Palm Valley & Maree trip in January 07

Yep, Hot, Dusty, flies, Bl^&** Hot and more flies.

They do get rain there in the summer occasionally but you'd be unlucky.

We were in Palm Valley and it rained for two days but we still drove out OK.

Road will be corrugated but Ok they do it in toyota corollas and landcruisers so it can't be too bad? LOL

Hi NC.
The October edition of Overlander mag has an interesting article on the Fink Gorge track.
Did you plan to continue on from Palm valley & head south to the Ernest Giles road or return to Hermannsburg & follow Larapinta Drive to Kings Canyon.
Enjoy the trip.
Regards.
Vince

I have been in Finke Gorge at the end of January.

It was 34 degrees at 2am!!!

The Flinders Ranges will be around the 45 to 50 degree mark during the day, every day. I will be out there minding a property in January but will be hiding indoors in the air conditioning and will only come outside after dark...lol

Occasionally there is summer rain but you would have to be unlucky to strike it. Then again..........

Cheers

The centre gets most of it's rain in Dec Jan Feb March, caused by the monsoons being pushed south. The biggest drenchings we get are from NW Aust cyclones, they can track 100's of clicks inland and are a godsend when they arrive here.

It will also not only be HOT but humid the most I have ever experienced and I love and have lived in the tropics. Picture a 42' day with a midday shower and then the sun comes out.........

You're biggest risk will not be from being bogged but being marooned by closed roads or impassable rivers. When reopened they can be cut to pieces and very slow with lots of cautions. Alice often gets cut Nth and Sth by rivers over the Stuart Hwy.

Last wet season was pretty dry and we've only had scattered 20mls showers once this year. By the way 2000-2003 were some of the wettest years in the 100 year cycle for the centre. Keep in mind, from what I've been told, it's pretty much rained continually in FNQ for the past year. So if was a betting man I think it will be marginal here this year.

The flys are already black at lunchtime at Kings Canyon, my 2 & 4 yr old had lunch in the car with aircon on last weekend because they would've been eating flys otherwise. Not yet in your ears and eyes but it's shaping up for a good season. We had small very scattered showers today and if that continues the buggers will breed. Pack a good flynet that has very fine mesh and that can tuck into your shirt because they will find any holes and conjunctavitas ain't fun.

Weighing up the neg's of fly's, possible closed roads, heat, closed shops etc you have few tourists, great waterholes, beautiful nights, lightning storms and the comaraderie of sharing rare rainfalls and possibly seeing the oldest rivers in the world doing "a banker".

My 1st trip to the desert was your itinery in reverse except Maree - William Ck - Dalhousie Lake when I was 21 with 4 mates, we left on Xmas day and had a ball for 2mths, I liked it so much I live here now.

Good luck,

Slammin.

We did the Mereenie loop from Glen Helen to Kings Canyon at the beginning of the month and it was in pretty good condition. A bit corrugated, but with the tyres at about 24 psi it was easy going at 70 - 80 km/h.

Palm Valley was also no dramas as long as you've got a 4wd with reasonable clearance. We just took it slow towards the end where it gets a bit rough. Mind you, we were overtaken by a 4wd tourist bus that looked like it was on a bitumen highway.

Its great country out there!

Gather it has just rained at the Alice, so best to get info from the Alice itself. Try the Dept, or Hermansburg for Palm Valley.
Give thought to going down the Ellery Gorge into Finke River on way south. Slow in places but a beautiful drive. Definitely check road conditions locally first.
Just came through Maree to Flinders last week. Had 2'' rain in twelve months. Hiked up Mt john Roberts from Bunyip Chasm. Never seen even Gammons so dry.

Be prepared for Palm Valley. Expect tourist buses and lots of tourists. It has a carpark and picnic areas and mate.... it just doesn't look like you expect.

Yes it's special if you take time to walk and look and understand, but for me a bit of a disappointment. So poke in where you can along the Fink and enjoy the remote areas before you hit the tourist spot!