Day 14 – 7th May 2010
Palm Valley to Hermannsburg and Glen Helen Gorge
There were actually some clouds in the sky this morning but didn’t stay around too long. Drove through the cycad gorge to the Red Cabbage PalmValley and walked the Mpulungkinya Walk. Saw amazing varieties of plants and flowers and trees. Nowhere else in the world can you find the Red Cabbage Palm. Climbed to the top of the escarpment and then along the top and down into the valley of palms. The Finke River wound its way through the valley as the palms whispered in the breeze. It was a magic place. We spent much longer there than we planned. Also visited the Karralanga Lookout for more spectacular views of the valley. Made friends with a monitor lizard who was happy to pose for a zillion photos.
On the way out of the gorge we helped another family bogged with their car and trailer.
Back into Hermannsburg and a really exciting thing happened. It was that Marg got to meet the Artist of her artwork, Lofty who lives at Hermannsburg. He was born there and has his family there. He told us about the painting. Margs painting told the story of the Rainbow Serpent and Jan's was a story of women collecting bush tucker.
From Hermannsburg, out to Albert Namatjira’s house, a very basic, 2- roomed stone house with a tin roof. From there we went to The West MacDonnell Range National Park. We wonder how the scenery can keep getting more spectacular as we travel on.
Camped on the banks of The Finke River again at Glen Helen Gorge. A fire, a glass of wine, sunset over the river, Albert’s hills in the background and listening to the Pigrims. What could be better? Dined on free muffins acquired from a film crew making an ad for Tourism Australia, at Palm Valley.
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