Palm Valley

 

Tuesday 2 August 2022 – Palm Valley

Woke to a cloudy morning and scrambled eggs for breakfast.  We were going to tackle the 4WD track into Palm Valley which we knew was a good 45 minute scramble over rock so took both cars just in case we got into any difficulties.  Both the Cruiser and Discovery handled it with ease and there was only section where both Miranda and Jenny, in our separate cars, might have emitted a little ‘EEEK!’ as the cars scrabbled up a miniature cliff face.   It was a fun adventure though, and good to actually utilise the 4WD capabilities of the cars rather than just using them as tow trucks.

Parked up the cars on a nice flat bit of rock that serves as the car park at the beginning of the walk and Larry convinced us that we might as well do the 5km ridge and valley walk rather than the shorter and more scenic 3km walk.  Jenny was only convinced on the basis that the sign said it was an ‘easy Grade 2 walk’.  Yesterday’s walk up the lookout had been Grade 3 and this walk involved a near identical scramble up a rock face to walk along the ridge above the valley so I’m not sure how these things are graded.  Anyway, Jenny obliged the group with the requisite grumbling about having to climb up a hill just to go down it again but eventually we came around to the top of the valley where a wide plain of rock and palms made a suitably awesome vista.  We then followed the course of the river along the valley of red cabbage palms (for which it is named) and it must be said that it all became the most scenic when we joined back up with the shorter route path.  Still, we can feel virtuous that we have well and truly hit the 10,000 step count on our watches again today.   It had clouded over and, as the British say, was trying to rain so we were glad to finally get back into the cars although for Jenny it was an effort to climb in from the low side of the rock face we were parked on.  We then retraced our steps and found scrabbling down the rocks much easier than scrambling up them on the way in. 

Toasted ham and cheese sandwiches for lunch and then a little nap on the bed was our reward for our strenuous morning.  The wind has picked up this morning so the van hatches kept banging so Larry got up and closed them and then decided to head up to a nearby phone booster station to update his drone software and Jenny took advantage of having the whole bed to herself to stretch out and have a proper snooze.  Once L got back it was time to arc up the campfire and then cook up a yummy campfire meal of honey mustard chicken with extra garlic for H’s cold. Another good fire as we used up the last of the collected firewood and the mallows got another workout.  We have really enjoyed this little trip into the Finke Gorge NP and would highly recommend it.