I thought there was only one crater but there are twelve, caused when a meteorite travelling at 40 000 kms/hr broke up as it entered the earth's atmosphere about 4000 years ago. We drove in to the Henbury Meteorite Conservation Reserve on the Giles Highway, which is corrugated gravel, and discovered a well-designed trail through the crater reserve, with information boards along the way. The craters are slightly eroded by wind and rain but still clearly defined.
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| The largest crater is actually two craters caused by the larger fragments of the meteorite. |
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| Vegetation in the bottom of the main crater. |
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| Water Crater - the grasses are present because a small creek drains into this crater. |
We were the only visitors and only five other cars had been there that day (if the visitor book is any guide). Why? It's not that far off the highway. The facilities are good - toilets, picnic tables, information boards - and you can freecamp (in a designated area) there for a small fee. The track is a 1.5 km easy walk. The signboards are interesting.
Just before the turnoff on the Stuart Highway we stopped to have a look at the flowers that are carpeting previously bare sand. Spring has sprung.
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| Desert Tryptomene Aluta (Thryptomene) maisonneuvei |
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| Desert Thryptomene under Desert Oaks on red sand dunes. |
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| Two-spotted Line-blue butterfly |
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