East Macdonnell Ranges Stretch in the Isolated That Culminate About 100Km, the Ridges Cut by a Series of Gaps and Gorges Country with Superb Ruby Gap

THE SOUTHEAST 233

Arltunga © Lonely Planet Publications Ruby Gap www.nreta.gov.au Arltunga

Ross River Resort Santa Teresa Titjikala Pillar Gorge Chambers Trephina Valley Rainbow Ruby Ruby ( p242 ) ( p236 ) Parks & Wildlife Commission: & Wildlife Parks

( p243 ) ( p238 ) 08 Santa Teresa % Trephina Gorge Trephina ( p242 ) Rainbow Valley ( p241 ) and ( p240 ) Ross River Resort Ross River ( p238 ) Camping out like an early explorer and circumnavigating the dramatic sandstone beacon of and circumnavigating the dramatic sandstone beacon of out like an early explorer Camping Chambers Pillar the ghosts of past while exploring old gold-mining town Imagining trekking after Cooling off in the waterhole through tranquil Kicking beers at the bar of back with a few the the tough 4WD track then camping Tackling bed at beautiful out along the river art at Stopping in at the Aboriginal centres Titjikala Watching the setting sun light up rich colours of Gap TELEPHONE CODE

While many sights can be reached by conventional vehicle, you really need a 4WD to fully you really vehicle, by conventional While many sights can be reached Immediately for desert a 4WD and taste driving, don’t despair. But if you don’t have broken by rolling sand dunes are where region To the south lies a sparsely inhabited HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS

If the vast expanse of desert cast your eyes southeast on north of Alice Springs seems remote, border and the fringes of Simpson Desert, down to the South Australia a map. Stretching but beautiful desert is little-visited dune country. much of this corner the Territory Simpson Desert in the far southeastern remote The the beauty of this region. appreciate and shifting sands that is of spinifex is an almost trackless region corner of the Territory 4WD adventures. one of the last great in a rugged line for east of Alice, the easily accessible East MacDonnell Ranges stretch in the isolated that culminate about 100km, the ridges cut by a series of gaps and gorges country with superb Ruby Gap. Just like the ranges to west, this is lovely but heavenly walks, lots of bush camping and the eerie historical ghost town Arltunga. settlements is a highlight), accessible Aboriginal Pillar rock formations (Chambers incredible outback driving and camping under a vast desert with west and some great sky. Compared of the Stuart and that alone makes it alluring. Hwy, this is an untouched area The Southeast The Southeast THE SOUTHEAST 234 RANGES MACDONNELL EAST The Southeast ged gorges (such asbeautiful Trephina), where you can exploreand reserves rug- small parks Along the wayyoupassseveral and hills drainedbygum-lined creeks. scenic drive ajumbleof ridges through high goldmining town atArltungaandisavery east fromAlice to thehistoricalformer able bushexperience. TheRoss Hwysnakes and fewer visitors canmeanamore enjoy- MacDonnell are Ranges nolessabsorbing more popularWestMacDonnells, the East oftenAlthough overlooked infavour of the

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g o find it more rewarding totake itslowly and inasingle day, youmay way can beseen only. Gorge andRubyGap is definitely by4WD Trephina Gorge Nature Park), N’Dhala Hwy isrecommended for4WDsonly. and TheGarden homesteads totheStuart return route viaClaraville, Ambalindum vehicles indryconditions. Thealternative be quitebut it’susuallyOKfor2WD rough, road which can Ross Hwyalonganunsealed River Resort.Arltungais33km fromthe areas. Aboriginal culture andabandoned mining

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i v e r EAST MACDONNELL RANGES •• Emily & Jessie Gaps Nature Park MACDONNELL Gaps RANGES••Emily&Jessie EAST Simpson Desert Conservation Emily Gap Park Poeppel Corner SIMPSON 120 miles DESERT 200 km NP , the rock QUEENSLAND are scattered over the valleyfloor. of unusualtan-coloured dolomite hills that 51km fromAlice Springs, isoneof anumber redvalley between ridges. Corroboree Rock, looming large onyourleft,before entering a MacDonnellwith thesteep-sided East Ranges Past Jessie Gap,youdrive over erodedflats, CONSERVATION RESERVE CORROBOREE ROCK the picnicandeskyready. have themcontinueontoJessie Gaptoget atEmilyGap,then someone todropyouoff wedge-tailed eagles.Thetrickistoget as euros,black-footed rockwallabies and and Jessie Gaps.Lookoutforwildlife, such hours, unmarked, Emily medium)between narrowridgehigh, panoramasextend from theSweeping Bushwalking Springs) originated. of Mparntwe(Alicelar AncestralBeings area, as itwasfromhere thattheCaterpil- Aboriginalportant sites intheAlice Springs doubted used whether the rock wasever Perentie Dreaming. Despite thename, it’s It isaregistered sacred site andpartof the people as astorehouse forsacred objects. by localAboriginaloutcrop was onceused have isnotpermitted. toilets.Camping Both sites are popularswimmingholesand scenic gorge andagoodplace forapicnic. A smallcave inthislarge dog-toothed Gap Jessie MacDonnells for$130. MacDonnells ValleyRainbow inadayfor$150,andEast local Leigh Goldsmith,coversChambersPillar and Runbyknowledgeable .outbackexperience.com.au) Valley for$500. ChambersPillar andRainbow Ranges, MacDonnell 4WDtourstotheEast adventure.com) Three-day Path Tours Outback Experience Ossies OutbackTours The followingtoursleave fromAlice: REGIONAL TOURS Andado andMtDare ($650). Simpson Desert tour withChambersPillar, Old Valley andRainbow ($95)andthree-day Springs toOwen range of4WDtours,includingdaytrips St)Comprehensive .ossies.com.au; 18Warburton , 8kmfurtheron,isanequally ( % 8952 0525;www.pathtours walk ( % ( % (8kmoneway,2½ 8953 2666;www 8952 2308;www

