Mount Woodroffe

Mount Woodroffe is the highest peak of the Musgrave Ranges in northwestern South Australia, rising approximately 1,435 meters above sea level. This granite massif stands out prominently in an otherwise flat desert landscape.

William Christie Gosse first documented this summit in July 1873 during an expedition through largely unexplored territory in South Australia. Before European contact, the mountain had been known and traveled by Indigenous peoples for countless generations.

The mountain is called Ngarutjaranya in the Pitjantjatjara language and is connected to a creator being named Ngintaka in Aboriginal storytelling traditions. The landscape holds spiritual meaning for the Anangu peoples who have long understood this place as part of their living connection to country.

Access to the mountain requires a permit from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara authorities as it sits on Indigenous land. Visitors should bring plenty of water and supplies since this is a remote location with very few facilities or services.

During the 1960s, scientists considered this peak as a potential site for the Anglo-Australian Telescope before ultimately choosing Siding Spring Observatory. This episode shows how the remote location and elevation caught the attention of astronomers planning major research facilities.