chambers pillar

Yes it's called a chopper. LOL

Yes there is.

If you contact Erldunda they should be able to put yo in touch with the property owner who you need to contact.

I recommend you do this before you leave home as when I found out about it while at Erldunda he was in Alice for the week and I missed out.

Sorry I can't help with phone numbers.

Duncs

Used to be a way through a couple of properties, AFAIK it hasn't been open since the cattle disease scares back in the 80's.
But hey that's a long time ago. Probably a 6 lane highway now.

I just looked at my standard road atlas which of course wasn't much use..

I remember in 2000 we drove into Chambers Pillar and then did a reasonably okay drive to the Stuart Hwy... and I don't think it went the Rainbow Valley way.

Sorry, no real help huh?

Slush,

There is a short cut, take us about an hour to go from the Stuart H/way to Chambers Pillar. It does go through private property.

When we do our east / west Simpson Desert crossing we go to Chambers Pillar then onto the cattle station and spend a day there driving on the Fink River and attempting to drive sand dunes that make Big Red look like a sand castle.

Ross, who owns the cattle station with his brother, shows us around the property and explains how they make a living running cattle in this area.

Not only does it have the Fink river running through it, it also has a monument built by the rail workers that built the Ghan railway. The monument is for the 1,000,000 railway sleeper laid along the railway line.

This is not a public road through his property and am I not at liberty to give out his contact number.

Wayne

I have just had an email from friends who have just been through that way with no problems. With a bit of luck they will be able to give you a bit more detail when they work out how to join the forum.

When you say the Rainbow Valley way, do you mean The Hugh River Stock Route.

Was just researching Chambers Pillar last night... so to butt in slightly, we are thinking of doing an overnighter out of Alice Springs, camping at the Castle Rock camp ground. Probably early July. Is it possible to tow wind-up camper into there? Intending to take little tent for occasions like this but thought I'd ask, might change our plans.

Cheers, Nige

Slush,

Its called the Hugh River Stock route and its 10K's south of Stuarts well. Its 71k's across to the road that takes you to the Pillar. From here its 33k's to Maryvale and another 45 to the Pillar.

Have used this route on several occasions.

Regards
RnR

Yes, just done it.
Arrived in Alice from there Sun 29th April.
Good trip. It is called Hugh River Stock Route and is clearly shown on the Hemma map.
Good road. We took our Phoenix 16 ft caravan out there and camped on top of "The Hill". We do not suggest for one minute for anyone else to do it and we would not do it again. It is too steep and you could get into trouble going up and slipping back down backwards.
We were lucky the weather was on our side. Plenty of spots to leave the van before you go up the hill.
Ok for camper trailer's though and a lovely camp ground at the Pillar with a couple of gas BBQ's and a couple of wood ones, toilets and picnic tables plus shade but take your rubbish out with you and water in with you. Take your camera, it is lovely. We came thru Coober Pedy, to Finke and then the Pillar and to Henbury Meteorite Crater where there is another great camp set up and then back to Alice.
By the way pets can't go to the Pillar.
Have a safe trip and keep smiling all the way.
The Watto's.

Dear Chips 59,
Don't let the hill worry you, it is fine if you are not towing a van over it. I would not personally take a lovely Windsor Rapid over it as they are not built with roads like this in mind. You may think differently but that is my thoughts for what they are worth.
There is lots of space to leave the van along the way and we hear that most people leave them at MaryVale Station and do a day trip to the pillar, if you have a tent with you, you could camp at the pillar if you wished to get the different lights on the pillar from sunrixe to sunset.
Yes you do need to go over the hill, but it is fine for an ordinary 4WD vehicle. It has rocks and a good track, it is just that we were pulling an ALMOST 3 tonne ALL TERAIN CARAVAN. not recommended by us to go up that hill form experience but it is fine for camper trailers and the like. This is a very good road in and out right the way to the pillar. There are about 14 or 15 sand hills which again have a good road over each one. There is a sign asking you to call on UHF Channel 10 to ensure there are no vehicles comming over this hill as you go in or out. Normal saftey precaution. The van was fine when we left it on top of the hill and exactly the same when we came back to it later in the day. We camped at the top of the hill and it was a lovely outlook butg as I said earlier, I strongly urge all to leave their van at the bottom of the hill or elsewhere not up the hill only because it is a steep hill with turns in it as you go up. The roughness is not a problem with a proper "all terain van" so long as you take it gently and slowly. That is why they cost you arms and legs to have built and are extra heavy to tow. The road in clearly states $WD only. We go on many of these and they are not a problem with this particular van.Please not an "all terain van" is not an off roader it is way more solid than that even, very much more solid.
Go there and enjoy it, it really is lovely.
We have joined as members but have to wait for it to activate or we would send you some photos of this and other things along the way.
It really is worth going to and as I said the road is fine, just don't tow vans up the hill. having said that, you could if you have a 4WD and a light van from the pulling aspect but then the track up the hill is so rough and the rocks sticking up may hit the underneath of the van so from that point of view I again would not do that to a van. Hence my saying, I would not take a van up that hill.
The Watto's.

Oh dear, have I trodden on someones toes. If so I am very sorry. I did not mean to high jack anyones post. I am very new, brand new to this sort of thing on the computer and did not know it was wrong. I have joined but have to wait for it to make me a member and I certainly do not want to upset anyone at all in any way.
If some kind person would give me some asssistance in where to go to put the answers and so on, it would be very much appreciated. Also how to put a photo on will be great.
We are only in range until Tues night for internet then it is back to the places we love, the out back.
The Watto's.

wotto's you did'nt highjack the post i did,and you were only answering someones question, that is what this forum is all about. welcome my friend and hope you get as much enjoyment out of this forum as others do.