Fabulous Flinders Ranges

Explore the breathtaking beauty of Flinders Ranges

If you were asked to list the most famous Australian attractions I’d like to hedge a bet that the Flinders Ranges and Outback wouldn’t make your top 5.  Yet this is one of the world’s oldest landscapes and boasts a wealth of history and natural attractions.  Clear waterholes, thermal springs, abundant bird life, remarkable flora and fauna, incredible fossils all set amongst the backdrop of red desert sands and spectacular gorges make the Flinders Ranges an unmissable part of the Australian experience!

Situated just 3 hours drive north of Adelaide, the Flinders Ranges are described as South Australia’s Gateway to the Outback.  So let us give you a brief tour of this most diverse of regions, taking in many of the sights and wonders as we go along.

History

The Flinders Ranges go back to when Australia was still attached to Antarctica and this region was covered by a huge inland sea dotted with icebergs and teeming with reptilian sea monsters that would put Godzilla to shame!  It was a vast and hostile territory, experiencing freezing conditions and long periods of polar darkness.  The Outback itself was home to sprawling forests dominated by dinosaurs, whilst the sea was patrolled by the plesiosaur, a huge long-necked sea creature that bore an uncanny resemblance to the Loch Ness monster.

It was in this region that scientists, just last year, discovered one of the world’s oldest reefs.  The reef, named Oodnaminta Reef by scientists is 10 times higher than the Great Barrier Reef and 80 million years older than the oldest known reef.  But unlike the Great Barrier Reef, it is not made up of corals, but rather a complex organism system and it now possesses fossil evidence of the earliest examples of primitive life.  Today it remains home to one of the world’s oldest cultures, the Aborigines.

What to see

The Aboriginal Dreaming Tour is a 2 day drive that will take you through Adnyamathanha land to explore 16,000 year old rock carvings and on to Iga Warta where a warm welcome by the people awaits you.  There you will learn about the Aboriginal beliefs and culture.  The tour includes an overnight stay in modern accommodation.

For the environmentally aware tourist there is an eco cruise around the tip of Spencer Gulf on board a luxury pontoon boat.  The cruise takes in the tranquility of the Gulf waters, which is home to an abundance of bird and marine life.  The trip passes through Redbank Cliffs, the historic Old Salt Works and the original Port Augusta wharf and barges.  For more information on the tour visit  Augusta Westside Cruises.

If you prefer dry land then the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden could be just the ticket!  Spread over 200 hectares this conservation area provides an extensive range of walking tracks where the natural flora can be enjoyed against the spectacular backdrop of the Flinders Ranges.  It also has what is possibly the world’s largest garden of desert-loving plants.  Visit Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens.

Wilpena Pound

The staggering natural formation of Wilpena Pound.

A trip to the Flinders Ranges would not be complete without visiting the huge natural rock amphitheatre that is Wilpena Pound.  Amassing a huge 83 square kilometres of rock this magnificent showpiece was formed over 640 million years ago by sedimentary deposits under the sea.  The deposits were folded into mountains whilst millions of years of erosion have resulted in the amazing chiseled formation that can be seen today.

In order to truly appreciate the wonder of this huge natural structure, a trip by air is recommended.  Flights range from 20 minutes to a couple of hours and are available from both Wilpena Pound Resort and Rawnsley Park Station.  However for those wishing to keep their feet firmly on terra firma, there are numerous trails to explore around the site that take in giant red river gums, wild flowers, rocky bluffs, aboriginal rock art sites and sheer quartzite cliffs.

