Description
This trek starts at
Alice Springs and travels south on the Old South Road taking in some ruins along the way to the small town of Maryvale. It then heads south east to
Chambers Pillar which is an amazing rock formation in the
Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve. This part of the trek is extremely scenic and is a good introduction to the type of scenery you would see in
the Simpson Desert although the route runs between dunes and is relatively easy.
The track to
Chambers Pillar is officially not recommended for trailers but other than a bit of sand, a rocky low range 2nd steep descent and patches of corrugations, it is straightforward and many people do bring them. There are red dunes on either side of the track, bits and pieces of historic ruins, and not a car in sight. The track is mostly sand and has good drainage when wet.
You can climb up to the base of the vertical section of
Chambers 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. Late afternoon is the best time to view the
rainbow colours of the ridge that glow vibrantly when struck by the golden rays of the setting sun.
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Chambers Pillar
From: Alice Springs
To: Chambers Pillar
Distance: 160.93 km
Direction: 183 °
Average Speed: 62.13 km/hr
Travel Time: 2 hours 35 mins
Using the Map
Our treks have a moving map facility, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button in the Moving map control (see Moving Map help)
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Permits
Chambers Pillar lies in an Historical Reserve and you do not need permission to enter it. Also, you do not need an Aboriginal Land Permit because you won't be passing through any restricted land.
Things to See & Do
Ewaninga Ruin - NT
Ewaninga Rail Siding. The Fettlers Cottage was constructed in 1929 & housed the fettlers who maintained the narrow gauge section of the Old Ghan Rail line. The last Ghan train passed through here at approx 9.40pm on 26th November, 1980 on its way to Adelaide. Vandals badly damaged the cottage when it was set on fire in 1985.
Preparation
Fuel Supplies & Usage
 | Alice Springs, Maryvale |
Diesel | 4cyl 21 litres * |
ULP | 4cyl 26 litres |
LPG | 4cyl 32 litres |
|---|
| 6cyl 25 litres | 6cyl 32 litres * | 6cyl 28 litres |
| 8cyl 25 litres | 8cyl 27 litres | |
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Best Time To Visit
Closest Climatic Station
Alice Springs Airport
Distance from Trek Mid Point 54.75km N
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
36.3 | 35.1 | 32.7 | 28.2 |
23.0 | 19.9 | 19.6 | 22.6 |
27.1 | 30.9 | 33.7 | 35.4 |
| Mean Min. °C |
21.4 | 20.8 | 17.5 | 12.6 |
8.3 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
10.2 | 14.8 | 17.9 | 20.2 |
| Mean Rain mm |
38.0 | 42.3 | 31.9 | 16.8 |
19.4 | 14.4 | 14.7 | 9.5 |
8.3 | 21.9 | 26.7 | 37.5 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Camp Sites & Accommodation
The camp sites are excellent - great views of both
Castle Rock and
Chambers Pillar, free gas BBQs, hotplates, fire pits and large picnic tables. The camp sites are not ideal for campertrailers or caravans with bollards making sites better suited to tent campers. Although you can camp in the shade your vehicle certainly won't be. This is a consideration in hotter
weather as there is no power to keep fridges or batteries charged.
Distance is GPS recorded driving distance (not straight line), Direction is straight line from start to end, Time is calculated from actual GPS driving data.
