Sandover Highway

Submitted: Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 09:18
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Thinking of going Alice Springs to Mt Isa via Sandover Highway. Never done it before. Any recent experiences from you guys?
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Reply By: qldcamper - Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:40

Thursday, May 27, 2021 at 10:40
Did it just before covid hit but west to east after going through on the plenty.
Although there is very little in the way of camps on the Sandover it was in excellent condition with literally no traffic, saw no traffic while driving and camped off the road out of site and only heard one vehicle pass.
It is difficult to find a track to get off the road and even when you find one it will have a windrow from the grader that you will need to get across.
look for the comms towers, there is usually a laydown area kept clear by them with over grown tracks to access them.
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Reply By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Friday, May 28, 2021 at 18:50

Friday, May 28, 2021 at 18:50
Sorry no recent experience to speak of, but an experience driving that way about 20 years ago. It's an easy desert highway that caters for movement of local aboriginal community members access to Alice Springs so its wide, flat, and you can travel fast. It does not cater for tourists in any way. There is very little signage, no facilities and no access to communities unless you have a permit, so pretty much you feel like an unwanted visitor (well, that's how we felt at the time) and by reading this link - it seems much the same in that regard. Utopia Community.

However, things have changed - we had no knowledge of a gallery (I'm sure that didn't exist back then). During the era of our trip, we were told by padre nurses that it was a place for people with no real connection often the result of an outcasting from a community. We found this quite unsettling travelling solo so didn't stop other than 1 overnight camp which had to be quite close to the road. It wasn't easy to stop as mentioned by the other poster. It's actually quite difficult to get off the road as the only side tracks led to the communities and the road also had the high graded sides.

We enjoyed the country though - desert oaks and very quiet except for the wind. For us it was rather eerie - not a single traveller past us in either direction the whole stretch. May be different now but I never hear people talk of it.... never know why. It was an easy drive and great shortcut. The highlight was the Georgina River at the border.

Hope you enjoy your trip.
Michelle Martin
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I.T. Beyond Pty Ltd / ExplorOz

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