Larapinta is the Western Arrente word given to the Finke River headwaters under Mount Sonder.

The Larapinta Trail was constructed during the early 1990s by the NT Conservation Commission. It is now seen as one of the great walks in Australia, along with the Overland Track, the Heysen Trail, the Alpine Walking Track and the Bibbulmun Track.

Despite its length (it takes two weeks to walk the entire trail) and remoteness, walking the Larapinta is easy to organise: there is road access at regular points along the walk, meaning that walkers can 'cherry-pick' the sections they like or have supplies dropped off. This is particularly handy in summer, when high temperatures mean hikers need lots of water.

More information

Andrew Priest, from aushiker, has written a comprehensive guide to the trail, complete with Google Earth .kmz files, showing the route and camping spots.

The NT Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts has information for those intending to walk the Larapinta Trail.

TravelNT has a comprehensive Larapinta Trail site, with interactive maps, photos, and descriptions of the sections.