Behind the landscape of the Central Ranges by Anett Weisheit

The ~230 km long Larapinta Trail in Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park crosses the West MacDonnell and Chewings Ranges west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory in the traditional lands of the Aboriginal Arrernte people. This region is rich in biodiversity, Aboriginal culture and local history, all intimately connected to the stunning landscape of steep gorges with secluded waterholes, long ridges and parallel valleys, bluffs and mountain massifs. Behind that landscape lie geological and geomorphological features that are exceptionally well exposed and accessible during day- and multi day-walks. Rocks along the Larapinta Trail feature a variety of types, minerals and structures, and vary in age between the Quaternary (a few thousand years) and the Palaeoproterozoic (thousand million years).

This field guide explains the geology and features of the landscape to the interested walker. The almost 60 stops along the trail and in Alice Springs also include additional information on culture, history and ecology, helping you to connect with this extraordinary part of the Central Ranges in Australia’s arid zone.

 

Publisher: Geological Society of Australia, NT branch
Publication: July 2023
Format: Spiral bound paperback
ISBN: 9780987427892
Category: geology