Rainbow Valley

Rainbow Valley is a mere 95 km south of Alice Springs and is accessible all year. Access is easiest by 4WD as the track is partly sandy and at times quite rocky. The most pleasant time of the year to visit is between April and October, since daytime temperatures are not too (during the hotter summer month, temperatures of up to 50 C are common). The main attraction of Rainbow Valley are the dramatically formed red sandstone bluffs and cliffs. These free standing cliffs are part of the James Range and are especially attractive around dawn and dusk. Particularly dramatic and memorable are sunrise and sunset when the rainbow-like bands of differently colored rock seem almost alight. These bands in the sandstone cliffs are caused by water. In an earlier and much wetter period of the Earth’s history, the red iron of the sandstone layers was dissolved and drawn to the surface during the dry season. The red minerals then formed a dark iron surface layer with the leached white layers remaining below. Rainbow Valley is a relatively isolated and remote place which not too many people visit. It is therefore advisable to let someone know before you travel there (and don’t forget to let them know when you have returned, as otherwise an expensive search and rescue operation may swing into action).