Larapinta Drive

The Larapinta Drive, not to be confused with the Larapinta Trail, a wonderful walking track in the Western McDonnell Ranges, is a sealed road from Alice Springs to Hermannsburg. It is 130 km long and consequently leads into the unsealed “Mereenie Loop Road”, which takes visitors to Kings Canyon. A permit is needed for this part of the route, this can be obtained from the Alice Springs Visitors Centre. Along the road there are numerous stop like Simpsons Gap or Stanley Chasm in the Western MacDonnell National Park. At the end of the drive, visitors arrive at Hermannsburg, a little town with a population of around 450, most of whom belong to the Arrernte people. This town was founded by a German missionary in 1877. Albert Namatjira, Australia’s most acclaimed and famous Aboriginal artist, was born and raised here. Finke National Park with it most famous attraction, the Palm Valley, is close by.