Gosh, I love this photo so much. This is a digital photo taken of an actual, printed photo from an old photo album. I'm far from an amazing photographer, yet this photo is gorgeous. And it's because the landscape at Rainbow Valley, Central Australia, is so darn gorgeous that it's easy to make it look good!
This is Stanley Chasm. It's in the West McDonnell National Park, known to locals as "the west macs" (or Tjortitja in the local Aboriginal language). It's one of a big handful of spots you can visit on a drive along the desert road that heads through this National Park, and it's well worth a visit if you're in the area.
This baby is a Lace Monitor, also known as a Goanna. I call it a baby, but from a look at the size of it, it's probably a teenager. Something to be terrified of it you're a small mammal but usually they're more scared of humans than we need to be of them (as Aboriginal people used to - and in some places still do - hunt them for food). While they can't eat us, if cornered or scared, they could definitely hurt the tender skin of a human being with their very strong claws they use to climb. Usually, when they see, hear or smell a human being, they scamper straight up the nearest big tree they can find!
Gosh, it's been so long since I've looked at these photos that I really need to rack my brain. I THINK that's Mt Conner from a different angle than most photos are traditionally taken. (It usually looks like a big, flat top mountain.) Contained on private property, the only way to see it is through an organised tour. Lucky for me, I worked for a company that did tours out there and got to go along one day for free!
Again, I THINK this is a different aspect of Mt Conner. But I can't be sure and I have no written record on the actual, physical photos. What I CAN tell you is that all the photos in this post were taken in Central Australia, in the Northern Territory, within a day's drive of Alice Springs.
This must be Lake Armidaus. I don't remember it being particularly breathtaking, but I appreciate the unexpectedness of a LAKE in a DESERT. Also, there are heaps of plants in this one - another thing that surprised me about the desert. I thought, like most people do, that the Australian desert was just "sand... as far as the eye could see". But no, it's SO much more diverse and interesting than that.
Before we had photo cameras, I don't think I ever took a selfie. And since I also didn't really like myself all that much back then, there aren't that many photos of me. So this is a rare one. Me, at age 23.
More "west macs"? Not sure. But the rocks are pretty! And check out that eucalypt! (The Aussies reading this will know what that means, but for the rest of you... that's the light coloured big TREE in the foreground!)
This area is called Serpentine Gorge (serpent = snake). According to Google's AI overview, it's part of the Larapinta Walking Trail (which is over 200km long!) and has this cool crystal embedded in its walls that the water had to cut through over a long period of time called Heavitree Quartzine.
This photo was the only one with something written on the back. This is Kate. She was our guide on this trip through the West Macs. This is Ormiston Gorge. Pretty, right?
For a few of these photos, I used Google Lens to help me identify what they were. This was one of them! Apparently, this is called Chambers Pillar. On Google Maps, it looks like it's SOUTH of Alice Springs, so a loooong drive from the West Macs. But still giving off all the awesome, desert vibes.
I'm so glad that my partner Brad (aka 
Hive account@new.things) encouraged me to dig out my photos and write about them. While it was frustrating to have forgotten so many of the places in these photos, it was great to realise I could use Google Lens in a new way I hadn't thought of before.
It was also wonderful to revisit these places, since the Australian desert has a special place in my heart. Finally, it is a strong reminder of just how much I adore travel and adventure, and should prioritise doing more of it. Soon.
Have you been to the Australian desert? If yes, tell me about it in the comments! I'd love to know where you've been!!!
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