13 May 2025
We took a day trip tour to Palm Valley, along the southern road of the West MacDonnell Ranges, with AAPT Tours. You stop off at Simpsons Gap to begin the early journey from Alice Springs, then onwards to the MacDonnell Ranges
This trip is definitely for 4WD vehicles, as the last 60 kilometres follows rough tracks along the Finke river.
You get bounced around plenty for a few hours. Scenery is quite striking once you are off-road and you complete two simple hikes to get a sense of the geology and ecology of this area.
Good idea to bring your own snacks and drinks, as the morning tea and lunch provided is basic.
I recommend checking the night before with AAPT as to the number of guests booked.
It appears that if it’s a smaller group (less than 8), their choice of vehicle might lead to sand bogging and the need to disembark (in sections) so that the vehicle can negotiate the track. Sadly, an additional annoyance for our group was a dashboard alarm that didnt want to stop for half the trip. Kind of spoiled the mood....