Sights etc...from Alice Springs to Mataranka.......

Gemtree on the Plenty Hwy 22.9678/ 134.2424
Was an active caravan park with gemstone fossicking.
We enjoyed our one night stay, and wanted to stay longer.

Hi Derm, other than the two places you have mentioned to see on the way, I am not sure there is much else - please correct me if I am wrong people!
We stay at Banka Banka station, between Tennant Creek and Elliot, but get in early as it is a popular place to stay. We are heading off in early May and will stay there on our way up to the Kimberly. Big4 in Katherine is really nice if you are staying around that area, has a pool and a bistro. Bit of luxury before heading off onto the dirt!
Amanda.

Would recommend the Longreach Waterhole public camping area, on the Newcastle creek, a few km west of Elliott.....a top spot to camp by a wide stretch of water. Both times we've been there the place was teeming with birdlife. There's many km's of water frontage for choosing a camp spot. From the Stuart, it's only a few km's along a very good, graded sandy road to the creek. The turn off from the Stuart Highway is immediately by the cattle grid on the northern edge of Elliott township. If you can access a guide or book on the Upper Stuart it would be worthwhile....lots of historic places can be visited (still worth it, if only briefly)....WW2 relics and old airstrips included....such as the Daly Waters locality (and the notable pub).
Re Chambers Pillar...160km by road 'south' of the Alice...have not been there myself, but no gazetted direct access in off the Stuart....need to approach it from the Maryvale road, east side. Mostly unsealed roads, quite sandy in places it seems. Have a good one......hard to go wrong in the NT....a top place :-).

The Pebbles (kunjarra) about 11klm north of Tennant Creek It is a free camp and has a walk around the pebbles.. It is just far enough out of town for the locals not to visit at night.. It is on the map...




Cheers Andy

Tennant Creek has a few things to see around it's parts.... there's the Telegraph Station just North of town (you used to be able to get a key to enter from Tenant Creek, not sure if still the case now though?) and Battery Hill Mining Centre in Tenant Creek itself also. Lake Mary Ann not far out of town is a nice spot to lunch at if the timetable suits also. When travelling North from Devils Marbles, not to far up the highway on your left is Bonny Well to stop and check out aswell. It's literally right beside the highway, and whilst not a spot you'll spend a long period of time at, it's history regarding the development of the area is well worth reading. The Daly Waters Pub is worth a stop at, meals used to be nice and you were able to camp out the back also for a small fee.

Hi Derm

Check our My Blogs from 2009 when we did north from Alice Springs. There should be links to where you can camp.

Chambers Pillar is to the south and is covered in my 2008 My Blogs.