Finke Gorge National Park

Finke Gorge National Park is a haven of surprising greenery and dramatic geology in the central Australian desert. It’s best known for Palm Valley, where groves of stately Red Cabbage Palms (Livistona mariae) – relics from a wetter prehistoric era – line the sandy bed of the Finke River and its tributaries:contentReference[oaicite:130]{index=130}. These palms, found nowhere else in the world except a few valleys here, thrive in the microclimate of the deep gorge with permanent springs. Reaching Palm Valley requires a 4WD trek for about 18 km south from the Aboriginal community of Hermannsburg (Ntaria) into the park, traversing sections of the riverbed itself. Once there, short walking trails allow visitors to explore the oasis: the Arankaia Walk (2 km) and the longer Mpulungkinya Loop (5 km) wind through groves of palms, cycads and along ledges with superb views of the valley’s layered red cliffs. It’s a surreal experience to see tropical-like palms set against spinifex and red rock walls. The park also holds parts of the Finke River – often cited as one of the world’s oldest river systems – and the surrounding rugged ranges. The Finke’s broad valley and gorge country provide habitat for diverse flora and fauna, and many important Aboriginal cultural sites exist within the park. A campground at Palm Valley offers shaded sites, gas BBQs, picnic tables and pit toilets (and a small fee applies). Further north, the park’s landscape opens into pioneering history: at Boggy Hole, a waterhole along the Finke accessible by a challenging 4WD track, you can camp by the water where early explorers and drovers once passed. Whether coming for a day trip or an overnight adventure, Finke Gorge rewards with its blend of lush pockets amid harsh terrain. Watching the sunset light up the sandstone walls and palms, or the star-studded sky framed by gorge silhouettes, one feels transported to an ancient time when Central Australia was wetter and the palms dominated the land.