10th Nov Getting to Arkaroola Flinders Ranges

10th Nov 2010: Getting to Arkaroola:
Before we left Lyndhurst and the cheapest fuel north of Port Augusta at a $1.32/ltr (the publican owns the fuel bowser as well and all the trucks fuel up here before heading up Strzelecki Track to Moomba gas fields). We spent some time tapping up all external vents on the caravan other than the fridge as a precaution against dust ingress. Then we drove the 30 odd kls south to Copley where Nancy had to buy another quandong pie for herself. Before tackling the gravel road that starts right at Copley I reduced air pressure in all our tyres (as advised by those with more knowledge than me about these things) then drove the 120 plus kls across the range through station properties, National Parks and remote Aboriginal settlements, undulating country and so many dips into tree lined dry creek crossings that we lost count, I think we stopped at most of them to take photos some of those red river gums are magnificent, on we drove stopping occasionally to watch father emu usher his chick broods off the road to safer localities. – did you know the female emu lays eggs then the male bird has the sole responsibility of raising the chicks for two years, he will always position himself between any threat and the chicks during this period.
Road surface on this drive across from Copley to Arkaroola, changed constantly according to the natural rock in that locality, this ranged from good smooth gravel, clayey surfaces, to bloody awful. We travelled at around 50 – 60 kph sometimes less stopping occasionally in case someone wanted to pass, the dust we produced was so thick you couldn’t see a thing behind for ages only one vehicle passed on the whole trip – wouldn’t want to break down! Drains and creek crossings had to be slowed for although they were dry they were rutted and a lot of the crossings were just creek beds of gravel and cobbles. In all a slow trip but most enjoyable the caravan tows extremely well on the gravel and when we arrived there wasn’t a thing out of place and no dust inside the van other than a couple of small bottom storage cupboards over the wheel arches, an appropriate application of silicone rectified that.


11th – 15th Nov 2010: Arkaroola Flinders Ranges

We had read and heard a bit about Arkaroola an award winning Wilderness Sanctuary set in the magnificent north eastern section of the Flinders Ranges. Most people have heard about Wilpena Pound but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information readily available about Arkaroola even though it is South Australias premier ecotourism destination. Arkaroola is 600 kls north of Adelaide and 3 hours north of Wilpena Pound. Facilities available at Arkaroola include accommodation, a restaurant, bar, store, fuel, tyre repairs, swimming pool and public telephones.
The setting is a lodge with above facilities and half a kilometre away through a gulley to the next ridge is a caravan park with power, bore water if you want to use it and the obligatory showers, toilet and laundry. The caravan park is a terraced set up reminding me a lot of an overgrown drive in movie theatre; each bay is basically drive through, has a small eco garden of shrubs and small trees separating it from the other bays and can cater for two vans in each. With the weather normally warming up at this time of the year it is recognised as the end of the tourist season, that being the case there was only ever a handful of vehicles in the park at one time so we had plenty of room, although it was noticeable how we all gravitated toward the amenity block to save walking – lazy bloody lot, we only parked there because the roadway was wider and I could turn more easily !
Surrounding the settlement area are close by hills of varying geological structure and scrub coverage, from here numerous 4wd trails lead to various distant historical points of interest or just plain vista attractions. Beautiful tree lined gullies and gorges with dry creek beds and occasional water holes abound and wind their way through steep craggy hills. We were seeing the countryside at its best in 20 years or more with a huge array of flowering shrubs and ground plants, Sturt Desert Peas and flowering spinifex grass spreading a golden sheen across darkened scrub on hillsides, tricking the eye into thinking the sun was shining through the clouds onto one particular area, areas that apparently are normally sparsely dotted with any growth at all, are now completely covered in green mainly the soft silvery green of saltbush. There are lots of walking trails that would be better undertaken in cooler times, we completed one short walk of 3 kilometres along a winding tree lined gorge on a cooler day and still found it bearable but rather hot for walking, we would definitely like to come back again only a month or two earlier and carry out some of these walks, you see so much more in the tranquillity of walking.


We also undertook a few driving tracks a lot of these are early geological prospecting tracks from thirty odd years ago or farm station tracks from earlier days, the nature of the terrain is such that growth does not re-establish on formed tracks the ground is so hard and rocky. These tracks or trails go for kilometres a lot of them are marked as one way and ‘whew’ are they a test of 4wd driving, I probably wouldn’t have attempted half the places I was forced to go knowing I had travelled so far and there was no turning back, I had my heart in my mouth a couple of times for sure but reassured by the knowledge that others had done it previously before me, we pressed on enjoying the experience and taking in the natural beauty of the place, but keeping in mind it is a remote area and we were the only ones around for yonks. I don’t think anyone would come looking for us if we didn’t arrive back at the van.
‘Ridge Top Tour”
One luxury we did allow ourselves was to embark on what is famously known as the ‘Ridgetop Tour’ (another Xmas present), 8 or 10 people normally squeeze onto the back of a Toyota 4wd in safari fashion, we were lucky there were only 5 of us thank god, a driver guide takes you over a ridgetop/gully tour where others are locked out of, it is rugged although you have a seatbelt on, you have to hang on, it is so steep and bumpy even though they go quite slowly, the V8 Toyota just chugged merrily up and down some of the steepest tracks I have seen. Driver guide Ryan, who for the rest of the year takes out camel trains across the desert, gave a running commentary on everything from Arkaroola’s history, the biodiversity of the region, geological history and of course his beloved camels, a very interesting, entertaining and knowledgeable young man. At the end of the trail is a very steep climb up to a look out where we were obliged to get off our chariot while Ryan turned the thing around this was a precaution as the area was so small it required a bit of tooing and froing and if he went over the edge he would hit the bottom for a fornight. We stopped here for coffee and the best lamingtons you’ve ever tasted and the view was spectacular, you could see for ever. This whole trip, tour whatever takes about four and a half hours and is worth every cent the views are spectacular the country is spectacular and the geology and biology is amazing, both Nancy and I considered this was even more impressive than flying over Lake Eyre.

Flinders Ranges in this region are laced with minerals of all types, Uranium was prospected and mined many years ago, rock being blasted from the hills and smashed up by sledge hammer, camel trains were used by Afghan handlers to pack ore out from these rugged in- accessible regions but for various reasons, mainly the remoteness and rugged inaccessible nature of the terrain, it wasn’t cost effective and the practices stopped, copper and gold has also been worked in the area at various times in a small way, amongst other minerals and about thirty or so years ago major exploration companies conducted significant exploratory drilling operations, one company even using a huge helicopter to move a drill rig from ridge top to ridge top. Even today considerable action is being undertaken by a group of investors to open up a uranium mine, needless to say there is a strong anti lobby against this taking place. They could never rehabilitate the area to its original state if mining took place, the tracks they cut 30 yrs ago are still usable the ground that hard it has not naturally grown over.
Reg Sprigg a geologist who basically kicked off Santos spent a lot of time in the region and was so fascinated by the area now called Arkaroola that he considered it worth conserving and ended up purchasing it in 1968 to create a sanctuary for endangered species Flora and Fauna. Today a weather station, observatory and seismograph station add to its significance. Up to 200 earthquake rumblings are recorded in this area each year.