Alice Springs - Day 8, 19 May 2012

It's all very pleasant travelling along Larapinta Drive, taking in the West Macdonnell Ranges once again. Then there's a turn off and very quickly the road turns to gravel. And very quickly after that, the road is the mostly dry river bed, pure and simple.

It's the start of Palm Valley, or more properly Finke Gorge National Park. I've never been on a four wheel drive surface before – it shakes the bones a bit! Driving through water, albeit pretty shallow, was an entirely new experience.

First stop is Cycad Gorge. The cycads and palms are relics of long ago times when this area was tropical rather than desert, anomalies that place us as pin pricks on the earth's time-line. After morning tea it was delightful walking about in this environment.

Then a short but slow and very bumpy drive later, we were at Palm Valley itself. Here I joined those doing the rim walk. A bit of a climb up but nothing like Heart Attack Hill at King's Canyon. Although heights are not my thing, it was a bonus to see the valley from above as well as from the floor. Stunningly beautiful – again!

 

When it came time to leave for Hermannsburg there was a stop at Kalarranga Lookout, another relatively easy short climb rewarded by extensive views of the valley and well beyond. Mostly when people think of desert they think of absence of life but nothing could be further from the truth. There's so much flora and fauna that has adapted to life in this arid area, briefly lush and reviving due to good rains over the past couple of years.

Back in the bus and not long after, there's Hermannsburg.

I was really interested to see this place. It is another name from my childhood, no doubt because of its links with Albert Namatjira. First stop was the homestead for lunch and a look at the museum housed there. It was fascinating to see this bit of history but I really wondered all the while, “Why did missionaries come here?” They couldn't have believed that God is impressed by numbers. Even the scale of the buildings is testimony to small expectations.

Boys' Dorm

Mosaic hearth, Maids' Quarters

The new church is several times larger than the old one but I can't think that the numbers would be any bigger. The church is obviously used. Are many people off-put by the notice at the doorway “This building contains asbestos”? Surprisingly, some of the old buildings are still occupied. They're still tough in that part of the world!

The mortuary was a grim reminder of similar slabs I saw at Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp at Oranienburg, outside Berlin. Not used for the same grim purpose but grim nonetheless.

Mortuary

The mission might have started and operated with the best of intentions but it's a depressing place these days, looking godforsaken rather than blessed. It was an away day for the local football team so there were very few people about which no doubt added to the feeling of desolation.

It was a strange day, great natural beauty, depressing human presence so I returned to the hotel subdued but pleased that I'd had the experience.

And ready to go home the next morning.