Finke Gorge National Park is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
in the
Northern Territory of Australia
The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...
located about south of the territory capital of
Darwin.
The national park covers an area of , and includes the
desert oasis Palm Valley, home to a diverse range of plant species, many of which are rare and unique to the area. There are good opportunities for bushwalking and bushcamping in the national park.
Heritage
The national park is noted for its ancient palms and Aboriginal cultural sites. The
Central Australian Cabbage Palm is found only in Palm Valley and prolifically here.
There are around 3000 full grown palms and thousands of small seedlings sprinkled across the park which can get easily trampled by the visitors. Thus the visitors are required to walk along the marked paths to avoid destroying the seedlings. The
Finke River
The Finke River, or Larapinta in the Indigenous Arrernte language, is a river in central Australia, whose bed courses through the Northern Territory and the state of South Australia. It is one of the four main rivers of Lake Eyre Basin and is th ...
is claimed to be one of the oldest catchments in the world,
with areas dating back 350 million years.
The national park and nearby areas hold cultural significance to the
Western Arrernte Aboriginal people and there is also evidence of early European settlement.
[https://nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/200037/finke-gorge-national-park-fact-sheet.pdf Particularly note the "Police Station Ruins"]
In 1980, it was listed on the now-defunct
Register of the National Estate
The Register of the National Estate was a heritage register that listed natural and cultural heritage places in Australia that was closed in 2007. Phasing out began in 2003, when the Australian National Heritage List and the Commonwealth Heri ...
.
Access
A four-wheel-drive route down the Finke River to Illamurta Springs and
Watarrka National Park begins at Finke Gorge. Bush walking is another common activity. Kalaranga lookout is an easy 20 minute climb, with views of the rock amphitheatre encircled by rugged cliffs. The Mpaara Walk introduces the mythology of the Western Arrernte Aboriginal culture. In Palm Valley, the Arankaia Walk and the longer Mpulungkinya Walk meander among slender palms, returning across a scenic plateau.
Gallery
file:PalmValley.jpg, Palm Valley, located in the national park
File:Finke Gorge NP.jpg, Amphitheatre
See also
*
Protected areas of the Northern Territory
Protection is any measure taken to guard something against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Althoug ...
References
External links
Official webpageOfficial fact sheet and mapFinke Gorge National Park
{{authority control
National parks of the Northern Territory
Protected areas established in 1966
1966 establishments in Australia
Northern Territory places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate