Finke Gorge & Palm Valley Walk
Drive 4WD through the ancient Finke Gorge to Palm Valley — an oasis of Livistona palms that have survived in this sheltered gorge since the last ice age, a relic population found nowhere else on Earth.
- 1
Hermannsburg Historic Precinct
Hermannsburg is a former Lutheran mission established in 1877 — the whitewashed buildings of the mission are now a historic precinct, and the community is the home of the Aranda people and the birthplace of artist Albert Namatjira.
- 2
Finke River 4WD Crossing
The 4WD track into Finke Gorge crosses the Finke River multiple times — the Finke is one of the world's oldest rivers, and the sandy crossings through the dry riverbed give the journey its adventurous character.
- 3
Finke Gorge Sandstone Walls
The sandstone walls of Finke Gorge rise dramatically from the sandy river bed — the layered red and orange rock displays 400 million years of geological history in the strata visible from the valley floor.
- 4
Palm Valley Oasis
Palm Valley is one of the most unlikely landscapes in Australia — hundreds of Livistona mariae palms grow in the sheltered gorge, a relic population from the time when Central Australia had a tropical climate.
- 5
Mpulungkinya Walk
The Mpulungkinya walking track climbs from the valley floor to the plateau above — the view from the top shows the palm canopy below and the surrounding desert plateau, demonstrating how improbable this oasis is.
- 6
Kalarranga Lookout
The Kalarranga Lookout provides the definitive Palm Valley view — the palms filling the narrow gorge below, the red walls rising above, and the desert plateau extending in every direction compose one of Central Australia's most remarkable landscapes.
Walk this route with audio
Stories play automatically as you reach each stop — no tapping needed.
