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Located 50 km by sealed road from
Alice Springs, Standley Chasm has been gouged from tough sandstone by the floods
that, over untold millions of years, have surged down a narrow tributary of the
Finke River system. The result is a deep red cleft, with slopes on either side
rising 80 metres above the floor. Regardless of the weather or time of day, the
Chasm is at its most dramatic an hour either side of noon on a sunny day. It is
at noon that the desert sun is perfectly aligned, drenching Standley Chasm in a shower of brilliant red light,
the sheer walls glowing from the reflected sunlight to create a breath-taking
display. Walking along the track that links the carpark to the Chasm, you are following a
creek where spring-fed pools attract a great variety of wildlife, especially
birds. It is thanks to the water that the gully floor is lush with plants that
range from delicate ferns to tall gums; including many other species such as the
cycad palm that have survived here from a long-gone era that was much wetter.
This 20 minute walk (one-way) is quite easy, but it is recommended that you wear
sensible shoes. Standley Chasm is located in a private flora and fauna reserve owned by the
Iwupataka Land Trust. All native plants and animals are protected. Do not pat
the dingoes. Called Angkerle by the Aborigines, the Chasm’s European name honours Mrs Ida
Standley who in 1914, became the first school teacher in Alice Springs. In 1925,
the school for children of Aboriginal descent was moved from Alice Springs to
Jay Creek (Iwupataka) with Mrs Standley as matron. It was during her time at Jay Ceeek that she became the first non-Aboriginal women to visit the feature that
now bears her name.
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