West MacDonnell Ranges, Central Australia

Parallel ridges of the West MacDonnell Ranges run west from Alice Springs for some 200 kilometres. They show a rich and dramatic escarpment of purple, brown and orange rock as part of an ancient landscape sculptured over the millennia by sun, wind and water. The West MacDonnell National Park incorporates a number of smaller parks and nature reserves most centred on water-holes and spectacular cathedral-like gorges. These provide an environment for nearly 600 plant species and an abundance of desert wild life - including birds, mammals, reptiles, frogs and fish.