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Gawler Ranges: a Short Break Away

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Gawler Ranges: a Short Break Away The Gawler Ranges: A short break away 15 March to 26 March 2018 Trip Leaders: Geoff and Anita H General The trip to the Gawler Ranges is intended to be a relaxed trip around the region, providing participants with an opportunity for 4WD touring and sightseeing, R&R or a combination of both. The trip will be suitable for tents and off road trailers / caravans. The dates have been deliberately chosen as they fall between the Labour Day weekend and Easter and avoid school holidays, which should maximise our chances of less crowded campsites and 4WD tracks. The intention is to explore the various areas from base camps, which will avoid the need to take trailers etc on the tracks. The standard of 4WDing will be moderate (based on our research), but recovery gear should be carried just in case. There is no limit on the number of participants but most camping areas in the Gawler Ranges can accommodate 10 vehicles. We have booked a site for ourselves at Kolay Hut Campground, an unallocated camp ground. Unfortunately our booking has not guaranteed exclusive access to this Campground so, to ensure that we are able to camp together, it would be advisable for other participants to book sooner rather than later. Itinerary March 15: Spear Creek Caravan Park The trip will officially start at the Spear Creek Caravan Park, which is located 25 kms or half an hour south east of Port Augusta. Set immediately adjacent to the Western slopes of the Flinders Ranges in the middle of a 7000ha working sheep station, Spear Creek provides privacy and security. Spear Creek is accessed from HWY 56 (Sth) or HWY 47 (Nth) and the Old Wilmington Road (bitumen). The amenities are built amongst 400yr old river red gums in an area abounding with native flora and fauna, providing great private property bush walking and bird watching. There are also private Bush Camp areas which have their own flush toilets, water and fire pits. When we stayed last year the rates were $25 and $28 for unpowered / powered sites respectively. March 16, 17 and 18: Gawler Ranges Spear Creek to Gawler Ranges: 360 km Start time: 8.00 am Fuel: The last opportunity to refuel will be at Kyancutta. Please allow enough fuel for 200km of 4WDing whilst in the Park (if you choose to do these trips), plus another 100km to Mt Ive (where fuel is available, but it probably won’t be cheap). There is NO water available in the Gawler Ranges. Please bring sufficient water for 3 days / 3 nights. Food: Fully self-sufficient Rates: $46 for 3 nights, consisting of $12 daily camping fee and once off $10 vehicle permit Booking: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/booking/details#/accom/73112 Website: https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/find-a-park/Browse_by_region/Eyre_Peninsula/gawler-ranges-national-park#about Google Maps suggests the drive out to the Gawler Ranges from Spear Creek will take approximately 5 hours 45 minutes. Allowing time for stocking up in Port Augusta, refuelling and lunch this will be a relatively long day. An early start time is recommended to enable us to set up camp at a reasonable time. We are recommending the Kolay Hut Campground. It offers room for 10 vehicles (although the tenth site is a considerable distance from the others), a flat surface and shade. It also has a drop toilet and a donkey heater for a shower (although according to various reviews, this is not always operational). We have made a booking for ourselves but unfortunately this does not secure the Site for our exclusive use. Again, early booking is highly recommended to maximise our chances of being able to camp together. ! If you don’t wish to camp alternative accommodation may be available at the Pondanna Outstation, which has been restored by the Friends of Gawler Ranges. You will need to phone 0437 586 725 to find out more about this option. (Pondanna Outstation is approximately 20km from the Kolay Hut Campground). Things to Do We have two full days to either explore the Gawler Ranges, relax or a combination of both. From our research, five of the top things to see in the Gawler Ranges are: • The Organ Pipes – Climb to the top of these ancient rock formations, the result of volcanic eruptions more than 1500 million years ago. • Kolay Mirica Falls – Visit at sunset to see the stunning orange-red rocks at their glowing best. • Sturt’s Lake – Dry for most of the year, a heavy downpour can transform Sturt’s Lake from shimmering salt pan to a wide, watery mirror. • Wildlife – The park is home to a wide range