outback Archives - Pin Your Footsteps

Introduction

Flinders Ranges National Park was my first stop on the way from Adelaide to Darwin. Well, not exactly on the way as I had to make nearly 200 km detour from Port Augusta. However, the first stop on the way through the iconic scenery of outback Australia. I expected it to be marvellous and pristine. Driving from Melbourne to Adelaide was fun. Great Ocean Road, detour to Kangaroo Island and multicultural city of Adelaide. But now it was a time to get inland. To see the Red Centre. To feel the heartbeat of Australia.

I knew that there are long days of driving ahead of me but all emotions were covered by pure excitement. I love desert landscapes. Silence, remoteness, huge open spaces with me standing in the middle like a small pawn on a giant board. I feel I am self-dependent. Far away from the mess of daily life. Free.

I hit the road in the morning and left Adelaide before traffic jams. The day was beautiful with a blue sky and a pleasant temperature of 20-25C. The plan was to get to Port Augusta with a stop in Mount Remarkable National Park. After a short hike there, I still had enough time to visit Australia Arid Lands Botanic Gardens. I didn’t expect more than boring walk among plants just to kill some time but instead, I got one of the biggest positive surprises in South Australia. Learning about the flora doesn’t come with the thrill of joy in my heart, but the walk through the garden was very relaxing and the landscape around it at sunset time was simply stunning. Look at the pictures below and tell me I’m wrong!

*Landscape around Australia Arid Lands Botanic Garden* in Port Augusta

Flinders Ranges, South Australia — Landscape around *Australia Arid Lands Botanic Garden* *in Port Augusta*

Sunset around Australia Arid Lands Botanic Garden *in Port Augusta*

After the night at the gas station, I hit the road well before sunrise. It took me around 2 hours to reach the turn into Brachina Gorge Road. From here, dust road led me as far as I could see, pulling towards mountain ranges growing on the horizon with every second.

Flinders Ranges National Park was named for Matthew Flinders, the English navigator who sighted and explored the peaks in 1802.

There is a lot to see here. The largest mountains range in South Australia with stunning gorges rich in wildlife as well as historical sites. Ikara/Wilpena Pound is an ancient meeting or initiation place for Aboriginal people and several ruined buildings around Wilpena, Arkaba and Aroona remind about first settlements of Europeans in this region. Contacts between traditional owners (Adnyamathanha people) and newcomers were not always peaceful, especially when it comes to water and land rights.

Best time to visit

The most comfortable time for exploring the area is between April and October. In summer, the temperatures can rise well over 40ºC, which can already be dangerous for your health and safety.

I would suggest staying at least 2 days to do plenty of bushwalks and admire night sky at the campsite.

How to get there

The easiest way is to start from Adelaide and drive around 450 kilometers to the north in the direction of Hawker and Wilpena. You don’t need 4WD at any point.

Alternatively, you can approach Flinders Ranges from the north, following Birdsville Track or from Broken Hill, turning right at Yunta but in both cases don’t think about it without 4WD.

For getting around the park, a 2WD car with high clearance is enough. Roads are unsealed and sometimes rough, especially in Brachina Gorge, but just take it slowly and it’s gonna be fine. I had no problems driving my Toyota Tarago.

Camping

There are 10 campgrounds in the national park. Most of them have basic facilities, such as toilets and fire pits (can be used outside of the fire danger season). As there is no mobile signal at campgrounds, therefore book your spot and vehicle entry fee online or at the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre. I really recommend staying for the night in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. There is no light source here, so take your own and don’t forget to just turn it off for a while. Then, enjoy the magical spectacle full of stars.

Worth to know

Take Georama virtual tour – a great chance to have the first look at the national park scenery before heading there in person. Views include Wilpena Pound, Pine Hut, Parachilna Gorge and more.
Download mobile apps: Discover the Flinders Ranges (iOS / Android) and Flinders Ranges Walks (iOS, Android). The first one includes driving and walking tours as well as information about geology, wildlife and plants. On the other hand, the second one covers 16 walking tracks in the national park.

Maps can be downloaded from the website National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia.
Park Pass is required to access the Flinders Ranges National Park and costs 11 AUD per vehicle. It can be purchased at the Wilpena Pound Visitor’s Centre.

