Flinders Ranges Outback Discovery, South Australia

The Flinders Ranges in South Australia provide a dramatic departure from the hectic pace of big cities with an Outback Discovery experience, but it's surprisingly accessible. See the majestic natural amphitheater of Wilpena Pound, a lost world located inside a giant stone crater. Go driving into the deep Outback and spend time exploring our legendary desert tracks. Or take a scenic flight over the Flinders Ranges. There's hiking trails, places to fossick for opals, and even a desert golf course with no grass.

The Flinders Ranges and Outback covers such a vast area of South Australia, and so many different environments, it's no surprise that it is one of Australia's richest areas of Aboriginal heritage and living culture.

This is a 5-day itinerary I would suggest if you are looking to discover the true Flinders Ranges:

Day 1, from Adelaide to the Northern Flinders Northern Flinders

Travel north, from Adelaide, to the Flinders Ranges; enjoy morning tea on the Pt. Augusta foreshore and visit Wadlata Outback Centre for hands-on interpretive displays about the history and culture of the Flinders Ranges.

Lunch at the historic town of Quorn in the friendly Austral Hotel; then pass through the historic town of Hawker to experience the vast and diverse landscapes of the Aussie outback; Continuing north we visit the famous Prairie Hotel at Parachilna for an afternoon drink.

Pass through the outback towns of Leigh Creek and Copley; check in and relax in tonight's accommodation.

Day 2, full day sightseeing in the Northern Flinders Northern Flinders

After breakfast, start the morning drive to visit a spectacular and secluded Aboriginal engraving and etching site; walk through scenic creek beds and marvel at ancient artwork dating back many thousands of years; enjoy your bush foods morning tea in this timeless location.

Learn about the early history of the Adnyamathanha people. See the remnants of Mineruta a former location of an Aboriginal community. After lunch, we visit an Aboriginal site renowned for its timeless cave paintings. Hear interpretations of the artwork and reflect on the teachings of an Aboriginal creation story.

Day 3, travel to Wilpena Pound Wilpena Pound

Set out for an early morning tour of a local Ochre Pit to see the earthy colours of ochre and find out about its traditional uses, enjoy Billy Tea and bushfood for morning tea in a tree lined creek (weather permitting) and tour Nepabunna Community where you can meet some locals.

Then proceed to tour Ithala Awi and learn about native bushfoods; Visit Balcanoona Rangers' Headquarters and a beautiful gorge to experience remote yet timeless ancient Aboriginal engravings and rock etchings, and hear a creation story that explains geographical features of the surrounding area while you enjoy a picnic lunch. Leave for a Gorge Tour on a drive through breath-taking Gorges and view the magnificent geological rock formations and look for Yellow-Footed Rock Wallabies and other wildlife.

Arrive at Wilpena Pound Resort, settle in and dine at the impressive resort restaurant or perhaps consider a 30 minute scenic flight.

Day 4, full day exploring the Wilpena Pound area Wilpena Pound

Enjoy a peaceful walk to Wangarra Look-Out for a spectacular view inside Wilpena Pound. Take a tour to "Old Wilpena Station", enjoy the 'Living With Land' interpretative trail where you will gain a glimpse of isolated pastoral settlement life. (approx.1 or 2 hr rtn walk). After this you may want some free time to relax, have a swim or enjoy a drink in the bar.

Day 5, Drive back to Adelaide

Before heading back to Adelaide you may want to visit a local Aboriginal rock art site depicting the creation of Wilpena Pound or enjoy a horse trail ride. Lunch at the historic town of Hawker and visit the Wilpena Panorama Gallery to see a magnificent 360° degree painting of Wilpena Pound and locally produced art, craft and foods. Depart for Adelaide, visit a Cellar Door for a quick wine tasting on the way home (time permitting).

This is just one of many suggested itineraries that would give a wonderful overview of the real Flinders Ranges.

Colin B. Richards is co-founder of http://www.addictedtotravel.com, a passionate and experienced traveller in North America, Australia, Europe and Africa - now providing detailed travel guides and a collection of the best holidays from operators across the globe. Browse our diverse collection of Flinders Ranges Holidays and see for yourself.

