Hermannsburg (Ntaria) Tours and Tickets

Head to Palm Valley from Alice Springs to explore an Aboriginal community and a beautiful oasis in the outback. Visit the historic town of Hermannsburg with its historic buildings and Aboriginal art gallery before heading to the Cycad Gorge for a nature walk around the oasis. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Kalaranga Lookout and take in the views of the MacDonnell Ranges just as the sun sets behind them.

Take a full-day detour from Alice Springs to visit Palm Valley — a fertile oasis in the midst of the Outback that’s accessible only by 4WD vehicle. See ancient rock formations and spring-fed pools, and enjoy a picnic lunch in Finke Gorge National Park. Learn about the area’s indigenous history with a visit to the Aboriginal community of Hermannsburg, where you can tour the town mission and a local painter’s home.

Keeping culture, drawing and painting stories for 10’s of 1000’s of years, in 1934 the Western Arrarnta community met with a peculiar representation of Country in water colour paintings at the Hermannsburg Lutheran Mission. Igniting the imagination of residents, a movement of water colour artists was born. There was money, accolades, citizenship as well as challenge, burden and strife. Explore the legacy of the great Hermannsburg Water Colour movement. Learn about the relentless pursuit of justice by Albert’s family – The Namatjira Project.

The Western Arrarnta People have been keeping culture, singing stories for 10’s of 1000’s of years. In 1877, Lutheran Pastors from Germany arrived on horseback and settled by an ancient River. Together they interpreted new songs in the tradition of Christianity and Western Arrarnta Language. Their voices echoed across this arid land reaching many other language groups. In the 1960’s, the choir movement reached its pinnacle. Then a resurgence occurred when British Guyana born Choir Master happened to visit Alice Springs in 2006. Come, visit the roots of The Central Australian Aboriginal Women’s choir. Learn about their story, living in some of Australia’s most remote outback Aboriginal Communities. On tour they perform 16th Century baroque, in language, along with early romantic hymns on the world stage – Sydney Opera House, German Cathedrals, Washington DC and more. Featured in the documentary The Song Keepers, these are the strong voices of community and culture.