235 THE SOUTHEAST THE THE SOUTHEAST 236 base ofbase therock. several kilometresseveral andis usually4WD only. reached track thatwanders bya rough for JohnHayes Rockhole tions are the gorge itself, camping areas.secluded The main attrac- swimmingholes,wildlifewalks, deep and spectacular. There are alsosomeexcellent calyptus-green foliage andtheblueskyare of thevalleywalls,paletree trunks witheu- river beds,rich orange, red andpurpletones of inthedry the sweep palesand between the RossHwy,one of them.Thecontrasts Trephina Gorge Nature Park, 3kmnorth of MacDonnell make stops intheEast Ranges, Trephina Gorge turn-off. the 6kmfromcreek crossingtothe ofstand red gums, which continuesfor bedofthe sandy About 60kmfromAliceSpringsyoucross TREPHINA GORGENATURE PARK water inthevicinity. as acorroboree area, owingtothelack of East MacDonnell Ranges Pine Gap

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the glory-of-the-Centre weddingbush. the glory-of-the-Centre home toanumberof rare plants,including about ontherockface. Thearea isalso black-footed rockwallabies nimblyleaping early inthemorningandyou’llusually spot up campforadayorso. Visitthewaterhole gums andthegorge. protect boththelarge of stand river red in1966andgazetted asaparkto Station G sandy creek bed then loops back to the starting point. sandy creek bed thenloops backto the starting along theedge ofthegorge, thetrail drops tothe Skirting walk Gorge Trephina Trephina Gorge Nature Park marked trails are outlinedinthe timated tobe300years old.Thefollowing gum,es- road leadstoamagnificent ghost short signposted walk alongtheentrance from ashortstroll toafive-hour hike. A There are good several walks here, ranging Bushwalking ranger station. the parkandanemergency call box atthe e

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iv er scrambling, and it’s impassable after heavyrain. scrambling, andit’simpassableafter a lookoutabovethegorge.Itrequires someclimbingand walk leadsthroughthegorge,pastrockpoolsandupto campingground,this From theJohnHayesRockhole are highlightsofthiswalk. Trephina Gorge andexamplesofbizarre, twistedrockstrata family $3.30/1.65/7.70) John Hayes Rockhole. grounds atTrephina Gorge, and TheBluff You canpitch atent atthesmallcamping Sleeping abouttwohours. return legalongtheroadtakes up. Thewalkoffers splendidviewsandisolation. The8km themore exposedplaceshavedried longafter waterholes of ofdeepgorgeholdsaseries to thewest.Here asection afew kilometres to thedelightfulJohnHayesRockhole, fromTrephina Gorge trailtraversestheridges This marked walk Ridgetop Chain ofPondswalk Panorama walk www.lonelyplanet.com Trephina Gorge Nature Park towering red ridge. gumsin frontof undertall a bank setting sites),(eight butamore creek- spectacular caravans andcampervans. for It’ssuitable places andpicnictables. access),gasbarbecues,fire-with disabled has 10sites, runningwater, pittoilets(one a shortstrollfromthemainattraction,and 1.65/7.70) mote, basicsites withtoiletsbesidearocky child/family $3.30/1.65/7.70) TREPHINA GORGENATURE PARK ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ ὈὈὈὈὈὈ Trephina Gorge Camping Ground Camping Gorge Trephina John Hayes Rockhole Camping Ground Camping John HayesRockhole Ground Bluff Camping Chain ofPondsWalk (1½ HoursReturn) The Bluff hassimilarfacilities TheBluff (10kmoneway,fourhours,difficult) ᝲᝲ ᝲᝲ (3km,onehour,easy)Great viewsover John Hayes Rockhole Thisisinatimbered gully (4kmloop,1½hours,medium) (4 HoursReturn) Turners Lookout Thishasjustthree re-

ᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲᝲ (adult/child/family $3.30/

Ridgetop Walk Camping Ground Rockhole John Hayes EAST MACDONNELL RANGES••N’DhalaGorgeNatureEAST Park

Foothills ᝲᝲ (adult/child/ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ ὄὄὄ TREPHINA GORGE NATURE PARK