of animals, including Major Mitchell’s cockatoos, ring-neck parrots, yellow-footed rock wallabies, hairy- nosed wombats, goannas, emus and, of course, kangaroos. • Old Paney Homestead – Visit the old stone homestead that remains as a reminder of the park’s days as a remote pastoral property. To cover these areas we intend to offer a loop drive on each of our two days in the Park. The routes are shown on the map below: The “Yellow” route is approximately 95km and the “Magenta” route is 105km. Depending on the road conditions, these could be relatively full days so we will probably leave camp no later than 9.00am, getting us back well in time for Happy Hour. Some other articles about the Gawler Ranges that may be of interest are: https://traveloutbackaustralia.com/exploring-gawler-ranges-complete-guide.html/ http://unsealed4x4.com.au/issue021/#61 March 19, 20 and 21: Mt Ive Station Gawler Ranges to Mt Ive: 91 km Start Time: 10.00am Food: Fully self-sufficient, although there is a bar! Rates: Unpowered Camping - $10 per person per night Powered Camping - $14 per person per night Shearer’s quarters - $65 twin share (No linen, shared bathroom with campers) Stone Rooms - $90 twin share (Linen provided, shared bathroom with campers) Self contained unit - $160 twin share plus extra for each additional adult (can sleep up to 5) Water: If you like Melbourne water, it might be advisable to bring your own water to drink. Website: http://www.mtive.com.au/index.htm Please be aware: Mt Ive is fully booked during Speed Week (speed trials on Lake Gairdner), which finishes on 16 March. At this stage, they are unsure how many people will elect to remain at the Station following Speed Week. Unpowered camping should not be a problem and some powered camping may be available by then. The rooms could be problematic. If you wish to book a room, you should contact the Station directly on (08) 8648 1817 or email them on [email protected]. Things to Do We have two full days to either explore the Station, relax or a combination of both. The Station offers numerous 4WD tracks, the most popular one being the drive out to Lake Gairdner. The tracks seem to be mainly “Moderate to Challenging” and range in duration from short to trips of up to 4 hours. We intend to lead a trip out to the Lake and, depending on interest, will decide “what we get up to” on the next day. $55 per vehicle gives full access to all tracks, ie over the two day period. A trip out to Lake Gairdner only will cost $30 per vehicle. Shown below is a selection of the tracks on offer (apologies for the resolution, but they were photographed with a phone at Mt Ive and emailed to us). March 22 and 23: Quorn Caravan Park Mt Ive to Quorn: 233 km Start Time: 10.00am Food: Fully self-sufficient or eat out (there are 4 hotels and a number of cafes). There is also a reasonable IGA in town. Rates: 2017 Single Two Accommodation Person Persons 2 BR Ensuite Cabins (sleeps up to 5 – max. 4 adults) $130 $140 – linen & towels provided for main bed Standard Ensuite Cabins (sleeps up to 6 – max. 4 adults) $100 $110 – linen & towels provided for main bed Onsite Eco Tourer Caravan (sleeps 2) – linen & towels $65 $75 provided Bunkhouse (sleeps 2) – byo bedding or hire bed pack $40 $50 Bunkhouse (sleeps 1-6) – byo bedding or hire bed pack $40 $50 Powered Site $29 $35 Unpowered Site $22 $28 Website: https://www.quorncaravanpark.com.au Things to Do We will probably arrive in Quorn mid afternoon, which will provide plenty of time to set up camp and maybe head to one (or more) of the pubs for a beer. Planned Activity: Horseshoe Rim Adventure Track Quorn to Horseshoe Rim: 75km Start time: Between 9.00 - 9.30am We have one full day in Quorn, during which we intend to lead a trip out of Quorn to drive the Horseshoe Rim Adventure Track. This track is graded as Moderate and takes approximately 3 hours. Allowing an hour each way and 3 hours for the track plus breaks we should return to camp between 4.00 - 4.30pm. The cost of the drive is $50 per vehicle. Other Activities (if you don’t want to 4wd) Historic Walk There is a pleasant Historic Walk through the town which includes 27 buildings and locations most of which date from the late 19th and early 20th century when the town was an important railway centre. The walk starts at the Railway Station (1916) and goes past the Austral Hotel (1878), Mathews Emporium - Quornucopia (1886), Criterion Hotel (1890), Court House (1879), Town Hall (1891), Anglican Church (1897), the Flour Mill (1878), Trancontinental Hotel (1878), Grand Junction Hotel (1890), Catholic Church (1883), Uniting Church (1879) and Lutheran Church (1890).
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