Palm Valley

Palm valley is an extraordinary valley about 138 km southwest of Alice Springs. In the valley runs the Finke river, which is believed to be the world's oldest river. Walking the ancient valley floor beneath the groves of Red Cabbage Palms (the only place in Australia where you will find them), the visitor obtains a glimpse of Central Australia’s tropical past.

This unique area and its flora survives today despite the harsh and relentless surrounding desert.

The way to Palm Valley is not easy. You can come either from Kings Canyon (4WD) or Alice Spring (2WD) up to the Finke river, and then you have to go down in the valley created by the river, that is to say you follow the river, until you reach the specific part of the valley named Palm Valley. But following the river means 2 things : first, in wet season, don't even think about it. Second, even in dry season, the path is rough! You will definitely need a 4WD, and a good one at that! The path crosses the river several times, and goes other sand, where with our Kia Sorento we got stuck several times.

The valley itself is very nice, very quiet, and the walk around really pleasant. From the kind of car park, you can go for a little walk, or a longer one (named Arankaia walk) that goes up to the mouth of the valley and then takes you back to the car via the sandstone plateau.

On the way to the valley and on top of the sandstone plateau there are many kangaroos to be seen, other than that the wildlife is quite difficult to spot. We've been lucky to see a meter long lizard.