Arkaroola Wildnerness Sanctuary

This award winning sanctuary offers active visitors rugged mountain scenery, towering granite peaks, breathtaking gorges and spectacular waterholes which attract more than 16. varieties of bird life, including the endangered yellow-footed rock wallaby.  To truly appreciate these magnificient surroundings we recommend the Ridgetop Tour, an amazing 4 wheel-drive adventure that takes brave participants along razor-back ridges and across the peaks of Flinders Ranges’ most rugged mountains to the climax at Sillers Lookout.  From here the magnificient views stretch across the white expanse of Lake Frome to the desert beyond.  And should you fancy a bit of star gazing you’re in for a treat, because Arkaroola boasts some of the best conditions for viewing the night skies in the Southern Hemisphere and is home to one of Australia’s largest privately-owned observatories.  Visit Arkaroola for more information.

Coober Pedy

One of the world’s largest supplies of commercial opal comes from the 70 opal fields of Coober Pedy.  Located 846 kms north of Adelaide and 685 kms south of Alice Springs, Coober Pedy has been an opal-mining town since the gems were first discovered there on February 1, 1915.  Today it remains the largest producer of opal in the world and offers visitors a fascinating insight into life in an Outback mining centre.  One of the more unusual features of Coober Pedy are the many underground homes or dugouts, believed to have been introduced by soldiers returning from the trenches of WWI, to escape the searing summer temperatures, dust storms and cold winter nights.  Nearly 60% of its inhabitants still reside in these cave dwellings.

One of the many caves open in Coober Pedy.

Arid Zone Tours offers visitors the chance to see parts of Coober Pedy that are off the tourist map.  You can choose from their Town Tours, that takes the visitor into the town to visit one of the dugouts and an underground church before heading into the ’suburbs’ to get a taste of the real Coober Pedy.   If you have a little more time, the Breakaway Tours heads off to what used to be part of Flinders Ranges but have been broken away by the inland sea that used to cover the area between 60 – 120 million years ago.  So stunning is the landscape here that it is a popular destination for many movie producers.  Painted Desert Tours lets you experience the spell-bindingly colourful natural display of the Painted Desert.   Finally the Lake Eyre Tour takes you through the harsh and unforgiving climate of the Outback to Lake Eyre, the largest dry salt lake in Australia.  Merv Richards from Arid Zone Tours has also offered a 10% discount for anyone booking who quotes this website!  So to take advantage of this offer and for more information on the Arid Zone Tours go to www.cooberpedy.info.

The Old Timers’ Mine and Museum is the town’s most popular tourist attraction, giving visitors the opportunity to see three large opal seams in a mine dating back to 1916.

Tours of Flinders Ranges

Sunsets, Saddles and Shiraz

For the truly adventurous why not try your hand at cattle droving?  This exciting 2 day tour teams you up with expert drovers who will soon have you handling your horse like a pro!  This is a unique opportunity to see the beauty of the Outback on horseback as you explore the desert landscapes and sandy creek beds.  Plus you get to sleep under the stars as a true cattle drover would do!  But unlike most cattle drovers, you get to eat gourmet, with all food and drink provided, plus a one-night stay in the luxurious and award winning Prairie Hotel.  Book your tour now!

Camel Safaris

If you fancy seeing the Flingers Ranges from atop one of our many humped friends, then there are several camel safaris you can book.

Pichi Richi Camel Tours is just one of them.  Located in native bush land between Devil’s Peak and the Dutchman Range escarpment near the town of Quorn.  Their camel safaris are tailor made and can last from half a day to four days.  They also have a romantic “Camel to Candlelight” dinner tour.  www.pichirichicameltours.com.

Camel safaris offer a unique way to see Flinders Ranges

Outback Camel Safaris is a four day trek that takes in the ecology, history and cultural heritage of the Outback.  Local historian and Phil Gee is your tour guide.  Tours depart from William Creek on Thursdays between April and November.  www.austcamel.com.au.

4 WD Tours.

If you prefer a more conventional way of getting around you may prefer some of these tours.  Although be warned, some of the terrain is very rugged, so be prepared for a bumpy ride!

