Palm Valley (Northern Territory)

Palm Valley
Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park.
Palm Valley
Geography
Population centers	Namatjira, Northern Territory[1]
Coordinates	24°04′00″S 132°49′00″E / 24.0667°S 132.8167°E / -24.0667; 132.8167 [1]

Palm Valley, within the Finke Gorge National Park, is an east-west running valley in the Krichauff Range 123 km (138 km by road) southwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia. Palm Valley and the surrounding area is the only place in Central Australia where Red Cabbage Palms (Livistona mariae) survive. The nearest related species is 850 kilometres away in Katherine NT. The surrounding region is largely dry Central Ranges xeric scrub.

The average rainfall for Palm Valley is only 200 mm per year. Although the gorge usually appears dry, there are some small pockets of semi-permanent spring-fed pools that allow the unique flora in this region to survive. During significant rainfall in the region, expanses of water can be witnessed flowing through the valley gorge. During such events, a variety of aquatic life such as desert fish, shield shrimps (Triops australiensis), tadpoles and frogs can flourish.