Palm Valley: And Yet So Far Away

Palm Valley is 123 kilometres south-west of Alice in the Finke Gorge National Park. It wears its beauty like a garment. Photographs bring that beauty back to those who never visit. It remains for them so far away, yet brought so close by images that can be carried everywhere. Photographs bring us into contact with places we may never visit. In their colours and shapes, we can see the world.

But is it really the same? Do you have to go to know? Much is written about Central Australia, but is it true? Palm Valley is only accessible by four-wheel drive, but it is a favourite destination for tourists and those who live in Central Australia alike. Tucked into the desert, it is painted like a watercolor, a picturesque part of the landscape.

Palm Valley, Central Australia (Photo credit: Maryanne Wise)

All around the world, in tourist brochures, photos of the MacDonnell Ranges feature. Their red, jagged peaks and their towering presence are conveyed to those many miles away. The stories of the Dreaming that hover over them are retold in print and film. Many say they know of these places, but have they experienced them?

The Outback, with its seasons and undulating hills, is best revealed in person. Palm Valley is relatively close to Alice Springs, just a day trip away. Saying you have been is better than saying you have seen; nothing compares to being there in person. The memories will be imprinted more strongly, and you will speak from knowledge, not just the consumption of far-removed tales by other people.

Go and see for yourself.