Member - Ray replied:

Hi Bob
Don't know about the road condition at present but any trip in that area must incllude Chambers Pillar. A great camping area too

P.G. (Tas) replied:

G'day Bob, Finnished this trip a few days ago. From Finke to Maryvale the track is attrocious! I came across 2 4X4's that had been "corrogated" off the track and over the bank! They told me they were only doing 60 k's and I do believe them. I got off the track just after Bundooma and followed a track that was part of the original overland telegraph, it was narrow and difficult but definately better than what I had left. The road into Chambers pillar is also badly corrogated and cut up. From Maryvale to Alice the road steadily improves untill your get onto a billiard smooth dirt top just south of Alice (the Old Alice South Road). Hope this helps. Cheers!

andrew replied:

Bob,
The "Old south road" or Finke track is usually a pretty bad road due to the fact that about a month ago, the annual Finke desert race is held along the entire length of it from Alice to Finke then back. So from now on, historically it is BAD. If you want the quickest way to Alice, take the Stuart Hwy. Boring, but quick. If you want a track with a little more interest, hang a right hand turn from Finke, head for New Crown then on up to Old Andado, skirt up along the western fringe of the Simpson up to Santa Teresa community then head into Alice from the east. I did this run a few years ago and while the track is average, the scenery is great. If you are out that way, take the time if you can and enjoy a great part of our outback.

Terry replied:

Bob,
Travelled from Alice Springs to Finke down The Old Ghan Line 3 weeks ago. (12/13/14 July). (Three 80 Series cruisers) The railway formation was very badly corrugated in sections and we got off it onto the side track from time to time. This track was smoother but very "Up and Down". Like being on a roller coaster. Took it easy and had no problems.
Called in at Chamber Pillar on the way. Some corrugations and a few sand dunes to cross but nothing too bad going into there. Certainly worth every kilometre of travel in and out.

However if you are in a hurry suggest you take the highway.

Terry

Jan replied:

Bob, we drove from Finke to Alice via the Old Ghan track at the end of June. As others have said, it was very corrugated on the old railway right of way, and less corrugated, but with many bad dips on the parallel road track. You probably can't average more than 40 to 50 kms/hr if you want to keep your shockers intact. It only improves in the last hour or so of driving into the Alice. There are a couple of good camping spots along the track at former train stops, such as Engoordina. The track isn't much used. We only saw one other vehicle all day.
We came back from Alice along the track through Santa Teresa to Old Andado, then to Finke. This track is in much better condition generally, though there is one really bad part around the area where the track runs East-West before turning North-south. This is an area of very deep bulldust patches. At one point, somneone bogged a road train, and a road grader had to be employed to get it out. This has left the track in really bad, impassable condition for any vehicle, no matter how good the clearance. We were travelling with a friend in a Defender, and even he wasn't game to tackle the metre deep ruts in the soft bulldust. The good news is that there are side tracks round the worst parts and you can get through, though very slowly. This bad section is probably only 15 or so kilometres long, and the rest of the track is OK. Watch out for some deep potholes right at the top of a couple of the red sand dunes you cross west of Old Andado. You can't see them until you are on top of them, so go over the tops of the dunes slowly.