Namatjira Drive.

The highest peaks are in the most northerly ranges (Mount Liebig, 1524 m; Mount Zeil, 1510 m; Mount Sonder, 1380m). The southern ranges extend to Kings Canyon (George Gill Range) and Rainbow Valley in the east (James Range). These ancient hills, originally over 3000m high, have been worn down to stumps by erosion, and now rise only 500-600m above the surrounding country, which itself lies at around 600m above sea level. Seen from above, the steep-sided parallel ridges and deeply indented valleys look like a series of waves with furrows between them. The sparse arid vegetation on the hills allows their contours and the varied colors of the rock to be clearly seen. The charm of the landscape lies in the contrast between the sharply outlined chasms and gorges, carved out by the force of water in the remote past, and the blue of the sky.

John McDouall Stuart, the first white man to travel through the center of Australia in 1860, named the hills after the then governor of South Australia, Richard MacDonnell. His route, however, did not take him through the Heavitree Gap to the south of Alice Springs, where the Todd River, the Stuart Highway and the Ghan railroad now run; instead he followed the course of the Hugh River, which flows through the Chewing Range (50km west of Alice Springs) in what is now known as Stuart Pass.

The Aranda people call their territory Altijra, the 'eternal land'.

The visitor center in Simpsons Gap National Park, 24km west of Alice Springs, has informative material on the Macdonnell Ranges.