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South Australia - Outback Wilderness Travel

After several wilderness landscape photography trips to outback South Australia, Laurie McArthur writes of the preparation necessary to venture alone into an environment that will kill you, just for being there, if you don't look out.

Traveling on an ATV (quadbike or four wheel motorbike), Laurie has traveled hundreds of kilometres around the Arid Region, west of Lake Torrens, in South Australia, camping and photographing the harsh wilderness landscape as he goes.

Ownership of the Land

About 70% of South Australia is pastoral lease. The land is owned by the South Australian government and leased, long term, to pastoralists for sheep and cattle grazing, and to mining companies for exploration and mining operations.

If you look at a regular road map of outback South Australia, the roads marked are public roads and you are free to travel these outback roads through the arid wilderness country as you would any other country road. Exceptions are national parks and Aboriginal land. But they are another two stories.

However, the extra roads and tracks marked on a topographic map of outback South Australia, are station owned and maintained. Whether there is a gate or not, you must have permission from the station manager to travel on these outback roads and tracks.

Moreover, if you approach the outback station manager with appropriate courtesy, he'll more than likely give you invaluable local knowledge. You see, there are outback tracks marked on the best topographic maps that don't exist, and visa versa. There are outback tracks that are so washed out as to be impassable. Some lines on the topographic map, marked as outback station tracks, will be found to be just an old, tumbled down fence line that you might be able to follow on a horse. Still other outback tracks might cross a dry salt lake for say, 10 kilometres, with the mud being firm enough to hold a vehicle only after a dry spell of many years.

Permission to Travel on Pastoral Leases

1) Contact Mapland and purchase a large map of South Australia showing all the pastoral leases and their names. Then identify which pastoral leases you wish to travel on.

2) Contact Outback SA, Level 6, 101 Grenfell St., ADELAIDE SA 5000 or telephone 1 800 678 477 for a list of Pastoral Leases.

3) Contact the relevant pastoral lessee(s) by telephone or letter, well in advance of your proposed trip. They may refuse permission for a range of good reasons including stock management and road conditions.

You should make allowance for some of these folk not being highly oriented toward office work. But generally speaking, once you develop a rapport with them, they'll be most supportive.

It's important to keep in mind that the roll of the pastoralists on the outback land is to run stock. They are not there as an extension of the tourist industry and cannot be expected to bail you out should you get into difficulties on their station.

Navigation

The South Australian outback is vast and unforgiving, so be well prepared to navigate your way reliably through the Arid Region.

1) Maps You must have a paper road map and a paper topographic map of the outback area you will be traveling. Never rely entirely on a GPS, no matter how sophisticated a model it is.

2) Compass An inexpensive pocket compass will do to orientate the topographic map or the road map.

3) GPS With a hand held or vehicle mounted GPS you'll know where you are on the map to an accuracy of about five metres. An entry level GPS used in conjunction with a paper map will be quite adequate to find your way around the South Australian outback. More sophisticated models display a moving map on the screen.

4) Bush Sense Be aware of where the sun and the moon rise and set at the particular time of year and how far to the north the sun will be at noon. Both the sun and the moon move toward the north in winter. Take note of the prevailing winds and the direction of the parallel sand dunes.

5) Study the Maps Well before the trip, become familiar with the South Australian outback country you'll be traveling. Know the features such as hills, wells and dams, homesteads, lakes, creek beds and main roads as well as tracks. Google Earth is a great resource for getting to know the outback in advance.

Communication There's no reason for ill prepared outback travelers who become stranded, to die of dehydration, in these modern days of satellite communication. All South Australian outback travelers should have a satellite phone.

Would you like to read about Laurie's South Australian outback trip of August 2006? In his website, ATV Camping Trip, Laurie tells many stories, illustrated with his digital images, about his travels on Bosworth and Andamooka stations, west of Lake Torrens.

Many of the photos are Laurie's artistic landscapes and there is a section of ATV Camping Trip displaying the images and poetry from his one man art exhibition of Arid Region harsh, wilderness landscape photography.

Included also in the ATV Camping Trip website, are some great stories about the renowned explorer, John McDouall Stuart, who traveled this outback region of South Australia in 1858.

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