Pottering Around In Palm Valley

Our little wander around the Hermannsburg Heritage Precinct on Monday morning was very interesting as many of the buildings, including the Church, were built in the early days of the original Lutheran Mission.  Why the Missionaries went all the way out there - with no regular water supply - is still a mystery as no one could answer our questions about it.  One of the most famous residents of the Mission was Albert Namitjira, the Aboriginal watercolour artist.

The Hermannsburg Church and The Turtle

We didn't stay for morning tea at the Precinct as we were still just a little bit early, so we headed out to The Finke River National Park and Palm Valley.  It is only 18 klms from Hermannsburg to the Campground in the National Park but all of the signs and information warned that it would take at least and hour to do, it was tough going and definitely 4WD only!!

The Captain let the tyre pressure down on The Turtle and we headed off.  The first few klms were OK - just normal unsealed road with heaps of corrugations - hmm, not too bad so we stopped at the second river crossing for morning tea.

Morning Tea Spot on the Finke River

 

The Second River Crossing

A little bit further on we stopped to collect some firewood and then the real driving began.  The track didn't just keep crossing the river - it went up the middle of it.  Fortunately, most of the track was gravel and river stones, but then there was also a lot of sand that we had to drive on as well.  The driving skills of The Captain once more ensured that we made it safely to our destination.  The only casualties of the drive were two of the Corelle dinner plates - apparently the catch on the cupboard door didn't latch properly and they all tried to escape when we hit a bump.  Nothing worse, as Corelle stuff doesn't break - it explodes and, no doubt, we will be finding small shards of it for ages when it works its way out of the nooks and crannies.  We reached the campground just over two hours after we left Hermannsburg (including our morning tea break) - not bad for just 18 klms!!!!

A Sandy Track Onto The River Bed

One Of The Gravel Tracks On The River Bed

 

The Last River Crossing

After setting up camp and having some lunch, we headed off into Palm Valley only four klms away.  Palm Valley is home to several groves of palm trees - remnants of a time when the area was a little bit wetter than what it is now.  The local geology is what allows the trees to maintain their existence in an otherwise harsh climate.  The gorge is quite narrow - no harsh, drying winds - and the sandstone retains a lot of the rainwater from the wet season which seeps out through the year.

The four kilometre drive only took us 45 minutes - there were creek crossings, boulders to climb over and sandy patches but we made it and then when we were finished had to do it again to get back to camp.  But, it was worthwhile considering The Deckie has wanted to visit this place for many years!!

At The First Creek Crossing

Some of The Track - There Is a 30cm Drop Coming Up

Part Of The Track Over A Large Rock

The Carpark - A Dried Creek Bed

We took the shorter of the two walks that were available and, once more, took a lot longer as we were enjoying the views so much.

From The Escarpment

Across The Valley

Looking Downstream from Ground Level

That night, we had a great Campfire and cooked Lamb Shanks and Baked Potatoes in the Camp Oven - more skills that The Captain possesses - and chatted with the neighbours until all hours.  Tuesday morning we headed off for another walk, but this time it was close to the camp.  Just another intriguing valley and rock formations and also helped to walk off the wine that was ingested the previous evening!!

Looking West Up The Valley

The Road Into The Valley From The East

A Rock of Many Faces

Before we returned to Alice Springs, we had thought to continue west and explore at least one more area of the West MacDonnell Ranges but, after some discussions with fellow travellers, it was decided that most of the places were not all that attractive and very crowded.  So, yesterday (Wednesday) we headed back into Alice to recharge and resupply again.

Today (Thursday) there is some preventive maintenance to be done on The Turtle and Tuf Cat's trailer and making sure everything else is in order before we head further south.