This section of the Binns Track follows the
Ross Highway east from
Alice Springs on bitumen but don't rush too fast past both
Emily Gap and
Jessie Gap as these are nice spots to stop for a short walk. Soon after you'll enter into 4WD country and you'll cross mostly dry river beds although the crossing of
Ross River can become impassable after rain. You'll want to stop at N'Dhala
Gorge and maybe stay at
Ross River resort or the nearby
camp areas. You could base yourself here to explore the wonders of the East McDonnell Ranges, particularly if you like hiking. Alternatively, its not far off the route to go to
Trephina Gorge where there's a range of camping options, including a 4WD
bush camp although bookings are required for all sites.
The Arltunga Historic area preserves an old gold mining area that can be an interesting place to explore but there's some a serious 4WD side track into the Ruby Gap
Nature Reserve if you're looking for some more thrills.
The main Binns Track as per this route follows an easy 4WD track to the beautiful Hale River where you can stay on a working station and then along
the Pinnacles Track and scenic Gardens Road to where it reaches the
Plenty Highway near the Gemtree Caravan Park which is a handy place to top up on fuel and supplies if required.
The next section of the route enters cattle station properties and some of the tracks can be rough and narrow yet other sections will be open grasslands. There may be some rivers to negotiate - if travelling during the main suggested season these are typically dry but there may be water at other times. These are generally
well travelled tracks suitable for offroad caravans and offroad camper trailers so don't be put off. The route is
well signposted and is a tourist route. There's even a Meteorite Crater almost alongside the track so don't miss this small diversion.
After Derry Downs, the track finally
swings back to the west where it eventually joins up with the Sandover Highway and you'll travel in a North Easterly direction until reaching Ammaroo at which point you'll turn off onto Murray Downs Road and head north before switching back to the east again on the Kurundi Road that brings you into the remote Davenport Ranges National Park. The navigation here would be confusing without the Trek route in the Traveller app so make sure you've got the maps setup on a device that is visible from your dash to make this easier to follow. Here's you'll appreciate the change of environment with rocky terrain and waterholes. The
Old Police Station Waterhole is a pretty spot with a
camping area along side permanent water accessed via the Frew River 4WD Track. The Kurundi road heads further north via Epenarra where you make the final swing to the west again and eventually you'll pop out onto the sealed Stuart Highway, slightly north of the Devil's Marbles (10 minutes drive, or 16km south). From
the junction with the Stuart Highway, you are just 90km south of
Tennant Creek.
How to Use this Trek Note
- To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller. This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.
Environment
This area features
aboriginal paintings and
rock carvings of significance to the Eastern Arrernte Aboriginal people. These can be found in the Heavitree Range and N'Dhala
Gorge.
Arltunga is a former gold mining area and gemstones are found in Ruby Gap, and near Gemtree.
The Davenport Ranges is an important refuge for fauna, especially water birds due to an extensive network of waterholes.
The area is subject to frequent flooding during the hotter months (December to March).
History
Bill Binns was a
ranger who worked with NT Parks and Wildlife for 32 years. Bill’s dream was to help visitors explore more of the Central Australia region – to discover its vivid colours, native wildlife and mighty
rock formations. The naming convention of this group of tracks that have collectively become a signed 4WD tourist route known as Binns Track occurred in 2008. The Binns Track covers approximately 2000km and winds through many of the NT's lesser known nature
reserves and National Parks.
TrekID: 28008