Rainbow Valley

It took us almost twenty years to return to Rainbow Valley. This time, we brought our drone, which provided a fantastic perspective on our previous visit. Rainbow Valley is situated in the James Range, seventy-four kilometres south-east of Alice Springs. 

Access is via a twenty-two-kilometre sandy and corrugated track east of the Stuart Highway. Our van tyres were deflated to 28 psi, and our Chevrolet tyres were lowered from 65 to 40 psi to ensure a smoother ride. 

It's common to see camels in desert areas, but we were surprised to encounter them so close to the road. 

There are two campgrounds, and we are at the bush campsite, which has ten bays, more suitable for caravans. The main camp is closer to the claypan and sandstone cliffs, but the five sites there are much smaller and better suited for camper trailers and tents.

 

On our first evening, we cooked a marinated beef brisket that we brought from home. First, it was cooked in the camp oven with heat beads, then finished over the fire and served with a Thai-style salad and crispy onion.

 

Fly nets are essential, and the pesky little bugs only disappear after sunset, so eating our dinner under the stars in front of the fire was lovely.

While the cliffs behind the claypan are impressive during the day, they truly reveal their beauty once the sun sets. This is when the colours of the sandstone genuinely come alive.