ILLAMUTA SPRINGS TRACK

[Boombibit]

Hi
Anyone here ever cycled from Ernest Giles road to Illamurta springs, ? Is it even possible? The track is suposed to be very sandy. Locatet 200 km south west of Alice springs.

Best regards
Erik Straarup

[Warin]

As you say, sandy.
The sand is from the river beds .. white sand and soft. You 'd want were wide tyres, even then you'd be walking a fair way.
Do not leave the track, the park rangers are firm on this.

Reference https://nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserve ... on-reserve

Supplies: Hermannsburg in the north .. and then in the southern direction Curtin Springs, Kings Cannon or out to the main highway ...
Hermannsburg is an Aboriginal settlement so has a good store .. the others are touristy type places so less substantial.

Do note the suggested access times - April to September.

[Boombibit]

Thanks Warin!

Have you traveled the track yourself, ether 4wd or cycled?

[Warin]

I talked to a ranger in Palm Valley about using it. I was not well prepared for it at the time, just thought it would be a good short cut to Kings Canyon. But had enough trouble getting to Palm Valley. The thought of more sand, with the people I was with, did not appeal.
It is a nice white river sand out that way. The track into Palm Valley has a little of it, much more going through to Kings Canyon.

If you have not been to Palm Valley, I'd go. You can then judge if you want to go through to Kings Canyon. Pick up supplies as you leave Palm Valley at Hermannsburg.

[Boombibit]

Thanks

Might just do the palm valley and then deside as you suggest

[V17L]

I had not heard of Illamuta Springs track, even though I live here. After looking it up, it is what locally is known as the Boggy Hole track. Boggy hole is one of the few places I have not been to, but is on the list.

Palm Valley is world class scenery. Make sure you go to every lookout in the park. My favorite is the amphitheatre (Kalarranga). The entrance to Palm Valley is via Hermannsburg, and then travel south along/in the Finke River. The river road is seasonal dependent, and at times can be very bumpy, other times very sandy, or very wet as the Finke may have flowed.

Once completed the river road you travel past the rangers houses (set back from the road. There is a campground not far away. The rest of the road to Palm Valley is dirt/rocky and then turns into a solid rock road. If there has been a lot of rain, the road goes under water, but as long as the water is not to deep, still usable. Quite exciting to travel on the road with water, looking for marker posts of where the road is.

The car park at the end of the road signals the start of two walks. One longer, one shorter. There is signage giving an interesting history of Palm Valley and the vegetation there.

The road in from Hermannsburg to the Palm valley car park is flat/gentle sloping, but does have a few rises, mostly out of the riverbeds.

The road does have traffic, as there are regular (daily) tours in high clearance trucks and 4WD. So if in trouble I would expect that is one avenue. This is only in the cooler tourist season months.

https://web.archive.org/web/20130512194 ... -Gorge.pdf

It maybe of interest the inner mereenie loop road from hermannsburg to the Gosse Bluff turn off has just been sealed. This means that you can now travel on a sealed road from Hermannsburg to Glen Helen in a loop. This route takes you past Albert Namajira's house, of which you can look in. Gosse Bluff is a park, and you can camp inside the crater of Gosse Bluff. I don't think there is drinking water in Gosse Bluff, but check with Parks and Wildlife. Mount Sonder beckons the hikers. Ormiston Gorge is well worth a look as it is a large pound, similar to Wilpena Pound in South Australia.
http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/2017 ... urism-top/

[saronmcm1]

Hi
As three old men. We are intending to ride from AS to Ernest Giles road then north into Finke NP we will visit the springs in August. Our goal is to follow the Finke River.
We will be riding fatbike with trailers. Can any of the AS locals give us some advice / info regarding water sources, track conditions etc. any advice is good advice. Thanks for starting the tread.

Cheers Ron

[Scintilla]

Many years ago some friends of mine rode this route, through Palm Valley and out to the Ernest Giles Road, then on to Uluru, as part of their 'Just Desserts' tour. They rode through to Warburton, and on along the Gunbarrel Highway to Wiluna. Further plans included the Canning Stock Route and the Tanami Road, but the hardships of the Gunbarrel put them right off the Canning.

As far as I have heard from them the Palm Valley Road was quite a delight, but this was probably in contrast to the other sections.

[V17L]

Hi Ron,
It has been pretty dry this year. The major rockholes to the north on namajira drive are all very low, ellery bighole and ormiston, when i went last weekend.
Suspect the same for boggyhole but havent travelled that road.
Best ring the rangers at the parks both ends of the track and ask.
Lind regards
Stevet

[V17L]

Should really say ultra low water in the waterholes as it is the lowest i have seen in a longtime.