29-Jul-2006 --

We left our home in Alice Springs at 10 am and travelled east along the Ross Highway (sealed) for 30 km following the southern edge of the East MacDonnell Ranges. We turned right into Numery Rd, which is the access road to a number of cattle stations including Ross River, Ringwood and Numery. It is also part of the Territory Explorer Route tourist trail. The road is unsealed but well maintained. Twelve km past Ringwood homestead we turned off Numery Rd and travelled south along a track for 8 km to latitude 24° S. We left the track and drove 500 m east across country to a creek bed 1.5 km from the confluence. Although we could have driven closer we chose to walk the rest of the way to give ourselves time to enjoy the surrounding country. As the confluence was on a west-facing slope we could see it as we walked. We arrived at the confluence at 1 pm.

The confluence is higher than the surrounding country and has spectacular views to the west and south. After taking photos and celebrating by eating chocolate and drinking plenty of water we walked back to the vehicle and had lunch beside a dry creek bed of red sand in a grove of huge shady acacia trees.

We retraced our outbound route as far as the turnoff to N'Dhala Gorge on Numery Rd. We then travelled north along the N'Dhala Gorge road through the East MacDonnell Ranges to the Ross Highway and drove back to Alice Springs, arriving home at 6pm. The round trip was 350 km.

The trip to this confluence gave us the opportunity to see many of Central Australia's signature landscapes in a few hours. The route passed through flat red-sand plains dotted with acacia and flowering shrubs; rocky undulating hills with secluded gorges; dry creek beds with gnarled acacia on their banks; gibber plains; clay pans and the steeply folded slopes of the East MacDonnell Ranges with its white sandy river beds, tall trees and shady camp sites. Camels, emus, kangaroos, wild horses and cattle were seen within 5 km of the confluence.

As the route passed through Ringwood Station we also saw cattle trucking yards, bores and the homestead.

Our thanks to the people at Ringwood for allowing access through the property to the confluence.