Our first accommodation is at Ross River Homestead for a 2-night stay. The Homestead is located in a picturesque location. All the rooms have ensuites at all the accommodations on this walk.
We then stay five nights at Glen Helen Lodge the only accommodation located within the Tjoritja – West MacDonnell Ranges National Park, 130km west of Alice Springs. This extraordinary landscape is 800 million years old and has been home to the Western Aranda Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. We get to enjoy the comfort provided by the lodge with Glen Helen Gorge and the national park right at our doorstep. Importantly the lodge is owned and now also run by the traditional owners with some assistance, which means by staying here we are supporting the local people.
At the end of each day, all the benefits of having a private room await, including a hot shower and a comfortable bed. The lodge, partly an old homestead, reflects the region’s character and is in an amazing location, offering up great views including sunsets like no other over the West MacDonnell Ranges.
The Mercure in Alice Springs is a very good quality hotel in an excellent location. It’s a big property with plenty of room to relax either by the pool, in the garden or in the many other facilities that it offers.
All of the a la carte two course dinners are prepared by the in-house chefs at Glen Helen and the Mercure. There’s an emphasis on Australian game meat, Top End fish, tropical fruit and bushtucker.
The packed lunches and picnics complete the circle ensuring that your appetite is always satisfied. In fact, you can look forward to having lunch on a daily basis at some of the most incredible locations on the Larapinta Trail. A walkers lunch may include a high protein type salad, a roll or a wrap, a muesli bar, cake or muffin of some kind, plus a piece of fruit. Each day is slightly different. Lunch is always augmented by Auswalk’s famous trail mix.
Importantly, you start each day with a cooked breakfast, expertly prepared by the in-house chefs at Glen Helen and Mercure. This is a great way to ready yourself for the upcoming walk.
Alcohol or drinks with meals are not included (except tea/coffee and juice with breakfast).