Day 5: Alice Springs to Palm Valley

It’s another early start as we head west out of Alice Springs and make our way to Palm Valley. Along the way we cross Owen Springs Cattle Station and learn of Sir Sidney Kidman ‘The Cattle King of Australia’ and the events and history of the cattle industry in Central Australia.

As we continue onto Palm Valley we enter Finke Gorge National Park and see the Finke River, which is regarded as one of the longest and oldest rivers still following its original course.

The Finke Gorge National Park covers an area of 46, 000 hectares, which includes Palm Valley – home to a diverse range of plant species that are unique to the area such as the Red Cabbage Palm.

As we adventure through Palm Valley the features of the landscape become prominent with the blood red colouration, the smooth rounded rocks and the deep green vegetation.

The valley is a low gorge with a series of springs along its floor, which support the diverse range of plant species that we will see at Palm Valley, such as the 3000 Red Cabbage Palms and the Cycad Fern. It is believed that the spring water is responsible for this rare occurrence in an otherwise arid area.

Palm Valley offers a few walking experiences where you have the option of walking along the floor among the palms or if you are after some magnificent views you can walk along the ridge overlooking the valley and its surrounding landscapes. On the walk in Palm Valley we can also stop at Kalarranga Lookout, which provides an impressive view of the Amphitheatre, a site of significance for the local Aranda Tribe.

Next stop is Hermannsburg, a historic town where we gain insight into some key chapters in Aboriginal history. Within the Historical Precinct we will view a permanent display of local art from the Hermannsburg school of water colour made famous by Albert Namatjira. It is then time to return to the Alice Springs Resort where we will rest up for Day 6 of our adventure through Australia’s outback.