Ranger Station (adult/ & Emergency Telephone

4WD Only (9 HoursReturn) Ridgetop Walk cle accidenthere in1998. dedicated toalocalwhodiedinmotorcy- It’s motorcycle andheadstone,ontheright. out fortheroadsideshrine,complete with Gorge towardsRossRiver. turn-off Look continuesfromtheTrephinaThe highway GORGENATUREN’DHALA PARK refill attheothercampsites. There’s noreliable fresh water supply here – road here gives areal feeling of remoteness. creek downfromthewaterhole. Therough down thepicturesque row gorge. The11kmaccesstrackwinds carvings Nature Park, where over 5900ancient come tothe4WDtrack N’Dhala Gorge sign says, towingiscostly. sign says, bad ideaforconventional vehicles. As the a numberof crossingsmake sandy thisa to the Caterpillar Dreaming.to theCaterpillar A arepatterns, andthese to relate thought are circularandfeather-likethe carvings 10,000 years. Commondesignsfeatured in 2000 years, somecould beasold though are tohave thought madein thelast been which are generally notthateasytospot, directly ontherockface. Thecarvings, and pounded,where hit astonehasbeen strike such asharpchisel asaboneorrock; to where used astonehammerhasbeen tye) are of twomajor types:finelypecked, to theeastern Arrernte peopleasIrlwen- Shortly before reaching RossRiver you

Trephina atN’Dhala(known The rockcarvings John (21km); AliceSprings(80km)

ᝲᝲᝲᝲ ᝲᝲᝲᝲ Ross River Homestead Hayes (petroglyphs) decorate nar- adeep, Creek The BluffCampingGround To RossHwy(3km);

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THE SOUTHEAST THE THE SOUTHEAST reliable water source. toilet. Shade here islimited andthere isno andapit (collect yourownwood),tables pool andspa,plusastore withfuel. air-con cabinshave ensuite, and there’s a great The placetohangyourhatforanight. crumbling buildings,mineshafts andbat- Arltunga isahaunting ARLTUNGA historical site of HISTORICALRESERVE Resort River a range of accommodationandcafé, Ross River inTownsville(Queensland). rest assured thatthenamewasderived from ‘Ross River’ strike thefear of fever intoyou, ifthewords Arltunga turn-off. Incidentally, the continuationof theRossHwypast oracomfybed.It’s9km along man’s Bar intheStock- the detourforameal,beer as the Ross River Resort,andit’swellworth years butreopenedfor several inlate 2005 River. totourists Thehomestead wasclosed pretty underrockyhillsbesidetheRoss setting tion, theoldRossRiver Homestead hasa Once theheadquarters forLoves Creek Sta- ROSS RIVERRESORT tinue furtherdowntheriver bed. you cancon- though main rockcarvings, (1.5km return, the 45minutes, easy)passes 238 pas $22,dcabin$100; .au; campingperperson$10,bunkhouse 1.65/7.70) Arltunga Historical Reserve Arltunga Historical ARLTUNGA HISTORICAL RESERVE With its secluded bush setting, birdlife, bush setting, With itssecluded The EAST MACDONNELL RANGES •• Ross River Resort MACDONNELL RANGES••RossRiver EAST atthegorge entrancehasfireplaces camping ground (45km); AliceSprings(107km) Trephina GorgeNature Park ) To RossHighway (30km); offers abitof bushcomfortanda

( % 8956 9711;www.rossriverresort.com Bush Hotel Arltunga

(adult/child/family $3.30/ Government Visitor Centre Works FOSSICKING RESERVE Mt Gordon ARLTUNGA HISTORICALRESERVE Old Police Station Chance Golden Mine Ross Rockhole Paddy's Historic Walks Mine Mission Little Flower Range ReefMine MacDonnell Crossroads Cemetery Hwy alonga4WDtrack. Tourist Drive, ortojoinupwith thePlenty back toAliceSpringsalongThe Gardens some gold.Ask atthevisitors centre. to thesouthwhere youmay(withluck) find but there isa made thearea viableoncemore. reopened inearly1996asnewtechnology for afew years inthelate 1980sandwas Mineoperatedoperation. TheWhite Range to bedestroyedduringanopen-cutmining ridgesmall minesthatoncedotted thishigh authorities allowedalmostalltheruinsand but, showingremarkable short-sightedness, richest partof thegoldfield was The at thevisitors itself. centre inthereserve Hotel andcampingground,before arriving youpasstheArltungaBush cal Reserve, after heavy andisimpassable rain. be rough at theturnof thelastcentury.Theroadcan walked fromAlice Springs tothegoldfields This wastheroute taken byminers asthey quartzite ridges towerabove dolomite hills. scenic through and desperationof earlysettlers. these it’s nothardtogainapicture of thehardships ing amongtheruinsof thisextensive reserve, 300 people. Spendinganafternoon wander- thatwasoncehome tonearly rush settlement ficially centralAustralia’sfirst town–agold tery equipmentleftbehind fromwhatwasof- From Arltungaitispossibletodo aloop Fossicking isnotpermitted atArltunga, About 1kmbefore theArltungaHistori- The first 12kmof theArltungaRdpasses To PlentyHighway(80km); To Ruby GapNaturePark Alice Springs(173km) (35km 4WD Only) Joker Gorge R ange W hite Area fossicking reserve fossicking Bitter Springs Gorge Springs Bitter 4km 2miles 0 0 Western Mine White Range Great Cemetery www.lonelyplanet.com inagullyjust White Range White , where red

