NT - Boggy Hole to Alice??

Hi Prickle,

Sure can!. The track from the south doesn't have good markers so be aware of your GPS co-ordinates. The track leaves the ernest Giles Road after a cattle grid and signs on both sides of the road. then straight up through the Palmer river up to the stock yards then follow the Finke up to Boggy Hole. Great camping, great trip.

You can also go through Owen Springs from the Stuart Highway to Laparinta Drive.

Cheers
Ian@Mt Dare

As Ian said,
If you come in from the South end as you turn off the Ernest Giles road there are no signs on the corner but you will know if your on the right track when you see the sign a few 100 metres in. Easily the best track to take into Alice from Kings Canyon! I cant remember how many ks the turn off is but there arent too many and its fairly well worn.
If your not confident with the directions youve got let me know and Ill find out some kms from turn offs etc.
Cheers

I'm with Ian ... absolutely lovely spot.

If you're coming from the South-West on the Ernest Giles Rd make sure you pass the fence/cattle grid and I think one more creek crossing before turning North ... the creek bed of that creek has some incredibly soft deep sand in it and some big jump ups and there is a track across it, but the main track is much less challenging. Usually I come from the North, but coming from the South last time, made the mistake.

Road in to the Finke River is pretty uneventful usually. If the mud-flats at the Southern end of the track there are wet they can be treacherous - check with the Park Rangers at Palm Valley who will know what the situation is.

The turnoff to Illamurta Springs and the walk in, is well worth the effort with some exploring - if you are going to say hello to the Community at the homestead don't take the vehicle in ... last time I drove in I got the whole hardware store embedded in my tyres - pssst. They are training indigenous kids to be stockmen as part of an effort to get them away from petrol and it seems to work pretty well.

Once you get into the River Valley there are a number of lovely spots before you get to Boggy Hole itself (it is marked by some interpretive signs) and I think some of them make better camping spots - unless the water is putrid or dried up completely and especially duing the school hols when there is likely to be a constant flow of vehicles.

The climb (walking) up the hill in the early morning is well worth the effort too - lovely cliffs and great colour. Wonderful birdlife and a very rare spot.

The track through the river valley does call for high clearance - lots of rocky areas that have to be traversed - you won't get through with standard height or with the spare under I don't think. Also some significant and occasionally challenging sand driving as you criss-cross the river - sometimes it takes some work to find the best track or the path of least resistance. Somtimes this is on the left of the river, sometimes the right, sometimes the middle and sometimes all of the above.

I have never seen considerable water in the river - only two water crossings there ever that I can recall and those pretty easy, but there is lots of evidence of lots of water going down there.

Lastly a good map and/or GPS is required in my view. it is very remote and there are plenty of tracks going everywhere until you get into the river valley.

Wonderful place. Please keep it that way - last time I took out a roof rack load of other folks' trash.

Ciao for now
Andrew.

I agree with all the above, but please note that quite a lot of drivers have been caught on this drive, it didn't get its name for nothing and there is some very soft sand that is easy to be caught in even when dry. For this reason the rangers ask everyone doing this track to notify them and again let them know when you have completed the track. I can't remember their phone number but if you contact the tourist info centre in Alice they will verify this and give you the Ranger number.