Looking for some real life inspiration to begin that backyard makeover?
Get excited with a visit to a Central Australian valley where some of the world's most spectacular plants and birds have thrived and survived for centuries.

The first Europeans to stumble across this botanical treasure was the early inland explorer Ernest Giles and his party in 1872. They were following the dry Finke River bed, which at 250 million years is acknowledged as the oldest river in the world. Traditional owners of the land, the local Aboriginal Aranda people, still hold important ceremonies at significant sites such as 'Initiation Rock'.

There is something quite magical about retracing the paths taken by Aboriginal custodians and legendary early pioneers. In many ways what you see and feel today is what they experienced during their ongoing journeys of discovery. From the Kalarranga Lookout there are breathtaking views of both Palm Valley and the ancient limestone escarpments and valley floor, known as the Amphitheatre.

You enter Palm Valley via Cycad Gorge where resilient plants and native ferns cling to the rock walls. One of the most striking features is the crystal clear rock pools that fill with water after the rains. Combined with the sparkling white river sand, they become nature's own 'water features' and a memorable part of this lush oasis surrounded by harsh desert. Other eye-catching icons are the 1200 mature and 12,000 immature red cabbage palms; a totally unique occurrence anywhere in the world, and the several species of inland fish that inhabit the waterholes.

Along with the quirky red cabbage palm, the park contains a further 460 documented species of plants including the MacDonnell Ranges cycads, various species of daises, grevilleas and the beautiful blood red Sturt desert rose. The 'locals' from the reptile family include goannas, bearded dragons, geckos and skinks. Eucalypts flank the wide sandy Finke River bed, including river red gums and bloodwood trees, their hollows providing homes for the many species of birdlife including mulga parrots, Port Lincoln parrots, rainbow bee-eaters and yellow throated minors.

Mere words hardly begin to describe the feel and atmosphere of Palm Valley but the rewards are immense. In truth it is a living relic of when Central Australia was green and covered in vibrant rainforest growth and waterholes. It's a journey that you can take in a day, but will transport you into another time and another world.

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