The Character of Place: Mparntwe
There are places you return to again and again and for Jac Semmler, Mparntwe - Alice Springs in Arrernte Country - is one of them. Having spent many years both living in and visiting the red interior of Central Australia, it is a landscape she returns to often, drawn back by its plants as much as its people.
This year's visit followed one of the wettest seasons the region has experienced in decades. The country looked different.
"I've never seen it that green," Jac says. "Even the spinifex is green." No small statement from a landscape known for its extremes and aridity
Across Central Australia, rivers are flowing, grasses have responded, and the landscape is preparing for what promises to be an extraordinary wildflower season.
For Jac, though, it wasn't only the abundance that lingered. It was the familiar feeling that, in Mparntwe, the plants tell you exactly where you are.
"As soon as you get off the plane, you're seeing the Mulga, the silver Senna, all of the flowering Acacias. It's something that's so present in that place."
The Ghost Gums soon follow. Their pale trunks glow against the red ranges. River Red Gums stretch along creek lines that carry water only when the country allows. Desert cycads emerge among rocky outcrops. Every species seems to belong so completely that the landscape feels unimaginable without it.
"The planting and the place are really entwined," Jac reflects. "It's hard to separate them."
It is this deep connection between plants and place that gives Mparntwe its unmistakable character. Every plant carries the story of this country. The ghost gums wear their chalk-white bark as protection from the desert sun, catching the light as they stand against the red ranges. The river red gums have learnt to wait patiently through long dry periods before rivers flow again. Mulga, spinifex and senna each respond differently to heat, drought and rain, together creating one of Australia's most recognisable landscapes.
This year, those familiar plants are telling a different story. The rivers are running. Waterholes are full and the country feels generous.
Among the most memorable sights were the flowering mulla mulla (Ptilotus spp.), their soft pink flower heads floating gently above the landscape.
"When we think about aridity, we often think about the sharp and the pointy and the rough and the gnarled,"Jac says. "Then you see the mulla mulla. It's so soft. It just floats through the landscape. It's really quite amazing."
The softness of mulla mulla. The glow of ghost gums in the afternoon light. Green spinifex stretching across country where golden grasses are more familiar. They remind us that Central Australia is full of softness, movement and extraordinary beauty.
The season ahead promises to be remarkable. Following such significant rainfall, the coming months are likely to deliver spectacular wildflower displays. If you're planning a visit to Mparntwe, now is the time with August and September wonderful times to visit.
A visit to the Alice Springs Desert Park is one of the best ways to deepen your understanding of Central Australia's remarkable flora. Our warm thanks to the Desert Park team for sharing their knowledge and generous hospitality during our recent visit.
Mparnte For the Plant Lovers
Visiting our red centre soon? Withthe potential for a spectacular wildflower seasons in recent memory to unfold across Central Australia, there's never been a better time to visit.
Super Bloom’s plant places not to miss
ANPSA Biennial Conference (late August) – A celebration of Australia's native plants, including a plant sale hosted by the horticultural team at Alice Springs Desert Park.
Alice Springs Desert Park– An essential stop for anyone wanting to better understand the flora and ecology of Central Australia.
Olive Pink Botanic Garden – A beautiful collection of arid-zone plants set against the backdrop of the MacDonnell Ranges.
Araluen Cultural Precinct– Keep an eye out for Sturt's Desert Pea in bloom while exploring the galleries and gardens.
Tjampi Weavers- For those who love a plant to its very fibres. Master weavers of Tjampi location in the NYP Women’s Council
Advice to the plant nerds
Seeking wildflowers wonders during the time in the red heart of Arrente Country? The challenge with such a wet season is that while it sets the stage for super bloom potential it also encourages the predominance of the oppressive invasive Buffle grass. Consider visit areas which are regrowing post burn, roadside verges where prolific in displays of Mulla Mulla and more. Explore the gorges of the Yipereenya - the Eastern and Western MacDonald Ranges and further afield . Always be considerate to our natural landscape and be both environmentally and culturally sensitive to these special species and places anywhere that you travel by visiting where advised.
To read more on Buffel Grass and resources for its management visit the Arid Lands Environment Centre