The mighty Flinders Ranges

The Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range found in South Australia. It starts at its southerly point near Port Pirie and makes its way up into the heart of South Australia to Lake Callabonna. We commenced our Flinders experience staying the night at the picturesque Hancocks lookout.

HANCOCKS LOOKOUT
Heading from Port Pirie we took an early wrong turn (thanks Google Maps) and we had quite the off-road experience as we made our way up Horrocks Pass. The bumpy experience was worth making it to the top of Hancocks. What a sight to behold. As the sun set, we watched the light play off the lower mountain ridges. Upon dusk you could see right across the Yorke Peninsula to the Eyre Peninsula, with the lights of Whyalla flickering in the distance. It was a truly remarkable free camp (however I believe you can only spend a maximum of 24 hours here). It was a stunning way to kick off the Flinders experience.

QUORN
The following morning we made our way towards the remarkable old-school country town of Quorn. Its historic charm has found this little town being the setting of many scenes in famous Australian movies, such as Wolf Creek, Gallipoli and The Sundowners to name a few. In addition to the heritage aspects of Quorn, we were excited to experience the Pichi Richi Railway. The Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society Inc., preserves, restores and operates the first leg of the old Central Australian Railway to Alice Springs, on the original Ghan route. Volunteers run the steam train service from Quorn to Woolshed Flat station where you stop for a food break before the return journey. This 2.5-hour round was a huge highlight with our train-loving children, and it was an experience that we definitely recommend to those travelling in the region. If time allows, Quorn also has a silo art show which is projected onto silos. It tells the stories of the local First Nations peoples through animation, photos and paintings.

WARREN GORGE
If you’re looking for a great bush camp near Quorn, look no further than Warren Gorge. 21kms from Quorn, Warren Gorge is a spectacular campground nestled beneath huge cliff faces. When entering the campground you drive through an impressive gorge with a small stream running alongside the road. It was very picturesque. This campground was payable at either the information centre in town or cash in envelopes at the front gate. As a bush camp there are minimal facilities with drop toilets available near some sites and bin disposal on the way out. Warren Gorge was a special place to rest and take some time away from society (with limited phone reception). We spent hours just sitting back, watching the birdlife and enjoyed the passing of the days. In the late afternoon we watched the light show of storms further south on the horizon, as well as enjoying clear night skies with a great blanket of stars due to zero light pollution.

MERNA MORA STATION
There are a number of great station stays dotted around the Flinders and we scoured Wikicamps with all of the reviews before settling on Merna Mora Station. The working cattle and sheep station offers a number of accommodation options here including powered and unpowered sites and a number of rooms. There is access to a camp kitchen and amenities. Only a short drive to the Ikara-Flinders National Park and within eyeshot of Wilpena Pound, Merna Mora is an excellent station stay that also hosts a number of 4wd tracks across varying difficulties. As we were on the back end of a wet period a lot of the station's 4wd tracks were closed at the time, however, the knowledgeable staff were able to map out a self-guided National Park tour for us which resulted in a memorable day out exploring.

 

 

IKARA-FLINDERS NATIONAL PARK

We were lucky to visit the Ikara-Flinders National Park right after a decent wet season which meant that we could take the 300 through its first series of mild water crossings. There was quite a lot of greenery as well as flowing waterways which shocked me as I had travelled here around 20 years ago and back then it was dry as a bone. If you enjoy 4wding, this National Park (NP) and surrounding regions offers many 4wd tracks across a range of difficulty levels.

Turning off The Outback Highway onto Brachina Gorge Rd we entered the NP from the north west and immediately entered into our first set of gorges. If you stop alongside the old coral river beds make sure to look out for some of the larger coral/rock structures as there is evidence of fossils embedded within it. The gorges themselves are enormous, with sheer rock cliffs in a mix of striking colours. You could see the folds in the layers of when it was created many thousands of years ago. One of the early campgrounds we passed was Teamsters which had a decent river alongside it as well as an impressive cave that you could climb up to. The view from this cave was breathtaking.

As we continued towards Bunyeroo gorge we found ourselves blocked by a great example of what not to do when 4wding. A troopy filled with tourists had decided to try and climb a steep creek bed on an angle and was on the edge of tipping over. The tour group insisted they wait for the tow truck so we worked on our own detour down a steep embankment into the creek bed. Given that we weren’t used to the clearance of the 300 series, we decided to convince the couple with the rental 200 series to go first. Following that we utilised the Downhill Assist Control (DAC) feature in low range and crawled our way down with ease.

As we continued towards Wilpena along the ABC Range we made sure to keep on the lookout for rock wallabies. There are areas (some are signposted) around the NP that are protected to house rock wallaby’s. These timid creatures were exciting to spot throughout the day. In addition to wallabies we also saw lots of birds, kangaroos and emus. As we approached Wilpena Pound it was amazing to see the size and shape of this natural landmark. If you are travelling this area and are able to,  a scenic flight of Wilpena Pound is the best way to see it in its entirety. By car we travelled around it by continuing our loop on Moralana Gorge Rd. There are a number of excellent bush walks within this region, some where you can see Indigenous rock art up close, others which take you right into the heart of Wilpena Pound. As we travel with young children we only completed a short walk along the riverbed at Black Gap. The kids enjoyed jumping across the rocks and checking out lizards and tadpoles. After a full day of driving and exploring we completed our little 4wd adventure as we returned back to Merna Mora station.

HAWKER: JEFF MORGAN GALLERY
As we made our way back down south towards the Eyre Peninsula we dropped into the Jeff Morgan art gallery following a recommendation from locals. While we aren’t big on art galleries, if a sheep farmer recommends it, it must be good. Good is an understatement. The gallery features the works of Jeff Morgan including two massive 360 degree panorama murals complete with scenery and activities for the kids. Also featured in the gallery are impressive collections, including gemstones and crystals, Australian collectibles (like biscuit tins) and car memorabilia. He is currently working on recreating a shearing shed as a new 360 degree exhibit. The shop also offers gemstones, crystals, artworks and books for sale at reasonable prices. If you are driving through Hawker, definitely grab a cuppa or some lunch and check out the gallery.

The Flinders Ranges have so much to offer travellers. Whether you are interested in the arts, history or geography, love to explore, go bushwalking, 4WD or spot wildlife, there is so much to do. If you prefer to unwind and watch the world go by, camp in the heart of National Parks, or visit stations, there are accommodation options to suit everyone. We were taken by surprise with what the Flinders have to offer and will definitely return.