www.lonelyplanet.com can drive there. utes) leads tothe residences. Ashort walk(1.5km, 15min- the partly restored Manager’s andAssayer’s andCyanide Works, and ernment Battery Among theruins are thesite of theGov- lection of dry-stonebuildings survives. works Government JuneandAugust. on Sundaybetween Ranger-guided tours are usuallyconducted the centre tocrush somegold-bearing ore. to crankuptheoldJenkins behind Battery lets fromthevisitors centre. Ask therangers scattered pickupleaf- thereserve; through walksare to get them.Self-guided between over awidearea avehicle andyou’llneed parched region. Themainsites are scattered how anyonecouldeke outalivinginthis diggers, itmay leave though youwondering gives anideaof whatlife waslike fortheearly Arltunga’s historyisfascinatingand thearea Sights &Activities The Information the disabled). and there are toilets(includingfacilitiesfor and itshistory.Drinkingwater isavailable 20-minute slideshowdescribesthereserve chinery andhistoricalphotographs. Afree has interesting displaysof oldminingma- Allow halfanhour towalkaroundthe yielding around15,000ouncesofgold. there were fewer than100.Bythetime itclosed,thebattery hadtreated 11,500tonsofrock, early 1900sthere were never more thanafew hundred here; mostofthetimeminers working camel trainfromtherailheadatOodnadatta,600kmtosouth. ing worksatArltunga–itselfamajorlogistical feat asalltheequipmenthadtobebroughtby government ofSouthAustralia constructed a10-head gold-stampingbattery andcyanideprocess- rich, andtheminerssuffered fromtheextremes ofweather andthelackofwater. In1898,the explorationuncoveredand further thereefs atWhite in1897.The Range fieldwasnotparticularly of water andthefierceclimate. millions of garnet specks. They facedincredible hardshipshere, notleastofwhichwere thelack oftheriver bed,shimmeringadeep-claretyou seethesurface colourasthesunreflects offthe from therailheadatOodnadatta. gotcarriedawaywhen It’seasytoseehowtheprospectors (albeit highgrade),butnotbefore hadmadethearduoustrek some200hopefulprospectors dream crashedovernight whenitwasfoundthatthe‘rubies’were relatively garnets worthless saw rubyred stonesinthedrybedofHaleRiver, glittering intheafternoon sun.The whole Darwin, whocamethroughthiswaywhileleadinganexpeditionfrom AdelaidetoPort surveyor Gap Ruby RUBY RUSH visitorscentre The improved facilitiesdidlittlefortheprosperityoffield, andeven atitspeakinthe However, therushledtochancediscovery ofalluvial gold atPaddy’s in1887, Rockhole wasnamedafter afranticrubyrushinthelate 1880s. David Lindsay,anexplorer and area, where thebestcol-

( old police station % 8956 9770; EAST MACDONNELL RANGES •• Arltunga Historical Reserve Reserve MACDONNELL RANGES••ArltungaHistorical EAST h , or you 8am-5pm)

dry-stone miners’ huts. reached bya200mpathuphill. more old stonebuildingsandagoodview eventuated.that never forthetownship this wasthesite surveyed tery gold here, andnumerousotherminers. place of Hele, Joseph thefirst mantofind road endsat steep ridges withgreat viewstothe east,the the The about 50mof twoshafts. tunnels between ladderscan climbdownsteel andexplore them. Atthe toexplore isessential a torch (flashlight) Mission moved Theresa. toSanta lived here from1942until 1953,whenthe About outside the Reserve. 200people seen Hotel butthenearby torical reserve, isnotpermitted within thehis- Camping Sleeping the hotel, but itwas duetoreopen asapub drinks for a whilebetween noon. It’sbeen Feestables. are collected in thelate after- showers, toilets, barbecue pitsandpicnic At thecrossroadsthere’s anold Another short self-guided walkleadsto Another shortself-guided The remains of Two minesare openinthisarea, but , plustheruinsof theoldbakehouse; Great Western Mine Western Great

Golden Chance Mine Golden ChanceMine ( % 8956 9797; sitesperadult/child$8/4) White Range Cemetery Range White MacDonnell Range Reef Mine Reef Range MacDonnell Little FlowerMission . After climbingsome Joker Gorge Joker boasts several oldboasts several Arltunga Bush , theresting features canbe ceme-

has you 239 THE SOUTHEAST THE THE SOUTHEAST station The parkismanaged bythe just shortof rugged GlenAnnieGorge. & Wildlife, andto foracoolingdip. enough deep waterholes atGlenAnnieGorge are usually and river sceneryincentralAustralia. The warding detourtosomeof thewildestgorge sible onlyby4WD,isachallenging butre- This little-visited andremote park,acces- RUBY GAPNATURE PARK meals. ing, butisn’tplanningtoserve (Thursday toMonday)atthetimeof writ- 240 mean it’sinaccessible –with a4WD you partsofinhospitable Australia. That doesn’t one of driestandmost Desert, thetoughest, eats into theedge of thevastSimpson The southeastern cornerof theTerritory SIMPSON DESERT OF THE NORTH – bringinyourown firewood andwater. ing ispermitted anywhere alongtheriver are nocampingfacilitiesinthepark,camp- bed toGlenAnnieGorge. there Although you canmake therugged walkbytheriver a month! have hadtheircarstuckatRuby Gapfor ofin theevent rain–travellers inthepast here. Therangers suggest leaving thepark tions there orinAlicebefore headingout around point,which isthrough bedforabout6kmtotheturn- the sandy rutsupstreamfollow thewheel (left)along another 25kmyouarrive atthe creek crossingsandsharpjump-ups.After restricted to4WDvehicles, thankstosandy turn-off. Theroadthendeteriorates andis before thegate 11kmfromtheClaraville narpa Homestead. Turnleftimmediately may comeinuseful. (deflate tyres), sand boggy ashovel andjack ficient water and,asthelast5kmisthrough in summer,orafter suf- heavy rain.Carry the tripifyouare inexperienced,especially deregister when youreturn. Donotattempt in AliceSpringsbefore out–and setting Allow twohours each wayforthetrip. It is essential toget amapfromParksIt isessential There are nomarked walking trails, but Leaving Arltunga,headeasttowards At- Leaving NORTH OF THE SIMPSON DESERT •• Alice Springs toFinke ••AliceSprings OFTHESIMPSONDESERT NORTH

