Larapinta Trail - Day 8 - Fringe Lily Creek to Hugh Gorge Junction

This was a super short day in terms of hiking. I knew it would be! Section 5 is known for being one of the most unique and spectacular sections along the trail, and I’d planned to spend extra time in this section to make the most of the photography!

Fringe Lily Creek to Hugh Gorge Junction was only 3.6km and would only take an hour or two to walk.

I’d chosen to spend the night at Hugh Gorge Junction, not at the Hugh Gorge Trail shelter another 3 or 4 kilometres further along the trail. Hugh Gorge junction is where the trail swings away from the gorge. I wanted to have the time and opportunity to explore up the gorge as much as I could in my afternoon! Hugh Gorge Junction was a great base to do this from. I also knew there would be water there.

Because I had such a short distance to walk, I didn’t rush to leave camp that morning. I also knew there wasn’t much to shoot from my camp at sunrise - I’d need to get back out on to the trail to capture the early morning light. I was out on the trail again by around 7:30am - it was cool in the shade and I remember I needed to warm up as Fringe Lily Creek was very sheltered from the sun!

Moonset over Section 5 cliffs

Heading up toward Rocky Saddle at my half way point for the day

Over Rocky Saddle at toward Hugh Gorge Junction (the gorge being through the two bigg cliffs off to the right of this image.

The walk toward Hugh Gorge junction was fairly easy terrain by Larapinta trail standards - the trail is relatively flat, walking between the steep cliffs, with one saddle at my half way point. Appropriately named “Rocky Saddle” - as if it would be anything else!

The view down the valley toward my camp for the night was dramatic - I spent a bit of time taking shots of the iconic triangular shaped gorge that marks the junction.

Not long after Rocky Saddle, I was VERY excited to see my first person on the trail! It was Good Friday, and being a long weekend I had expected to see my first people on the trail during this weekend. It was one solo guy, who was heading in the opposite direction to me - back toward Alice.

I was so excited to finally see another hiker on the trail and really wanted to chat! But this guy was not keen at all hahaha - he stopped to say hello, I was asking about his walk but all I really got out of him was that I was about to see two other female hikers! He continued on his way after a couple of minutes, with me being even more excited I was about to see more people!

Except I never did…. I began to think that guy was delirious or something. No sign of more people at all, what an anti climax haha! I was so disappointed!

500m after my excitement, I came in to Hugh Gorge Junction - my planned camp for the night.

It was a nice area to camp - lots of flat, shady (and sandy) tent sights available. There was water flowing through the creek (a rarity), and it was sheltered from the wind by the towering cliffs all around me! It was only 10:30am at the time I arrived, so I decided that was a bit early to set up camp.

Instead I set off with my full pack in the opposite direction to the trail - up the gorge toward the waterhole.

I’d been told by the guys I met at Birthday Waterhole, about the dramatic cliffs at Hugh Gorge Waterhole so I knew I had to go and check it out! They’d also told me that there might even be waterfalls flowing further on than the main waterhole so I was keen to see what I could find!

Although the walk up to the waterhole was relatively short - maybe 500m as the crow flies - it took me probably 45 minutes to get there with my full pack. Because there had been so much rain, the waterway was messy! There was a lot of dodging waterholes I had to do, climbing around, multiple crosses across the creek, lots of trees and debris down…. it seemed to take ages! I did pass water coming down from the escarpment maybe around 50m before the waterhole, which I’m guessing would not normally be there!

Stunning Hugh Gorge Waterhole

I would have loved to be able to get through that waterhole to explore what lay further upstream. However, even though it was midday by the time i was shooting here, the water was freezing cold and sitting in between the shady walls I was soooo cold! I had lunch here and decided on a course of action… I was in two minds whether to push on or not.

I headed back toward the flat creek camping area (there was really no other flat, cleared ground that looked suitable for a campsite anyway).

I did a bit of a location scout, and decided the Hugh Gorge Junction campground would be my stop for the night. I decided the cliffs and creek would be a great shot at sunrise and sunset… it was just going to be a long old boring afternoon waiting for the light! I was quite bored that afternoon - I wished I’d had a book! But, my new long distance camping thing will be to make sure I have audio books (to avoid the extra weight of a physical book!) The camp was great - there was water nearby. I was surrounded by dramatic cliffs, and I made friends with loads of budgies who were everywhere in the surrounding river red gums. I kept myself semi entertained by photographing them and a few flowers!

An after lunch update!

You can just see by little tent in the creek bed here, near the cente of the image

Afternoon light started to make things a bit more interesting!

After an entire afternoon of sitting and waiting for the sunset light, I’d felt a little disappointed with the shots I’d got. The light didn’t fall how I’d expected and I didn’t get that much red afterglow.

However, I’d sussed out a couple of good compositions for the following sunrise, so I had an early night and decided tomorrow was another day…. I was ready to tackle Hugh Gorge….. which I was expecting to take longer than the map guide time. This was because we had sooooo much rain and with so many pools around, I’d anticipated the rock hopping to be pool avoiding, clambering and de-booting for wades… and hopefully not swims/pack floats!