Of course there is more to Palm Valley than the palms. In 1959 Chippendale listed 200 plants. Since then a total of 333 plant species have been recorded¹.

The average rainfall for Palm Valley is only 200 mm per year. Although the gorge usually appears dry, there are some small pockets of semi-permanent spring-fed pools. During significant rainfall in the region, and if you are lucky to be there during one of those wet periods, it is a wonderful sight to see the expanses of water flowing through the valley gorge. Such event also provide the opportunity for visitors to witness a variety of aquatic life such as desert fish, shield shrimps (Triops australiensis), tadpoles and frogs.
 

A recent article on the ABC report that the Hydrogeologist John Wischusenhas has written a PhD thesis, about how the palms might have survived through the extreme temperatures of prehistoric times because of very old ground water, and that they continue to tap into this 300,000 year old water. This water is moving slowly enough through the underlying Hermannsburg sandstone that could probably sustain the palm population for hundreds of thousands of years without any further rainfall^{2, 3}.

Access
Palm Valley is about 18 km south of Hermannsburg. Access is by 4WD vehicle that mainly follows the dry riverbed of the Finke River. There are campground facilities with toilets, hot showers, wood and gas BBQs and picnic areas. Please ensure you take your rubbish with you. During May to October, there are Ranger guided activities as part of the ‘Territory Parks Alive’. Check NRETA for further information. Camping fees apply (PDF document).

Walks
There are two marked tracks, both designed to give visitors a first hand view of the exotic Palm Valley and the ‘normal’ arid country surrounding it. Both tracks are easy to medium walking over rocky escarpment.

• Arankaia Walk (pronounced rung-kee-ah)
  Time: 1 hour — Distance: 2 km loop walk
  This short walk goes up the Valley, pass lush groves of palms and then up some stairs, and back along a dry sandstone plateau with superb views. Arankaia is the Arrernte name for the palm.
   
• Mpulungkinya Track (pronounced mool-ung-kin-yah)
  Time: 2 hours — Distance: 5 km loop walk
  This longer track goes further up the Valley, where the palm groves are thicker, and then back along the arid sandstone plateau, re-joining the Arankaia Walk not long before the carpark.

Check out some of our images of Palm Valley.

Palm Valley is located about 124 km south-west of Alice Springs and about 18 km south of the Hermannsburg Mission. Check out the Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife Services For additional information: