Day 121 – 122 23rd – 24th July Palm Valley via the Mereenie Loop

We had the choice to travel back along the bitumen around to Alice Springs and then back out to the MacDonnell Ranges and Palm Valley, some 500 kms, or take the unsealed Mereenie Loop (200 km) instead. It would seem a no brainer considering the difference in distance. However it was very difficult to get an accurate assessment of what state the loop road was in, in order to make a decision. Some said it was really rough and that they wouldn’t take their old Holden Ute on it. Others said that it was o.k.
We elected to take the road less travelled and set off on The Loop.
The Mereenie Loop travels through Aboriginal Land and a permit is required ($2.20). It was roughly 200 km in length of which 180 was the roughest road that we had travelled on so far!!! The corrugations, in some places felt like they were about 12 inches deep.
Having said that the Millennium Pajero and the Chariot of Love handled it all in their stride. Mind you everything that wasn’t tied down in the camper had been given a fairly severe shaking, but nothing was broken. The thing seems to be rock solid!!!
The same can’t be said of my teeth! In fact a few days later coincidently when back in Alice Springs, I lost part of a filling. I’m blaming the Mereenie Loop!!
After 200km we were back on the bitumen and at Hermannsburg, the old Aboriginal Mission, which was where the famous Aboriginal artist Albert Namitjira was based.
We had a quick stop at the store and then back tracked on to the 4wd drive track into Palm Valley to spend the night.
Palm Valley has a very pretty campground with in the Finke River National Park accessed by driving along the bed of the usually dry Finke River. The weather was clear but cool and we didn’t arrive at the camp until 5.00 pm. So it was all hands on deck to set up, cook dinner and get the little ones rugged up, fed and bunked down for the evening.
Very cool that night!!
Next morning we breakfasted and packed up whilst chatting to the couple that were camping nearby and were also from Melbourne. We then drove the 4km 4wd track from the campsite up to Palm valley, along the dry creek bed. The 4wd is fantastic for being able to access so many places that many people aren’t able to except by organised tour groups.
Palm Valley is a remnant patch of vegetation left over from the age of the dinosaurs, with specific palms and cycads, found only in this part of Central Australia and patches of rainforest close to the east coast.
Jassy and daisy are both feeling the pinch after almost a week of long walks and cold weather so we need to take it easy on them over the next few days.