(14/4/2018 – 18/4/2018)
Grandeur and magnificent are words that come to my mind to describe the Flinders Ranges. We checked into Rawnsley Park Station which provided the perfect base for exploring these ranges.
On our first day we drove out to Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre which was the starting point for many walking trails. There we gathered information and maps, etc, for our walks and drives throughout the Flinders Ranges.
Over the three days we did various walks and drives to the Old Homestead, Wangara Lookout, Pugilist Lookout, Blinman, Hucks Lookout, Sacred Canyon, Booyero Gorge and Brachina Gorge.
There are so many 4WD tracks all around the Flinders Ranges, its perfect for the 4WD enthusiasts such as us!!! There are also plenty of challenging tracks for the serious cyclists (yeh not us!!). And of course there is a huge array of walks for the bushwalkers/hikers. There are alot of stations and farmstays throughout the Flinders to stay at too.
One day we took a drive up to Blinman and called in to the North Blinman Hotel for lunch and drinks. Blinman is a historic copper mining town where there are still a number of buildings dating from the 1860s, when copper ore was first mined in this area.
I think the Flinders Ranges has a more Aboriginal feel than the Grampians and that these Ranges have a strong cultural importance with the Aboriginal people.
What I have seen written to describe the Flinders Ranges is “an ancient land with rich cultural history, unique geological landscapes, stunning scenery and abundant wildlife”. Such a perfect description I must say!!!!
There are so many lookouts and vantage points throughout the Ranges and at different times of the day depending on the sun and the clouds, the colours of the Ranges change beautifully!!! It was very interesting to see all the different colours and layers of quartzite, limestone, sandstone, zinc, copper and lead deposits in the Ranges and the Gorges.
Wilpena Pound means “a meeting place” in Aboriginal.
Our first walk started at Wilpena Pound to Wangara Lookout which was about 7km return
Aboriginal artwork, pointing towards the trail to Wangara Lookout
Wangara Lookout
Sacred Canyon
‘The Great Wall of China’, officially known as Mount Emily. This is the highest peak in this range, with a stone pile indicating over 700 m above sea level. This great wall is made up of horizontal bed of limestone.
We packed up on Wednesday and drove to a free camp at Point Lowly which is just north of Whyalla. We camped here overnight before heading the next morning down to Port Lincoln to meet up with our travelling companions Daniel and Stacey and their 2 kids (Summer and Harlem). From here we were going to travel across the Nullarbor Plain with them.
(14/4/2018 – 18/4/2018)
Laughtons Living Life 