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SA, WA & NT specific bushwalking discussion.

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SA, WA & NT specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.
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Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 29 May, 2017 5:58 pm

I am planning to do the walk E-W starting 23 July over 17 days. I will be driving to Alice Springs and hope to hitch back at the end. The itinerary part is fine. If this fits in with other people I may be able to assist with transport but I haven't set the dates in concrete yet.

Questions.
1. Secure car parking in Alice? - Airport or other options.
2. Has this been a good wet season? Water availability in the various gorges and creeks.

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 29 May, 2017 6:12 pm

Airport isn't cheap. Contact a few of the caravan parks and see if one will let you leave the car there.
I was put in touch with the ranger at Simpsons Gap, and left the car by the helipad not far from the rangers' house. Free, out of the way, but no responsibility accepted if anything happens. Then you just have to get back to the Alice to start (I did a day-long loop walk from Wallaby Gap to cover that section).

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 29 May, 2017 9:34 pm

+1 on the caravan parks.
If no luck, try an advert in the Alice Springs News - or contact Afghan Traders (health/organic food store) who have a noticeboard. Might also be worth a call to Lone Dingo, not sure if they have a noticeboard.
edit: also try Friends of the Larapinta Trail.
I don't think rainfall has been that plentiful recently. There are several forum members doing the trail in June/early July so hopefully they'll post some trip notes.
I'll be about 8 days behind you :D

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Tue 30 May, 2017 8:56 am

Mark F wrote:2. Has this been a good wet season? Water availability in the various gorges and creeks.


I have a mate working(guiding) in the area and will get a current update on conditions in early/mid July as I start on the 19th. I'll post what I'm told here if you like. Looks like we'll be passing each other at some point or sharing a campsite.

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 19 Jun, 2017 5:55 pm

Still on the Larapinta but on a different angle from above...

Is it strictly necessary to take a waterproof jacket on he trail in July?

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 19 Jun, 2017 6:03 pm

From my reading up on the area it seems rainfall is possible at any time but lower in the winter, unlike further north where there is a defined wet/dry(green) + the other five additional indigenous seasons.

Secondary questions - tent pegs? I expect the ground varies from sandy to rock hard - opinions?

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 19 Jun, 2017 6:48 pm

Normal pegs will work in most formal camping areas. If you're pitching elsewhere you might have issues. Only spot that gave me any trouble was Arrenge View, where I was in the dry riverbed - but there are plenty of rocks there to hold down the guys.

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Mon 19 Jun, 2017 9:14 pm

nnw - I am always awed by your memory for places, routes and conditions.

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Tue 20 Jun, 2017 10:13 am

Mark F wrote:nnw - I am always awed by your memory for places, routes and conditions.


Ditto

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Tue 20 Jun, 2017 1:28 pm

Some things stick, a lot doesn't. I generally avoid commenting unless I can recall things fairly clearly, so it makes me look a lot better than the reality.

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Tue 20 Jun, 2017 10:30 pm

Mark is right, there are no defined wet/dry seasons and rain is possible at any time.

Chances are you won't need a waterproof jacket at all, but if it does rain in July it'll be chilly.

It's very hard to predict. In 2009 we had I think 79mm of rain for the whole year. In 2010 it was close to 800mm, the whole region was green, locust plagues, seeding grasses going crazy and resultant plagues of mice and other critters.

Not to mention the fun we had walking a stage of the trail early in the year, we were obviously the first walkers of the season on that particular section and had the pleasure of large Golden Orb webs and their inhabitants strung across the trail every 10 metres or so.......

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Thu 06 Jul, 2017 8:41 am

stepbystep wrote:
Mark F wrote:2. Has this been a good wet season? Water availability in the various gorges and creeks.


I have a mate working(guiding) in the area and will get a current update on conditions in early/mid July as I start on the 19th. I'll post what I'm told here if you like. Looks like we'll be passing each other at some point or sharing a campsite.


Which direction are you walking SBS?

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Thu 17 Aug, 2017 12:54 pm

hobes wrote:
stepbystep wrote:
Mark F wrote:2. Has this been a good wet season? Water availability in the various gorges and creeks.


I have a mate working(guiding) in the area and will get a current update on conditions in early/mid July as I start on the 19th. I'll post what I'm told here if you like. Looks like we'll be passing each other at some point or sharing a campsite.


Which direction are you walking SBS?


Haha...whoops, sorry I missed this. Very cool to meet yourself and norts at 4/5 Junction. We had a great walk, I trust yours was too...

Re: Yet another set of Larapinta questions

Fri 18 Aug, 2017 8:22 pm

Good to meet you too SBS. We also had a great walk although I haven't complained about the cold weather since returning home.
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