Finke River
| Finke | |
|---|---|
The Finke River after rain, Northern Territory | |
Map of the Lake Eyre Basin showing the Finke River | |
| Etymology | William Finke |
| Native name | Lara Beinta (Western Arrarnta) ("Salt River") |
| Location | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Northern Territory, South Australia |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 750 km (470 mi) |
| Basin features | |
| River system | Lake Eyre Basin |
| National parks | West MacDonnell; Finke Gorge |
The Finke River, or Larapinta in the Indigenous Arrernte language, is a river in central Australia, the bed of which courses through the Northern Territory and the state of South Australia. It is one of the four main rivers of Lake Eyre Basin and is thought to be the oldest riverbed in the world. It flows for only a few days a year. When that happens, its water usually disappears into the sands of the Simpson Desert and rarely, if ever, reaches Lake Eyre.