Top sights in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park

Wilpena Pound – 80 sq km amphitheatre of mountains that is also known by its Adnyamathanha name of Ikara, meaning “meeting place”. According to Dreaming stories, the surrounding mountains are the bodies of two giant snakes that laid around during the initiation ceremony. After feasting on the people, they couldn’t move and died, creating the most iconic landmark of the national park.

If you have some cash to spare, take a scenic flight and admire this miracle of nature from the sky. Scenic flights can be booked through the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre and such a pleasure costs between 100-200 AUD.

Pound Gap Track and Wangarra Lookouts – there are several walking tracks starting at the Wilpena Visitor centre, including the Pound Gap Track (8 km return). It follows Wilpena Creek through tall river red gums and pines. After some time, you will reach Hill Homestead which is worth a stop to read information about historic inhabitants of the cottage and difficult conditions they struggled with. Refill your body with water and calories and continue to lower and then to the upper Wangarra Lookouts to fully enjoy spectacular Wilpena Pound from the inside.

If you are lazy, there is an option to take a shuttle bus that stops around 1 km from Hill Homestead. It runs 3 or 4 times a day but check the schedule at Wilpena Pound Resort.

Solar Panel Station – nice short walk on the road towards Wilpena Pound Resort. Nice not because of solar panels but the gang of kangaroos hopping around.

Brachina Gorge – 20 km drive with informative signs along the way telling about the age and formations of the rock and cliffs. Some of the oldest fossils on earth have been found here! If that doesn’t excite you, then just sit back and enjoy the ride with the bumps adding a bit of adventure feel. Amazing experience! If you are lucky, there is a chance to spot a yellow-footed rock wallaby, especially active in the afternoons.

Bunyeroo Gorge – a great opportunity for a walk surrounded by rocks and gum trees. The 7.5 km return hike will take about 3-3.5 hours to complete.

Razorback Lookout – only a short drive away from the parking at Bunyeroo Gorge following scenic Bunyeroo Valley road lays this iconic viewpoint. Breathtaking panorama of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

Old Wilpena Station – the oldest pastoral site in South Australia, working until 1985. Remainings of old buildings and cemetery remind about harsh conditions that first European settlers faced after arrival to the region. Two options for a walk here: 1km loop or 3.2km loop.

Arkaroo Rock – Short bushwalk taking you to ochre and charcoal rock paintings from the land’s traditional owners. Parking is easily accessible from Ikara/Wilpena Pound (around 17 km). From there, it’s uphill but gentle loop track which shouldn’t take longer than 1-1.5 hours to complete. Other spots to admire aboriginal art are at Perawurtina and Sacred Canyon, however, the last one can be visited only on an organized tour with an Aboriginal guide from Wilpena Pound Resort.

St Mary Peak – The highest point of the Flinders Ranges (1171m above sea level) and significant place for aboriginal people of Adnyamathanha. Due to this fact, it’s recommended to respect the summit and not to go beyond Tanderra Saddle. There are two options: the direct route, which is 14.6 km long and takes about 6 hours or the loop route, which is 21.5 km and takes about 8-9 hours. I didn’t do the hike but I heard it’s pretty difficult so take enough supplies and tell someone about your plans.

Aroona Ruins – Above the spring are the remains of sheep station from the early nineteenth century. The area is strongly connected with Hans Heysen, the German watercolour artist.

Appealinna Ruins – In the 1850s, Joseph Wills was a local pastoralist who built the homestead and stockyards on the southern side of the creek, while the ruins on the north side were once a busy mining settlement.

Walks and hikes – There are enough tracks to satisfy even the most demanding wanderers and spend several days with nature. Check the full list on the website of the national park and get a map from Wilpena Visitor Centre. Never forget your water and keep in mind safety rules!

Hermannsburg

This Aboriginal community is on the way to Palm Valley, therefore its historic precinct is very often visited by organized groups on day tours. It was established in the 1880s as a Lutheran mission by German pastors, hence its name. They constructed characteristical buildings including a church, school and several houses. Today, you can enjoy your time in a tea shop, museum and the Namatjira Gallery.

