The Standley Chasm : Spring late morning . . .
The Standley Chasm is a geological formation located 50 km west of Alice Springs. It lies within the West MacDonnell National Park. The Western Arrernte Aboriginal people are its original owners. It is traditionally known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning the Gap of Water. Standley Chasm is located in a reserve privately owned by the Iwupataka Land Trust.
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.
Standley Chasm has been gouged from tough sandstone by the floods that, over 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. (sourced from internet)
The Standley Chasm : Spring late morning . . .
The Standley Chasm is a geological formation located 50 km west of Alice Springs. It lies within the West MacDonnell National Park. The Western Arrernte Aboriginal people are its original owners. It is traditionally known as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning the Gap of Water. Standley Chasm is located in a reserve privately owned by the Iwupataka Land Trust.
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.
Standley Chasm has been gouged from tough sandstone by the floods that, over 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. (sourced from internet)