Tjoritja / West MacDonnell is a national park in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...
(
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
) due west of
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' A ...
and 1234 km south of
Darwin. It extends along the
MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges, or Tjoritja in Arrernte, is a mountain range located in southern Northern Territory. MacDonnell Ranges is also the name given to an interim Australian bioregion broadly encompassing the mountain range, with an area of .< ...
west of Alice Springs.
The popular extended walk, the
Larapinta Trail
The Larapinta Trail is an extended walking track in the Northern Territory of Australia. Its total length covers from east to west, with the eastern end at Alice Springs and the western end at Mount Sonder, one of the territory's highest m ...
, runs east–west along the linear park, following the West MacDonnell Ranges. The park includes many tourist attractions along its 250 kilometre length including
Ormiston Pound, the
Ellery Creek Bighole,
Glen Helen Gorge,
Simpsons Gap,
Standley Chasm,
Mount Sonder,
Serpentine Gorge, the
Ochre Pits
The Ochre Pits are a popular tourist destination in Australia's Northern Territory, approximately 100 kilometres west of Alice Springs along the Larapinta Trail.
The pits consist of several layers of multi-coloured, layered rock that was traditi ...
and
Redbank Gorge
Redbank Gorge (commonly Red Bank Gorge), is a Canyon, gorge located in the Northern Territory, Northern Territory of Australia, 156 km west of Alice Springs. It is situated at the bottom of Mount Sonder. The gorge is part of the West MacDonnell N ...
.
The Park is known as Tjoritja by the
traditional owners
Native title is the designation given to the common law doctrine of Aboriginal title in Australia, which is the recognition by Australian law that Indigenous Australians (both Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people) have right ...
of the land and is considered of great significance in the local Arrernte Aboriginal culture. It is home to several species of flora and fauna and is now utilised by people for a variety of recreational activities. Facilities at the park include swimming, camping, gas BBQ, bushwalking, caravan sites, etc.
See also
*
Protected areas of the Northern Territory
The protected areas of the Northern Territory consists of protected areas managed by the governments of the Northern Territory and Australia and private organisations with a reported total area of being 24.8% of the total area of the Northern Te ...
References
External links
Official fact sheet and map
{{authority control
National parks of the Northern Territory
Protected areas established in 1992
1992 establishments in Australia