( % 8956 9770) , socheck roadcondi- register

( % Arltunga ranger Ruby Gap 1300 650730) Hale River and ;

Alice alongtheOldAndadoTrack. Crown, AndadoHomestead and northto part of LoopviaNew theSimpsonDesert for 133kmtoFinke (Apatula).Thisforms the RodingasidingFinke Trackheads gumdottingthelandscape. At sional ghost places, withlowmulgascrubandtheocca- redroad cuttingthrough dunesin sand that it’sall4WD.It’sbeautifulcountry,the ventional vehicles indryconditions.After inpatches, butisfineforcon- is rough southeast toFinke. The road toMaryvale toChambersnity andtheturnoff Pillar, or theTitjikalaStation, Aboriginal commu- road splits,continuingsouthtoMaryvale of AliceSprings. AtRodingasidingthe theStuartHwy12kmsouth Rd, turnsoff The Old SouthRd,alsoknownas Maryvale ALICE SPRINGSTOFINKE accessible onlyto4WDvehicles. andtheOldAndadoTrack–areCentre tions –includingChambers Pillar, Lambert old tothe the OldSouthRd,which runsclose it’s possibletotravel someof thewaydown ing southof Alice. Even withouta4WD, some of themost challenging outbackdriv- can cover alotof groundandexperience $270) .au; offOldSouthRd;swag$165,dinclmeals ( Ooraminna Homestead &BushCamp THE AUTHOR’S CHOICE after funds ranout. er’s Boy set forafilm basedonTed Egan’s pub, store the and windmill.Itwasactually anabandonedtownwithawhat lookslike road)youpasshomestead (5kmdownadirt or gobushwalking. Ontheapproach tothe astationtoura baranddiningroom, take randa ofthefamily homestead, whichhas with alarge bath. Youcanrelax ontheve- ture andmodernprivate bathrooms,one oak,periodfurni- beds madefromdesert jail!). The cabinshave amazingfour-poster constructed foramovie set (oneisanold cabins converted frombuildingsoriginally stay instylethesecludedstoneortimber experience. Rolloutaswag(provided) or of Alice,butoffers areal outbackstation % Ghan 8953 0170;www.ooraminnahomestead.com This homestead isonly30kmsouth , whichnever made ittoproduction railwayline,butthemainattrac- www.lonelyplanet.com The Drov-

.au; Centre Art Titjikala can visitwithout apermit.Dropintothe riginal community (pop300),which you get fuel,drinksand basicsupplies. screen printing, batik andwoodcarving. tional craftssuch as wire sculptures, linocuts, traditional dotpaintingsbut alsonon-tradi- have areputation developed not onlyfor with woodbarbecuesandpittoilets. informative signsleadingfromapicnicarea There’s aneasy20-minute loopwalkwith are torelate Dreaming. said totheRain rains, andthe of foodandwater fortheArrernte during as toosacred fortheuninitiated. ings are eitherlostintimeorare regarded intothesoftchiselled rock,buttheirmean- concentric circlesandanimaltracks,are 5000 years ago. which include Thecarvings, currently 1000and between intheCentre, riginal peoplewholived here before those are tohave thought madebyAbo- been foundhere andatN’DhalaGorgecarvings and knowntothemasNapatika. Therock next toaclaypansacred toArrernte people, of Aliceprotects anoutcropof sandstone 39kmout reserve This smallconservation Reserve Conservation Carvings Rock Ewaninga www.lonelyplanet.com tion Finke for13kmbringsyouto to pastthe turn-off Continuing straight Station &Maryvale Titjikala Ghan the StuartHwy),which connectstothe old RiverHugh StockRoute (9kmsouthalong road conditionsatStuart’sWellforthe Stuart HwyandtheOldSouthRd.Check community ifyou’re the passingbetween It’s worthcallinginatthissmallAboriginal Valley Oak sites perperson$8) delve intobushtucker. take inlocalrockartandfossilsites and or tours Valley operatingfromOak which inquire aboutdaytours fromAliceSprings ers, to toiletsandawoodbarbecue. Call oaks,withshadeshelters,desert hotshow- spot among nal community,isapleasant Just pastthestore is the Titjikala Abo- Oak Valley Camping Ground Oak Valley Camping sourceThe claypanwasanimportant h ( % lineandMaryvale Station. 8am-5pm Mon-Thu) 8956 0989; , runbythelocalAborigi- stories

h ( % 9am-5pm) 8956 0788;www.titjikala.com told by the carvings toldbythecarvings where local artists where youcan

