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Rainbow Valley, Chambers Pillar, Finke and Lambert Centre
Jim Cotterill from Stuart's Well gave us a "locals only" sneaky way short cut to get from Rainbow Valley to Chambers Pillar without going back to the the highway, saving about 70km but it was still about 4.30pm by the time we got there. Again, the track to Chambers Pillar is not recommended for trailers, which is stupid because other than a bit of sand, a rocky low range 2nd steep descent and patches of corrugations it was straightforward. David has driven so many roads now with this trailer that I don't think anything would come close to stopping him.
Yes, there were people there when we arrived. One older couple with a caravan! An hour later 2 more vehicles arrived, German tourists in hire 4WDs and then a 4WD tour operator with a trailer.
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The camp sites were excellent - great views of both Castle Rock and Chambers Pillar, free gas BBQs, hotplates, fire pits and large picnic tables. |
But as for many places we visit the national parks people go a bit overboard with their bollards which can be a bit of a nuisance for those who want to keep their car cool or who have camper trailers - the shadiest part of the campsite being behind the fence!
We set up a tarp and made a great camp and waited for the sunset. We'd come so far we wanted to get some good photos - but it was a cloudy, dark sunset. We stayed the following day, all the previous nights' campers having left before we'd even woken up. You can climb up to the base of the vertical section of the pillar to view the inscribed names of the famous explorers who passed here before the Telegraph and Ghan was built and there's a nice walk around the base of Castle Rock. Since we didn't get up early this morning it was deemed my turn to take the next day's sunrise photos.
Sunrise at Chambers Pillar |
Sunset at Chambers Pillar |
We finally left Chambers Pillar on Thursday, our 7th day out of Alice and headed for the aboriginal community of Finke following the old Ghan line.
Along the Finke Track
The Finke track is a great drive, the scenery even better than in the Simpson desert. There are red dunes on either side of the track, bits and pieces of historic ruins, and not a car in sight. It started to rain but the track was sand not clay and was no trouble.
We didn't actually stop in Finke but turned west along the Goyder-Kulgera stock route to the turnoff to the Lambert Centre (23km). Another 12km on a track brought us to a flag pole and marking of the planimetric centre of gravity of Australia... interesting.
Lambert Centre
From here it was a fairly long drive after lunch all the way back out to the Stuart Highway at Kulgera. We found a bush camp on the NT/SA border, its an excellent roadstop with good shady trees. Here we discussed going to Sydney for Xmas - early. To drive instead of fly from Perth. We put together a plan, composed email and agreed to drive to wherever we got mobile service to send it tomorrow. Probably Yulara Resort near Ayers Rock.
