Standley Chasm

Standley Chasm, Angkerle Atwatye in Arrernte, is a narrow gap in the quartzite of the West MacDonnell Ranges, about nine metres wide with walls rising eighty metres, cut by a tributary of the Finke over an enormous span of time. For a short period around noon, the sun climbs high enough to strike the western wall directly, and the reflected light turns the rock a deep glowing orange for perhaps twenty minutes before moving on, which is why coaches arrive in convoy at eleven-thirty. The site is owned and operated by the Iwupataka Aboriginal Land Trust. A twenty-minute walk along a creek bed of cycads and ghost gums leads in.

What you actually see

• The midday glow - the walls turning orange for twenty minutes around noon.
• The narrow chasm - nine metres wide between eighty-metre walls.
• The approach walk - a creek bed of cycads, ghost gums and rock figs.
• The community operation - the site run by its Aboriginal owners.

When to go

April to September for comfortable walking; the light effect happens around midday year-round, with the exact timing shifting seasonally and best from roughly October to March when the sun is highest. Coaches arrive for it, so the chasm is crowded then.

Honest expectations

Entry is charged. The famous glow lasts a short time and requires clear sky; cloud removes it entirely. The approach walk is rocky and uneven. Outside the midday window the chasm is in shadow and far less striking.

Nearby

Simpsons Gap lies east; Ellery Creek and Ormiston Gorge are west along the ranges.