( NORTH OF THE SIMPSON DESERT •• Alice Springs toFinke ••AliceSprings OFTHESIMPSONDESERT NORTH % Maryvale Sta- Maryvale 8956 0959; noon & 2-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noonSat) noon &2-4pmMon-Fri, projects. tion forcommunityhealthandeducation half theprofits gototheTitjikala Founda- lore, bushtucker andculture. Thankfully, thebushexplaininglocal take youthrough adjacent tent andanAboriginal guidewill and veranda deck.Meals inan are served shower andcompostingtoilet,doublebed andhaveRanges private bathrooms with tents lookoutover andRodinga thedesert with Aboriginal canvas hosts.Theraised nities foranintimate outbackexperience it is.Butthisisoneof rare those opportu- tent, inasafari of thenight moneytostay Rd, a reasonably dirtroad well-maintained 150km tothe west,by theKulgera–Finke necklaces. mals, bowls, traditionalweapons andseed woodenani- ists’ work,including carved basic supplies,and isanoutletforlocalart- .gunya.com.au; tents$900) community. was taken over bytheApatula Aboriginal west in1982,administration of the town the openingof thenew European populationof about 60.With way sidingandgraduallygrew tohave a town of Finke, which life started asarail- of theFinke River andarrive inthesmall Engoordina (another23kmon). bly Bundooma(45kmpastRodinga) and remains of three oldrailwaysidings,nota- Events p191 ). Alongthewayyoupass the Festivals (see &nual Finke Race Desert track. Thisistheroute followedinthe an- is abitlike drivingonasmallrollercoaster on theadjacenttrack,which isfirmer but is flatter butslowgoing,or andstraighter either drive which ontherailwaylineitself, redold railwaylinethrough Youcan sand. as Finke). Thenarrow trackhere followsthe inal communityof Apatula(better known 4WD territory forthe140kmtoAborig- of theRodingasiding.Nowyou’re inreal southeast onthe Finke Trackattheruins onthemaintrack,roadturnsBack pop 200 (Apatula) Finke Gunya Titjikala SLEEPING Apatula is linked tothe Stuart Hwy, The Eventually bed youcrossthewidesandy community store ( % 8347 1159,1300135657;www If this seems like alot Ifthisseems

( % Ghan 8956 0968; sells fueland sells linefurther h

9am- 241 THE SOUTHEAST THE THE SOUTHEAST an 18kmtrackleadsto with wildflowers after goodrain. countrythatisablaze beautiful sand-dune Andado Station. and thenswingsnorthforthe70kmrunto theFinkeroad onceagaincrosses River accepted. hours;during daylight credit cards are not 0969) for 30kmto of tonegotiate dunesandisnotdifficult twolines Old AndadoTrackrunsbetween plenty of red butthemajority sand, of the Mt Dare andontoOodnadatta. Station New CrownintoSouthAustraliathrough An alternative route istoheadsouthfrom the western edge of theSimpsonDesert. east andthennorthtoAliceSpringson From Finke, youcan doalongloopdrive, OLD ANDADOTRACK esting diversion. makes Centre aninter- theLambert though Route. It’safairlydullstretch of road,al- sometimes knownastheGoyderStock 242 From Andado Station (no tourist facilities) (notouristfacilities) From AndadoStation Shortly after leaving NewCrown,the From Finke theroadheadssoutheast Either way,thisis4WDcountry,with and dunes. Historic Reserve aroughroadheadssouthwestfor44kmto From MaryvaleStation(Titjikala) DETOUR artists –there areartists heftyfinesforaddingyourownname. modern-day graffiti italsobearstheworkofsomelessworthy Unfortunately, of thesoftrock. as anavigationalbeacon,andtheirnames andthedates oftheirvisitsare intothebase carved all that’sleftofalayersandstonethat formed350millionyearsago. Earlyexplorers usedit Australia can deliver. Toweringnearly60mabove is thesurroundingplain, thephallicmarker ofbizarre sightthatonlycentral sandstonepillar,thesort wanting toseethisextraordinary in the desert withthepillarforcompany. in thedesert here, thebestidea is toarrive anhourortwobefore sunset,campovernight and enjoy breakfast sky,it’saphotographer’s dream. Sinceit’satoughdriveFramed againstafading desert toget about 500maway. They where were bothturnedtostone–thegirl banishedtothe desert became group. someofhis ancestors andtookagirl ofthe wrongskin ful GeckoAncestor whokilled has pittoilets, tablesandfireplaces –bring water andfirewood. There’s agreat view along the wayfrom ahighridge 12km tothewest ofthe pillar. NORTH OF THE SIMPSON DESERT ••OldAndadoTrack OFTHESIMPSONDESERT NORTH , which sells fuel (diesel andunleaded) fuel(diesel , which sells Although this is a detour of sorts, ChambersPillarAlthough thisisadetourofsorts, isabigdestination formanytravellers Like manycentralAustralianLike sights,thepillarisatitsgloriousbest atsunsetandsunrise. To theAboriginal peopleofthearea, Chambers Pillar apower- is the remains ofItirkawara, The Although Chambers Pillar agoodfourhours. isonly160km fromAliceSprings, thetriptakes camping ground New CrownHomestead Thisstretch through passes . It’s 4WD only, with some rocky sections; thelast10km isthroughsanddrifts. It’s4WDonly,withsomerockysections; Old Andado Homestead Old AndadoHomestead (adult/child/family $3.30/1.65/7.70), inanattractive grove oaks, ofdesert

