Finke Gorge Boggy Hole

Submitted: Friday, May 18, 2012 at 14:11
ThreadID: 95644 Views:2808 Replies:9 FollowUps:4
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Hello all.
I am planning a trip through the centre of Australia in early July. Part of that will include heading north through the finke gorge from Ernest Giles Road to boggy hole and then over to Palm Valley.
I have heard following the track through the Gorge is sometimes difficult to follow. Has anyone out there got any info for me so we limit difficulties and problems.
I will be towing a kimberley kamper and will be travelling with another family.

Any info at all will assist, cheers.

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Reply By: whisky_mac - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 14:37

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 14:37
We were there last July, came down from Hermansburg and went back out that way. Track was fine, a bit of soft sand but I don't know about south of Boggy Hole. We spent a couple of days at Boggy Hole and it was fantastic.
AnswerID: 486133

Reply By: Member - wicket - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 14:53

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 14:53
have a look at the treks section where you can download an exploroz trek of boggy hole with plenty of details.
AnswerID: 486135

Reply By: Mudguard - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 15:25

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 15:25
Hi Grant we did the trip from sth to nth 2 yrs ago, if a few people have been thru the track is fairly well defind where it criss crosses the river and in that part it is long and soft drop your pressures on the trailer as well and no probs a fantastic place to camp is Running waters better than Boggy hole esp at sunset
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Reply By: MEMBER - Darian, SA - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 17:42

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 17:42
Try the Finke Gorge NP Park Ranger too, on the phone [ (08) 8956 7401 ] - when we enquired re access to Palm Valley with our van, their helpful advice was spot on. You may find the same.
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Reply By: Fab72 - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 20:26

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 20:26
Not sure about Boggy Hole, but the road from Hermansburg to Palm Valley is easily done (in good weather) in a "hairdressers car".
Holden Astra at Palm Valley
AnswerID: 486172

Follow Up By: Hairy (WA) - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:27

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:27
No.....you wouldnt get an Astra past boggy hole....not in one piece any way!
I wouldnt recomend taking one to Palm Valley either.....LOL
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Reply By: Great Divide Tours - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 20:53

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 20:53
Hi Grant
I drove this track south to north last August and just had a friend do it last month, it is one of the best 4WD tracks in Aust, IMHO. However, the National Park info sheets on it definitely says no trailers, you might check this with the Ranger whose number has already been given to you. I'm not saying you couldn't do it with a trailer, just that the info sheet says no trailers, and I always follow their advice but of course I have to. The track is well signposted from the south and if you follow the HEMA maps for the area you will easily find it. There is no actual water running at Running Stream now but it is a lovely spot, but there are a lot of lovely spots all along this track. You could easily drive from Kings Canyon to Palm Valley in a day, but you really should aim to camp in the Boggy Hole area to enjoy the magnificent sunsets reflecting off the red rock above the mirror perfect waters of the large water holes. Some of the track is quite closed in now due to all the growth over the past couple of years and there are rocky parts and soft sand sections, and a few water crossings, all manageable if you use low tyre pressures (say 25 psi) and low speed. Avoid driving on wet sand areas as these can be very boggy, there is no firewood collection in the Park so pick up a roof rack load before you enter the park. The road into Palm Valley also crosses some soft sand sections and again with tyre pressures down you should not have any issues, I rescued a rental AWD last year that had high pressures, I can't really see how a 2Wd would get into Palm Valley safely. The camping ground at Palm Valley is very good for the small fees that apply and there is even a solar hot shower. Hope this helps.
Vic
Vic
AnswerID: 486175

Reply By: Hairy (WA) - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:13

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 21:13
Gday,
Unless you are the first vehicle through since a really big flow you wont have a problem finding your way through. Even if you take a wrong turn it will only lead into a campsite or will be fairly obvious its not the main track.
Ive never heard anyone saying no trailers before and would personaly ignore it. If your a reasonably confident 4wder and used to towing a trailer you should have no problems.
There a a few nice camping spots before you get to the national park on black fella land where you can camp if you plan on spending a couple of nights travelling through?

Cheers
AnswerID: 486180

Follow Up By: Great Divide Tours - Friday, May 18, 2012 at 23:44

Friday, May 18, 2012 at 23:44
Here is the link to the Finke River 4WD route from the National Parks website, it clealry says the route is not suitbale for trailers and the map has a big red cross through the trailer sign. Like I said, best to ask the Ranger on site if its OK, but if he sticks by the book he will say no. http://www.nretas.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/10585/Finke4WDRoute.pdf
Vic
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FollowupID: 761430

Follow Up By: Hairy (WA) - Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:12

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 10:12
Gday Vic,
Looks like another new rule! Next they will be banning vehicles altogether!
Is there a sign on the South end of the Park enterance? Id ignore it anyway....
Cheers
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FollowupID: 761446

Follow Up By: rumpig - Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10:50

Sunday, May 20, 2012 at 10:50
there's no reason you couldn't take a camper trailer through Finke Gorge if you are confident in towing through soft sand and over obstacles like rocks (though there is little of this to do, mostly soft sand in some places is the biggest obstacle), as that's what's you'll encounter in there. back in 2010 when we last went through there, the hardest section was the climb down to the water as you crossed over at Boggy Hole (other then the soft sand which lowered tyre pressures will obviously be the go for), nothing extreme, but would have been alot harder to tow something back up that embankment through the slosh at the bottom if you were headed in the opposite irection to what we were.
we struggled to find the track in some places (South of Boggy Hole from memory) and generally ended up following where we thought it ran, didn't take long and we'd refind the track and continue on feeling abit better about the route we were going along....lol. i never had a GPS back then, so having something like that probably would have been alot easier to follow then an old paper map...lol
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Reply By: Member - Grant- Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 03:09

Saturday, May 19, 2012 at 03:09
Thanks all for the info. I'll give the national parks a call on the trailer.

Cheers.
AnswerID: 486194

Reply By: setsujoku - Monday, Jun 11, 2012 at 15:43

Monday, Jun 11, 2012 at 15:43
We were at Palm Valley last week and the access is fairly easy. There were people with campers and vans there, but if you take a van be prepared to take your time getting in and out of there! The camp ground is 4km short of the end of the track, and that last 4km is a bit of fun.
AnswerID: 488181

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