© LonelyPlanetPublications at 110km/h,timehere still…passes…slowly. highway; homesteads have deepverandas andslow-spinningwindmills. Even asyou flyby here isstark,desolate andvery beautiful.Cattle grids,emusandfastlizardscrossthehot ahold:thescenery takes thedesert the faceofclimate Ranges, change. InthearidNorthern river red gums. Here, countryhamletshave cherubicappealandwheatfarmingendures in seat: ruinsofsunstruckfarmsandabandonedminespeppertheregion’s hillsandgullies. rerouted togetAliceSprings,theFlinderstookaback Hwymadeitquicker andtheStuart Territory,the Northern withtheold seem todefinetheAustralian outbackidentity.The Flinderswere onceavitaltraderoute into and ritualuses. Sacred existthroughouttheregion. caves, rockpaintingsandcarvings Flinders were prized bythe Adnyamathanha peoplesfortheirred ochres, whichhadmedicinal shift frommauve mornings tomiddaychocolates andochre red sunsets. The colourshere Desert. Strzelecki are asthedaystretches remarkable: out,themountains toMt Hopeless,before faltering 400kmnorth Augusta downintothe andtrackafurther Port of is aniconicSouthAustralian environment.Jaggedpeaksandescarpmentsriseupnorth Known simplyas‘theFlinders’,thisancientmountainrange(oncehigherthantheHimalayas) Ranges Flinders 116 „ This isalsoataleoftworanges. are The coolerSouthernRanges studdedwithstandsof ofwhite In thewake explorationcamevillages,farms,countrypubsandcattlestations,which ofthestory.Before oftherangesare Europeans onlypart But thephysicalvirtues arrived, the

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TELEPHONE CODE: Reachingtheendofroadand slidinginto Learning aboutAdnyamathanhahistoryandculture Pulling intothe uptothelofty,desolate rimof Hiking Spottingyellow-footed rockwallabies,emusand Paying yourrespects tothesacred Aboriginal Careening offtheMawsonTrailintogorgeous Sanctuary the swimmingpool at at theAboriginal-run Pound roos in paintings at Melrose Parachilna forsome ‘feral’ antipastoandacoldbeer (p125) Flinders RangesNationalPark ( p119 ), theFlinders’oldesttown (p129 ) Arkaroo Rock Arkaroo Prairie Hotel % 08 Iga Warta Arkaroola WildernessArkaroola (p124) „ 18) n far-flung in ( p128) www.flindersranges.com (p129) Ghan Wilpena railwayclattering through.Whenthetraintrackswere (p125) „ Parachilna www.flindersoutback.com Wilpena Pound Melrose Arkaroo Rock National Park Flinders Ranges Wilderness Sanctuary Iga Warta Arkaroola FLINDERS RANGES 117 8821 2755; % ( 1300 654 604, 8132 1300 654 604, 8132 % ( 8415 5555; www.premierstate 1800 170 170, 08-8642 6827; www runs a Friday bus to Quorn runs a Friday bus to Quorn % runs a Port Augusta–to- ( 1300 653 510, 8132 8230; 1300 653 510, 8132 8230; 1800 661 177, 8440 1640; 1640; 1800 661 177, 8440 % ( % % ( ( YorkeCoaches Peninsula busesdaily from run at least twice Gulf Getaways Anyone planning to travel off the main the main off Anyone planning to travel www.waywardbus.com.au) www.groovygrape.com.au) the roads between and Wilpena and (fine in a 2WD still gravel into Arkaroola were ’em slow). car if you take roads, particularly in the north, should be drinking water, for a dearth of prepared shops and service heading stations. If you’re stopping at Quorn ($20, 30 minutes), Hawker Hawker stopping at Quorn ($20, 30 minutes), and Wilpena Pound ($50, ($40, 1¼ hours) 2¼ hours). CAR & MOTORCYCLE accessed Ranges from The Flinders are by sealed Main Hwy 1 and roads off North Rd, and via the Barrier Hwy from New coming from South Wales (NSW). If you’re the BarrierNSW, you can also turn off Hwy roads to at Yunta gravel-surfaced and take Wilpena Pound, Gammon Ranges National roads to The major and Arkaroola. Park Leigh Wilpena Pound, Creek Quorn, Hawker, all sealed.and the Southern Ranges towns are the road between research At the time of to Blinman was being sealed, but Parachilna Premier Stateliner liner.com.au) From here, www.ypcoaches.com.au) ($8, 1¼ and Wilmington ($6, 45 minutes) also runs Coaches Peninsula Yorke hours). Port Pirie (south of bus from a Thursday ($8, 1¼ hours) Port Augusta) to Melrose and a bus and Wilmington ($9, 1½ hours); from Port Pirie to Laura and ($4, 20 minutes) Wirrabarra ($7, one hour) on the second and the month. fourth Monday of .gulfgetaways.com.au) Quorn and Wilpena (plus Arkaroola Wilpena (plus Quorn and on the four- and Blinman Coober Pedy. and can be extendedday jaunt), to swinging through the operators Other major Flinders: Adventure Tours Groovy Grape Wayward Bus Getting There & Around BUS 8130; www.adventuretours.com.au) 8130; Wilpena shuttle on Fridays and Sundays, on Fridays and Sundays, Wilpena shuttle Adelaide to Port Augusta ($47, four hours) Adelaide to Port Augusta ($47, four hours) ranges. the Southern Flinders at the base of 0408-845 378; www.swagabout 8235 9954, 0408-209 593; www 8675 8351; www.southaustralia % •• National Parks FLINDERS RANGES ( % % ( ( 8346 4155; www.ecotrek.com; 7-day tour

