Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve

Introducing Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve

The turn-off to Rainbow Valley is only 15km north of Stuarts Well (77km south of Alice Springs) along the Stuart Hwy. From there it is 24km along a 4WD road to the car park and camping area. The attraction at Rainbow Valley is a series of sandstone bluffs and cliffs that blaze then blush in a shifting show of ochre red, orange and purple as the sun sets. If you’re lucky enough to visit after some rain, the whole scene is stunningly reflected in the foreground claypans.

The reserve is important to the southern Arrernte people, and the large rock massif known as Ewerre in the south of the reserve is a registered sacred site. There’s a sunset-viewing platform and a 10-minute walk skirts the claypan and leads around the foot of the bluff to mushroom rock.

The small camping ground (adult/child/family $3.30/1.65/7.70) has picnic tables, a pit toilet and gas barbecues. It’s a bit exposed, with little shade and no water, but the setting is superb and perfectly positioned for sunset viewing.

Last updated: Apr 19, 2010