Outback Mail Run allows you to follow the ‘postman’ as he delivers post to Oodnadatta, William Creek and other remote cattle stations.  The 12 hour tour takes you across diverse country including gibber plains, red sand hills and inland sea beds.  The tour starts from the Underground Bookshop in Coober Pedy at 9am every Monday and Thursday.  Book here.

Desert Diversity is a one day tour that takes in the famous Dog Fence, designed to prevent dingoes from travelling between cattle country in the north to sheep country in the south.  It stretches over the treeless moon plains into a spectacular landscape that features exposed layers of sedimentary sandstone.  www.desertdiversity.com.

Flights

There are altogether more smoother ways to get around Flinders Ranges and that’s by air.  Many flights allow you to take in some of the most spectacular sights that can only really be appreciated from the air.

Wrights Air offers a range of scenic flights from just one hour to a full day.  Itineraries include Halligan Point, Belt Bay, Silcrete Island, Warburton Groove, Neales River Delta, Dalhousie Hot Springs, Anna Creek, Painted Hills and more.  Visit www.wrightsair.com.au.

Or if you wish to use your legs, Down ‘N Dirty is a four hour tour that allows visitors into the very heart of Coober Pedy.  Don your hard hats, grab your torches and hand picks and prepare to descend into a working opal mine to see if you can win the challenge to ‘find your fortune’.  www.desertcave.com.au.

Getting Around

Flinders Ranges are easily accessible by road from Adelaide.  Daily coach services also depart from the State Capital to selected towns throughout the region.  Scheduled flights are also available to Coober Pedy by Regional Express whilst Sharp Airlines offers scheduled flights to Port Augusta.  The legendary Ghan train service also runs through Port Augusta and the Outback on its journeys between Adelaide and Darwin.

When to go

The best time to visit the Flinders Ranges is during the Australian Spring (Sept – Nov) when the landscape becomes a spectacular blanket of brightly coloured wildflowers.  Nearly half of all South Australia’s plant species can be found in this rugged and beautiful terrain.  The abundance of wildlife, especially bird life, is also a nature lovers dream.

Where to Stay

Port Augusta

So called the Crossroads of Australia as it has routes joining the state capital to Flinders Ranges, Alice Springs, Perth and Whyalla making it the ideal base from which to explore the treasures of the area.  It also offers a number of attractions of its own including displays on Aboriginal Dreamtime, European settlement, regional geology, mining and lots more.

Rawnsley Park Station

Rawnsley Park Station is located on part of the southern wall of Wilpena Pound and offers accommodation options suitable for every budget, including its 8 award winning eco-villas.  www.rawnsleypark.com.au.

Wilpena Pound Resort

The resort includes a caravan park and a campground for our budget conscious travellers, with all modern conveniences including a swimming pool, bistro, bar and beer garden, licensed restaurant, general store and visitor information centre.  www.wilpenapound.com.au.

Angorichina Station

This charming homestead has been run by Ian and Di Fargher’s family for four generations.  Guests here can expect genuine Outback hospitality with delicious home cooked meals on offer.  There are two guest rooms sleeping up to 2 guests each, giving this homestead a cosy and relaxed atmosphere.  Guests can also take advantage of the many activities on offer, including a 4 wheel drive tour, a guided walk of the Flinders Rangers and spectacular scenic flights.  www.angorichinastation.com.

Arkaba Station

There are five guest bedrooms in this 1850’s homestead, offering guests a taste of classic Australian country hospitality while a few ‘Wild Bush Luxury’ touches ensure comfort, style and a truly memorable experience.    The homestead’s outdoor living areas and the swimming pool boast enviable views of the magnificent Elders Range.  The station has recently undergone complete renovation.  www.arkabastation.com.

North Bundaleer

Hosts Malcolm and Marianne Booth offer indulgent accommodation in this historic homestead.  Four beautifully appointed bedrooms offer a real sense of occasion.  http://www.northbundaleer.com.au/.

For more information on the Flinders Ranges go to www.southaustralia.com.

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