% (

Alternatively, a single-park day pass costs a single-park Alternatively,

National National Parks Tours Tours .com/S9008383.aspx; 7-day tour $1050) Aboriginal-owned company offering from Adelaide to the cultural tours Lake Eyre. Flinders Ranges, Marree, Oodnadatta Track and tours.com.au) Dependable tours with the option of staying tours.com.au) The Adelaide-to–Alicein hotels or camping under the stars. Springs trips (five-/seven-/nine-/10-day camping tours $1350/1850/2400/2690, hotels $1920/2675/3450/3850) take in the Flinders Ranges, Oodnadatta Track, Dalhousie Springs and Uluru. Dedicated Flinders Ranges trips (three/ four days camping $650/1000, hotels $870/1300) include $1548) Excellent all-inclusive tours walking the best sec- tions of the Flinders, with soft beds, hot showers and food each day. and wine at the end of Swagabout Tours Ecotrek Bookabee Tours ahead as tours are very popular; some (particu- very are ahead as tours minimum numbers. larly flights) require Arabunna Tours Quorn ( p122 ), Hawker ( p124 ), Wilpena Pound p124 ( ), Hawker p122 Quorn ( book). Definitely p129 ( ) and Arkaroola p126 ( The following Flinders Ranges run fromFlinders tours The following ), p137 depart Port Augusta (seeAdelaide; others Creek ( p121 ), and the plush Wilpena Pound p121 ( Creek Resort ( p126 ). You don’t have to rough it, though, as there are are to rough it, though, as there You don’t have ) and Mambray p121 ( cabins at Alligator Gorge ( p121 ), Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges ), ( p128 ) p127 Rangesand Flinders ( national parks with bush camping at several other spots too. ers or at self-registrationers as you enter centres at Mt Remarkable camping the parks. There’s $7.50 per vehicle, available from park rang- available $7.50 per vehicle, www.environment.sa.gov.au/pa rks/visitor www.environment.sa.gov.au/pa /onlinepass.html. Heritage in Port Augusta ( p137 ), the Wilpena ), the Wilpena p137 in Port Augusta ( Heritage ), or online at p125 ( centre Pound visitors from the Department for Environment & for Environment & from the Department Ranges parks), get hold of a Holiday Pass a Holiday Pass Ranges hold of parks), get $50/30), with/without camping (per vehicle You can purchase one valid for two months. parks. If you’re planning to visit all the parks parks planning to visit all the parks. If you’re Ranges, (including the Flinders hereabouts Vulkathunha-Gammon and Mt Remarkable during the rest of the year there’s magical magical the year there’s of rest during the national to be had in the area’s bushwalking The Flinders is hot and dry in summer, but but in summer, is hot and dry Flinders The lonelyplanet.com .bookabee.com.au; tours $1930/2380) Highly 4-/5-day rated Indigenous-run tours to the Flinders Ranges and , including quality accommodation, meals, cultural tours, activities & interpretation.