29.9.18 Gosse’s Bluff to Palm Valley via Hermansberg. A

Up to catch the sunrise and moonset. Mary and I braved the cold. The moon was setting over the bluff while sunrose over the creek. 

Sunrise Pano

More sunrise

Moon setting behind the Bluff.

Man it was cold last night. So cold the water in my container was a slushy when I poured it into billy this morning.  

Now I feel justified for thinking it was chilly overnight and especially freezing taking photos this am. 


Slushy water.

Slushy freeze in the billy.


Once we’d packed up we went back to Gosse’s Bluff to walk up the bluff. This was caused by a comet of frozen carbon dioxide ice and dust of less than 6g. Amazing. 

Pano from the walk.

From the top almost 360

The gang atop Gosse’s Bluff


Then onto Herrmansburg - Phil and I needed fuel and I phoned Alice Springs to arrange new tyres and a wheel alignment. We had contact from Steve and he should be in Alice Springs on Monday and so will we. Phone calls made to home and then off to Palm Valley. 

Amazing how the rocky walls appear. 
The road in. 

Entering the Finke River.

There go Mary and Phil.



Into the National Park.





A crested pidgeon at the PalmValley Campground. 

We stopped at the info point and decided to camp here, get firewoood, do a walk and maybe cook a roast. 

Nice possies at the Campground. Communal Fire pit, good loos and showers. 

Col and Greg’s home for tonight.

Stef and Milani in Roof Top Tent 

Mary and Phil in the camper

My tent and car. The fellas went to get wood. Mary,
Milani and I had a leisurely lunch and cuppa

After collecting the wood and Phil getting bogged they returned to camp. It was decided that Mary, Phil, Milani and I were keen to do a walk. Stef, Col and Greg wanted to do the walk in the morning. So they stayed back to prepare the roast. We went in the Pajero to do the Palm Valley - Arankaia Walk. It was a good 4wd trip to the start of walk. Phil handled it well. Fabulous rocks and walls on the way in. 

Milani at the start of our walk along Arankaia (Run-kee-yah) walk

Here we are enjoying rhe warmth of the day on the walk.

Looking back to ‘from whence we came’

Beautiful scenery 

View one. 

The scary view

The textures and patterns in both the rock and the tree - stunning. 

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Long thin Milani

Just hanging around. 

Coming down stairs into the actual Palm Valley

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Some water in the waterholes. 

Red Cabbage Palm I think 

Patterns on the rock left by the receding water. 

More watermarks on the rocks. 

Arty farty shot

A tree hanging on to the rock. Roots hanging in thin air. 

More Red Cabbage Palm 

Up close with the sun shining through.  

Not sure you can see the dangerous load of firewood 

Roast was underway when we arrived back about 5.30. Milani and I started preparations on an experimental - Berry, banana, Nutella and sage loaf cake. We mixed it and put the mixture into three small loaf tins and the empty berry tin. These sat in my Bedourie Oven ready to go on after our roast. At 7pm there was a ranger talk and slideshow right near the fire pit and our roast prep. The fellas did a great job of roast. 

Unfortunately the fire pit was taken over by other campers after the talk.

Phil brought some coals over to where we ate and did the dishes which we sat the Bedourie on. Almost an hour later the cake was ready served with cream and custard. Verdict was that it was pretty good.  

Then some time by the fire with a cuppa before bed about 10.30.