Albert Namatjira is a world-famous Aboriginal watercolor artist born in Hermannsburg. Due to his art, he gained an appreciation and became the first Aboriginal person to get restricted Australian citizenship allowing him to vote, buy alcohol and claim land rights. In 1953 Namatjira was awarded the Queen’s Coronation Medal and in 1968 he was honored on an Australian postage stamp.

You can admire his works in many museums all around Australia and don’t forget to check the ones in the museum in Hermannsburg Historic Precinct.

Palm Valley

Palm Valley lies within Finke Gorge National Park that covers an area of around 46.000 hectares in Central Australia. Why is it so special? Because it’s like an oasis filled with around 12.000 Red Cabbage Palms after which the valley is named. There is no other place like that in the region and the nearest specimens are 850 km away in Queensland.

Why are there palms on the desert?

One of the very first versions claimed that palms are survivors from prehistoric times when the climate in this region was far more tropical. However, recent studies proved that the same species of palms grow around 1000 north around Mataranka and Katherine. It is believed that the seeds were transported from one place to another by migrating people 15.000 – 30.000 years ago. Why did they move? That remains uncertain and we can only speculate: the rise of sea levels, bushfires, etc.

The theory would, in fact, go in line with Aboriginal legend telling about palm seed brought by the ‘gods form the north’. Is it really possible that the legend survives more than 15.000 years? I don’t know but I like to believe it is. It only adds magical feeling to this already extraordinary place.

Northern Territory, Australia — The landscape around Palm Valley

While Red Cabbage Palms are the main actors in this theatre, there are about 684 species of plants living in Finke Gorge National Park, 30 of them being rare and 16 that can be found only here.

How to get there?

You would need 4WD and I mean it. In many parts of Australia, I managed to access remote attractions with 2WD, just taking it easy and driving on corrugated dirt with care. But here, it certainly wouldn’t be possible. You will drive on a sandy bad of Finke River after all!

Therefore, without high clearance 4WD, I would suggest going for an organized tour as I did. It was a totally hassle-free experience in a 4WD truck and commentary provided by our guide Bluey from Emu Run Experience was probably the biggest advantage! Daily tours depart from Alice Springs and from there it takes around 2 hours to get to the national park. Besides Finke River National Park, they usually stop at Hermannsburg as well.

On the way back we saw 4WD Toyota Hilux in trouble when the driver went too fast and broke suspension which in the result made a puncture in the fuel tank. The fuel leaked out completely in just a few seconds and that was the end of the trip for unlucky ones. Other tourists gave them a lift to Alice Springs where they had to find a mechanic and spare parts and then come back to Palm Valley to fix the car onsite. Difficult Aussie life!

Overnight

If you travel independently you may want to set your camp at the dedicated spot and spend a night in this remote area. It must be an amazing experience and I would certainly do so next time. There are showers, toilets and barbecues provided. Don’t forget to take some cash to pay onsite.

Walks in the area

Arankaia Walk (2 km, 1-hour return) – located in Palm Valley itself it gives you the best opportunity to admire these spectacular plants.

Mpulungkinya Walk (5km, 2-hours return) – the longer version of Arankaia Walk.

Kalarranga Lookout (1.5 km, 45 min return) – easy ascent to the top where I was rewarded by the panoramic view of the national park and surrounding amphitheater of rocks. It’s a breathtaking spot for sunset, so if you camp overnight, get here on time!

Mpaara Walk (5 km, 2 hours return) – it’s a nice walk but also cultural experience describing the mythology of Western Aranda Aboriginal people. The start is at Kalarranga parking.

A few things to remember

Please don’t ignore the guidance provided by Finke River National Park:

Camping is only permitted in the designated camping areas at Palm Valley and along the Finke River at Boggy Hole.
Collect firewood before entering the park.
At Palm Valley, fires are only permitted in designated fire pits.
Pets are not permitted in the National Park.
Rubbish bins are not provided, so take your rubbish with you.
If traveling the Finke River 4WD route, stay on the marked track.
Be careful where you walk and stay on the marked tracks. Young palms can be destroyed by visitors not realizing what they are walking on. The regeneration of the palms is needed for the survival of this population.

Enjoy this beautiful place!

outback

Guide to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park