Author Shebah Alice Springs

Who would have believed it… after all these days, weeks and months, instead of going straight, I turned… right. Yaaahhhh… having done the endless hours of down the road to Uluru, I finally get to make a right hand turn.

I had been recently advised that the Ernest Giles Road to Kings Creek Station was graded. This is a dirt road and in some area are heavily corrugated.

So we were excited to hear that it had been graded… and here I am at my first road sign photo stop on the Stuart Highway, and our first right hand turn… onto the Ernest Giles Road.

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

I am riding Jamie, the Outlander… I put him into cruise mode… nah… 4 wheel drive mode and he growled like a kitten.

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

Have you ever driven on the Ernest Giles Road to Kings Creek Station? Well, I have been tempted many a times, so now finally I get the opportunity and today is the day…

It has been graded… well most of it… looks like there is still some work being done.

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland


Lovely scenery, why they haven’t sealed it is a mystery, it’s way better than the long way round saving almost almost 6 hours on a round trip.

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

And if you have the time, visit the craters…

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

Art sculpture… perfectly balance…

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

I must admit there are a few signs…

The following sign is in front of the Desert Oak, one of Central Australia’s iconic trees and plays a significant role in Aboriginal dreaming.

Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Desert Oak behind the Luritja Road sign, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

The Desert Oaks offers shade in Mina Mina country, an important women’s dreaming site where they gather for ceremonies, and is found painted into aboriginal art of the central and western deserts. It is a major subject and can be found depicted in the works of artists from art centres such as Warlukurlangu in Yuendumu as the central story, “Desert Oak Dreaming”. The internationally acclaimed artist Dorothy Napangardi references the desert oak in many of her major work.

Shebah on the Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland
Shebah on the Ernest Giles Road, Central Australia © Toni Ryland

Photographs © Toni Ryland

Footnote & References

  1. Alice Springs Distance | Ernest Giles Road | Watarrka National Park | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | Desert Oak | Dorothy Napangardi