Alice Springs 4
general :: posted on June 24th, 2008
Next stop was palm Valley. This is a very popular place for visitors to go, but we were still ahead of the tourist season, so the camping ground was quite empty. Which was great as there is an excellent facility there with solar heated showers even!
So Palm Valley is one of those isolated remnant ecosystems really. The Red Cabbage Palm survives there by accident, a small pocket left marooned for millions and millions of years as the Australian continent broke free from Gondwana, then Antarctica and finally to come to rest in its present location (which shifts about 6cm per year towards the equator). It is a beautiful place to reflect on the worlds shifting continents and just what that has meant to the survival of species. The whole central Australian landscape, corroding for millions of years as the rich rainforests turned to dry deserts, is a strong reminder of the impact of climate change.
The Ghost Gum is such a fantastic tree. Its beautiful stark white trunk is superbly contrasted by the red rock it sustains its life from, pushing its roots deep into the sandstone which acts as a sponge, holding onto precious moisture from the last rainfall. It did rain while we were there, at Palm Valley, but not much. Later we heard that it had rained quite a bit in Alice Springs, the first rain to fall for more than a brief shower for 6 years.
The palm debris was so lovely - like a beautifully woven basket. But as with so many things in this dry climate, to touch it is often to destroy it, the fragile and brittle fabric crumbling into dust.
June 24th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Wonderful, beautiful, especially like the last photo - that could become a print!
June 25th, 2008 at 3:23 am
I think your reading my mind there Marja-Leena! It is such a truly inspiring place, which seems to be at odds with expectations in a way - perhaps it is the contrast between the coastal regions which is where the vast majority of Australians live, to the centre which has a reputation of emptiness, yet when you look it is absolutely overflowing with life!