Deals > Explore > Alice Springs > Simpson Desert
Rainbow Valley
The main feature of the Rainbow Valley area is the scenic sandstone bluffs and cliffs. These free-standing cliffs form part of the James Range and are particularly attractive in the early morning and late afternoon when the rainbow-like rock bands are highlighted. It is possible to camp here although only accessible by 4x4 only along an unsealed, sandy road.
Chambers Pillar
Pioneers used this 50 metre red and yellow sandstone column as a navigational landmark through the desert. When you walk up the hill to the Pillar’s base you will see markings made by the 19th century explorers in the soft sandstone. The route into Chambers Pillar is strictly 4x4.
Ewaninga Rock Carvings
The Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve, 39km south of Alice Springs, protects rock engravings (petroglyphs), which are sacred to the Arrernte Aboriginal people. The petroglyphs feature a variety of symbols - their meaning, according to Arrernte custodians, is sacred and too dangerous to reveal to people not initiated into Aboriginal law.
Titjikala Art Centre
Titjikala is a desert community also known as Tapatjatjaka and Maryvale. Join a tour (permits are required) for the three-hour journey along the Old South Road from Alice Springs. The art centre is an Aboriginal owned and managed corporation that sells artwork on behalf of its members. Artwork includes paintings, batiks, woodcarving, block printing on fabric and silk painting and silver jewellery.
Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa is a small Aboriginal community comprised of about 500 people. The country surrounding it is rich in rock art, artefacts and ceremonial sites. In Eastern Arrernte culture, Santa Teresa is called Ltyentye Apurte, which means 'stand of beefwood trees'.
The Simpson Desert stretches south from Alice Springs towards the South Australia border.
Many attractions located on its fringes are an easy day trip from Alice Springs and deliver a taste of its fascinating natural, cultural and historical wonders.
Rainbow Valley, nestled in the James Ranges, is a spectacular sandstone bluff with rainbow like bands, best seen in the late afternoon sun or after heavy rainfall. An easy stop off on the way to the renowned desert landmark of Chambers Pillar is the Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve where rock carvings and petroglyphs provide a fascinating record of many important beliefs of the local Arrernte people.
It is possible to organise tours from Alice Springs into remote Simpson Desert Aboriginal communities like Santa Theresa and Titjikala where you will have the chance to hear first hand accounts of desert life and invest in local arts and crafts.
Truly intrepid types can investigate bush walking and camel trekking trips across the Simpson Desert, which also hosts some of the best four-wheel-driving in Australia. An endless horizon, rolling sand dunes and challenging desert four-wheel-drive tracks all contribute to an ultimate frontier experience. Travelling through this desert region means exploring territory very few people have seen.