( % 8956

pass straight through, butvisitstothecom- through, pass straight as Santa community, from OldAndado. arriving atthe beforethe ArookaraandRodingaRanges, country, loopingawaytothewestaround dune hind andheadsnorthwardsthrough thetrackleavesreserve, thegravel plainbe- can. tle else inanenvironmentwhere lit- that survives waddy trees gravel plain,protects alarge of stand tall onavast version. The30-sq-kmreserve, of Andado,which makes aworthwhiledi- to least five hours. A10kmdetourleadseast for the321kmtriptoAlice,which takes at are notaccepted. There are nomealsorfuel,andcredit cards here. Bookingsare forthecabins. advised theremote harsh tlers surviving conditions by MollyClark,oneof great theCentre’s bat- twohugebetween linesof dunesandisrun with bedding$30) ( % It’s afurther20kmtotheAboriginal tothe Continuing onfromtheturn-off The trackswingsnorthfromAndado Mac Clark Conservation Reserve Reserve ClarkConservation Mac 8956 0812; camp site per person $9, cabin per person $20, 8956 0812;campsiteperperson$9,cabin$20,

Teresa . Permits are notrequired to Ltyentye Apurte Ltyentye . It’ssituated inapretty valley (Acacia peuce) Allambi www.lonelyplanet.com

Homestead Chambers Pillar – better known –better known , arare species Castle Rock , 38kmnorth , 218km , Mon-Thu) 0956; www.keringkearts.com.au; www.lonelyplanet.com ally only at its best around sunset. Out ofally only atits bestaround sunset. it’s re- in central Australia, though sights Valley is oneof the more extraordinary Only 100km fromAlice Springs, Rainbow CONSERVATION RESERVE RAINBOW VALLEY South Australiaborder. a coupleof tillyoureach roadhouses the Stuart’s Well,there’s not much otherthan ley andtheopportunity forcamelridingat Val-apart fromtheturn-off toRainbow South fromAlicealongtheStuart Hwy, DOWN THETRACK the munity mustbearranged inadvance through where the bitumenisawelcomerelief. Alice Springsairport,15kmfrom town, anddustyfromthecommunity to rough Alice Springs.Theroadisgenerally pretty to theworkshopandgallery. aheadtoarrange avisit Call and beadwork. artefacts, textiles vas andceramic,carved Among theartworksare paintingsoncan- with striking,colourfuldesignsa feature. The artistsat From LtyentyeApurte it’sabout82km to bore, then8kmwesttothesite. From theturn-offitis6kmtoMulga are twoparalleltrackssosticktotheleft. patches, soa4WDisrecommended. There visitors’ bookifyoulike. 134º21’17.3”E. Youcanaddyournametothe here atlatitude 25º36’36.4”Sandlongitude up atitscentre ofgravity,itwouldbalance House inCanberra. Australia Ifyoupicked Australian flag,thatsitsatopParliament high replica of theflagpole,complete with Tomarkthespotthere’s adinky5m- heart. Centre Lambert 23km westofFinke, andruns14km tothe leaves theFinke–Kulgera roadabout dle ofAustralia. Asignposted sandytrack nowhere, you’re wrong–youare inthemid- If youthinkthatare inthemiddleof DETOUR council office The trackisquite sandyandnarrowin produce some outstanding work producesomeoutstanding

( % Keringke Art Centre Centre Art Keringke , Australia’s geographical 8956 0999) h . 9am-noon &1-4pm DOWN THE TRACK •• Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve Reserve ValleyDOWN THETRACK••Rainbow Conservation

( % 8956 and perfectly viewing. positionedforsunset issuperb shade andnowater, butthesetting withlittle gas barbecues.It’sabitexposed, patches where youcouldget bogged. ditions, butthere are acoupleof sandy deep vehicle justmake might thetripindrycon- car parkandcampingarea. Aconventional then 24kmalonga4WDaccess roadtothe along theStuartHwysouthof AliceSprings, $3.30/1.65/7.70) the piano and howling along! across tourists bytip-toeing it now entertains fromapupbyowner JimCotterill, and raised Dinky the famoussinging dingo–rescued by theCotterill alsocatch family.Youmight tory of of thedevelopment KingsCanyon of photosandmemorabiliacovering thehis- thewalls andtobrowse forabeer roadhouse It’swellworthstoppingin atthe Ranges. agapintheJames through passes highway about 90kmsouth of AliceSprings, where the Stuart’s Wellisa stopontheStuartHwy WELL STUART’S leached layers of soft white sandstone. red, and formedbytheiron-rich sandstone arecliffs mainlyshadesof cream andrust colourfullynamed,thecrumbling though red, Al- orange andpurplesasthesunsets. glow inanever-changing show of ochre to thatseem andcliffs bluffs sandstone edge of theJames of aseries rise Ranges the lowdunesandmulgaoneastern photographer’s dream. reflected intheforeground claypans–a decent rain,thewholesceneisstunningly reserve isaregisteredreserve sacred site. massif knownasEwerre inthesouthof the southern Arrernte people,andthelarge rock tothe isimportant almost white. Thereserve in theupperlayers; lowerdownthestoneis has ledtoaconcentrationof red ironoxides lion years ago,andweatheringleaching bow Valley. like afaceinprofile towardRain- staring rockoutcropthat looksjust for thehigh tothe of thebluff and leadsaroundtheothersideof thefoot where a10-minute walkskirtstheclaypan viewingplatformnearthecarpark, sunset The turn-off to Rainbow Valley toRainbow The turn-off is77km If you’re tovisitafter some luckyenough The rockshere were formedabout 300mil- There’s aninformationboardanda The small has picnic tables, a pit toilet and apittoiletand haspicnictables, camping ground mushroom rock

