Ikara (Flinders Ranges) - a remarkable ancient landscape

The Flinders Ranges National Park is a unique and remarkable ancient landscape which provides an outstanding touring adventure.

The Flinders Ranges is perhaps best known for the spectacle of the huge amphitheatre known as Wilpena Pound.

In our two visits to the park we have been mesmerised by endless dramatic ancient mountains, spectacular gorges and very picturesque creeks. We explored all this by scenic drives and some unforgettable walking trails. This post tells the story of our most recent visit in 2019.

I found being in the Flinders ranges gave me a heightened awareness of being in a very ancient land.

Of course, this destination could be part of a larger touring expedition that could include nearby destinations like, Vulkathunha - Gammon Ranges NP, Innamincka & the Strzelecki Track, Coober Pedy and Woomera.

For example, on our first visit to the Flinders Ranges, in 1990, we completed a circuit of Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Cameron Corner, Innamincka, Flinders Ranges, Burra, Clare and back to Broken Hill.

Our purpose with this post is to give you just enough insight to spark your curiosity and enable you to plan your own expedition of discovery. Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.

Wilpena Pound has been described as the crowning jewel of the Flinders Ranges believed to be 800 million years old. The above photos show Wilpena Pound from outside this massive amphitheatre.

Day tripping around the Flinders is a real delight with a dramatic photo opportunity at every turn as well as abundant wildlife including lots of kangaroos and emus. A scenic flight would also be an amazing experience over this landscape.

Bunyeroo Gorge, above, is one of the main gorges which runs through the Heysen Range towards Lake Torrens. The Heysen Trail passes through Bunyeroo Gorge. Not far from Bunyeroo Gorge is Brachina Gorge which is home to largest population, in Australia, of the vulnerable yellow footed rock wallaby. The other photo shows aboriginal rock carvings at Sacred Canyon that are thousands of years old. These rock carvings, as distinct from rock art, is what makes this location unique.

Wilkawillina Gorge, in the photo above, also has the yellow footed rock wallaby and the very popular Wilkawillina Gorge Walking Trail. The other photo above shows a view of the red gums around Wilpena Pound Resort.

We also visited the Aroona Hut ruins which was built in 1925 as a four roomed outstation for Eddie Pumpa with 'plug & pine' construction.

This drive down the Razorback, on the Bunyeroo Gorge Road, is one of my favourite scenes in the Flinders which is absolutely stunning necessitating regular stops for a photo opportunity.

On our last visit in 2019, we camped at Wilpena Pound Resort campground which sits in stunning surroundings. The resort also has hotel rooms and glamping safari tents. We were there in September and it was still quite chilly yet nice around the camp fire.

The Cazneaux Tree, near Wilpena Pound, now well over 300 years old, was made famous by Harold Cazneaux in his painting of this solitary red gum in 1937 and called it 'The spirit of endurance' as testament to life in such an unforgiving environment.

These photos are from our first visit to the Flinders, in 1990, and show derelict boilers overlooking the town of Blinman. The other photo shows the ruins of Kanyaka Station which once housed 100 men and their families. Kanyaka Station did not survive the 1860's drought.

Of course there are other good destination options that could be included in a touring adventure in this region.

Such options include Vulkathunha - Gammon Ranges NP, Innamincka & the Strezlecki Track, Coober Pedy & Woomera.

Woomera was established in 1947 to support the Australian Defence Force Aerospace and Systems Testing Range. Woomera became one of the most secret allied establishments of the Cold War. By the end of the 1960's the project had been wound down.

Coober Pedy, the opal capital of the world, has a fascinating history and way of life. Due to the harsh summer heat, much of the town sits underground in a labyrinth of underground houses, hotels and shops as shown in the photo above.

This sign appears on the screen at the drive in theatre at Coober Pedy at the beginning of proceedings.

We visited Innamincka last in 1990 which is in the 1.3 million hectare heritage listed Innamincka Regional Reserve. On this trip, the whole town went under water necessitating us to evacuate via the Strzelecki Track. The track was so wet we could not get out of second gear for the first 440km and we used 135 litres of fuel over this distance. The photo above shows the condition of the track on our evacuation. The other photo, before the rain event, shows our campsite on the banks of the beautiful Cooper River which became completely flooded.

An outstanding touring adventure is the route we took on our 1990 expedition being a circuit from Broken Hill to, Tibooburra, Cameron's Corner, Innamincka, Flinders Ranges, Burra, Clare and back to Broken Hill. This was a fantastic expedition through some really beautiful and remote country. The Strzelecki Track is currently undertaking a sealing project which will make travel easier yet will lose some of the mystique of this iconic adventure. The main road from Broken Hill To Tibooburra is now sealed.

We are due for another visit soon and will provide a dedicated post to the amazing 4WD adventure.

David & Rosemary Allan – the faces behind:

May adventure & discovery be your constant companions.

Reflection:

For me, a trip is memorable when I am enriched by a deeper sense of connection to a place which triggers an emotional or spiritual response. This comes from feelings of Awe when I feel part of something bigger. Such as, seeing dramatic landscapes, being caught up in the history and sensing the passion of the human spirit.

A memorable experience will cause me to day dream about the next trip even more than the last trip.

Remember: Your adventure begins the moment you decide to go.