CHAMBERS PILLAR HISTORICAL RESERVE
While Rainbow Valley looms like a giant , three-dimensional , painted billboard , Chambers Pillar rises from a neighbouring area like a towering sandstone lighthouse in the surrounding Simpson Desert . And , aside from being a natural formation , it did indeed serve as a navigation beacon for some of the early European explorers who traversed the surrounding deserts in those feats of exploration . Of course , the traditional owners knew about this 50m-high tower long before John McDouall Stuart ‘ discovered ’ and named it in 1860 . To the Arrernte , the pillar is a Gecko Dreamtime ancestor : Itirkawara .
Chambers is accessed via Old South Road , which follows the general route of the old Ghan Railway and the Overland Telegraph Line . Old South becomes unsealed 14km from the Stuart Highway junction ; expect plenty of corrugations and potholes filled with dust . At about 27km is a short turn-off to Napwerte / Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve .
Historical engravings on Chambers Pillar .
Chambers PIllar resembles a towering , limestone lighthouse .
Return to Old South Road and follow the signs to Maryvale Station and Finke ( Aputula ) for a rough 80km .
At Maryvale , engage 4WD and drop your tyre pressure ; how much depends on your load . Erect a flag to alert drivers travelling in the opposite direction to your presence . If possible , you should also monitor UHF channel 10 .
As you navigate the next 44km , you will encounter three gates along the way – be sure to close each of these . Expect deep sand drifts and steep jump-ups .
The first campground in the reserve suits camper trailers ; the second is closer to the pillar and is suited to tents . There is an easy walking track around Castle Rock , and another from the second campground to Chambers Pillar .
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