The Sandover, like the Plenty Highway, is a way of cutting across to north-western Queensland from the red centre. Access is 68km north of Alice Springs along the Stuart Highway to the Plenty Highway turnoff, then a further 27km down the Plenty to the Sandover Highway junction.
The highway is earth-formed and, like all roads throughout the region, can be adversely affected by rain. Bulldust is a common hazard, particularly when road trains are encountered.
You can take a conventional vehicle along this route but you'll need to exercise extreme caution as the going can be very rough. Whichever vehicle you choose to take, you should carry plenty of water and spare fuel as the haul from Arlparra to Lake Nash is fairly long.
This part of the country is semi-arid and featureless, consisting of vast plains that support relatively few head of cattle. Any sidetracks that you see around here are private roads only.
Arlparra Store lies approximately 28km inside the boundary of Urapuntja, in an area known as Utopia Station, the hub of a number of Aboriginal communities in the area. Fuel (leaded, unleaded and diesel) and food are obtainable from Arlparra which is open weekdays, 9am-5pm and Saturday, 9am-12pm. You can also get good advice here as to the road conditions ahead.
Emergency medical facilities are available at the administrative centre of Urapuntja.
From Ammaroo, the road crosses the tip of the Davenport Range before running through scrub and spinifex blacksoil plain. Blacksoil is extremely nasty after rain, the resultant quagmire making the road impassable, so check at Arlparra as to the weather conditions. Fuel (leaded, unleaded and diesel) and provisions are available from the Alpurrurulam Aboriginal Community whose store is open weekdays, 8am-5pm (closed between 11am and 3pm) and Saturday, 8am-11am. From here, it's only a couple of kilometres to Lake Nash Homestead and the end of the highway.
There are two main options, probably the best being the track north to Camooweal via Austral Downs Homestead, a trip of around 185km of which 45km are sealed. There are no fuel stops along the way. The other option is to Mount Isa via either Camooweal or Urandangi, both rough trips that contain large stretches of blacksoil. You should not attempt these routes after rain.
Useful Phone Numbers |
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| Automobile Associations | AANT Alice Springs | (08) 8952 1087 |
| RACQ Camooweal | (07) 4748 2155 | |
| RACQ Mount Isa | (07) 4743 2542 | |
| Police | Alice Springs | (08) 8951 8888 |
| Camooweal | (07) 4748 2148 | |
| Mount Isa | (07) 4744 1111 | |
| Road Conditions | NT | 1800 246 199 |
| QLD | 1300 130 595 | |
| Services | Alpurrurulam Store | (07) 4748 4800 |
| Arlparra Store | (08) 8956 9910 | |
| Tourist Information | Central Australian Tourism | 1800 645 199 |
| Riversleigh Fossils Interpretive Centre, Mount Isa | (07) 4749 1555 |
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