(adult/child/family . Lookout

243 THE SOUTHEAST THE THE SOUTHEAST tralia.com.au) $30/50/60/65, motels/d$80/100; unpowered/powered sitesfor2$20/26,budgets/d/tr/q &Lasseter Hwys; cnrStuart www.desertoaksresort.com; camel are included. Meals,Ranges. swagaccommodationand thegapsandgorgesthrough of theJames ris fromthree tofive days($150 perday) istheextended outbacksafa- stuff serious and $85/110forahalf/fullday),butthe around theyard,$30/40for30/60minutes opportunity totake ashortcamelride($5 ‘ Fullerton.It’sagoodcamel king’,Noel Camels Australia Australia Camels which isopenfrom9amto7.30pm. restauranta licensed (meals$15to$20), and spa,astore withbasicprovisions and has agrassy,shadedcampingground,pool Jim isafountof knowledge onthearea. It a monumenttoJack and atKingsCanyon to cleartheroadsnowsitsoutfront.There’s inthe1960s–truckused Wallara Ranch fromtheir to tourism,cuttingaroadthrough his late fatherJack, openedupKingsCanyon Jim Cotterill. TheCotterill family,Jimand runbycentralAustralianidentity roadhouse pas $15/25, s/dcabinswithensuite$70/85; for 2$14/17,budgetrwithownswag/suppliedlinen Hwy branches toUluru(244kmwest). off Alice Springs,atthepointwhere theLasseter complex ontheStuartHwy200km southof andmotel Erldunda isamodernroadhouse ERLDUNDA 244 © LonelyPlanetPublications the above - ‘Do the right thing withour content.’ the above -‘Do theright thetermsand conditionsonour siteforalongerway ofsaying youknow,or resell it.See everyone site,mass emailitto only. Inother words,please don’t uploadthischapter toapeer-to-peer In return, wethinkit’sfair toaskyouuseit forpersonal,non-commercial purposes restricted. © LonelyPlanetPublications. iteasierforyoutouse, accesstothischapterisnotdigitally Tomake well equipped with TV, fridge andensuite. well equippedwith TV, facilities, andthe modernmotel unitsare cabins have four bedseach withcommunal barbecues. The three air-con backpacker camping area hasapool,tennis courtand accommodation.Theshadygrassed house as such it’sbetter thanyouraverage road- underestimated toUluru–and thedistance –presumablyfair bitof traffic peoplewho Jim’s Place Otherwise, themainattractionhereOtherwise, is Desert Oaks Motel & Caravan Park &Caravan OaksMotel Desert DOWNTHETRACK••Erldunda ) , next door to the camel farm, is a , nextdoortothecamelfarm,isa , foundedbycentralAustralia’s

( % 8956 0808;unpowered/powered sites ( % 8956 0925;www.camels-aus pis h

( % 9am-8.30pm; 9am-8.30pm; 8956 0984; 8956 0984; ) gets a ing room,andoffers takeaways. pub (open11amto11pm),ATM anddin- and air-con. alsohasashop, Theroadhouse fridge motel roomswithTV, comfortable camping area, basicbackpacker roomsand pastoral leases. Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal community and meals are available inthe the roadside stopand border, 20kmsouthof Kulgera, there’s a At theSouthAustralia–Northern Territory AUGUSTASOUTH TOPORT d $65/80; unpowered/powered sitesfor2$13/20,budgetr$30,s/ tion trip toFinke. Kulgera Rd)headsoff eastforthe150km the gravel GoyderStockRoute (Finke– South Australianborder,andfromhere It’s ontheStuartHwy20kmnorthof the be yourfirst orlasttaste of theTerritory. ofing, thesmallsettlement Kulgera will Depending onwhich wayyou’re head- KULGERA 18; modation isavailable. during regular businesshours, andaccom- Coober Pedy and Glendambo) andmeals fill-upsis254km,between between distance along theroute. fuel(thelongest Allsell haul south. stoponthis longshould beanessential border), afascinatingoutbacktown that town of Coober Pedy (391kmsouthof the Themainexceptionis the to PortAugusta. asyouheadsouththe900kmorso to see taken. Fromhere, there’s lots of very little groups are fondof getting theirphotos Fuel isavailable from6.30amto10pm. food, souvenirs, groceriesand vehicle parts. Kulgera Roadhouse In additiontoaccommodation,bistro The busy pub/roadhouse and The busypub/roadhouse There are several roadhouses at intervals There atintervals are roadhouses several h

roadhouse ( % dinner) h 8956 0974) , there’s a 6am-11pm;

( h here services theoutlying here services 7am-8.30pm)

border sign pas ( pub % www.lonelyplanet.com Ringers Inn Ringers

8956 0973; Stuart Hwy; 8956 0973;Stuart ( h sells takeaway takeaway sells 10am-11pm) ) where tour hasalarge police sta-

(mains $12- and