The Flinders Ranges

Needing some serious R&R and to get a lot of odd jobs finished, Michael and I stayed at Mt Remarkable for a few more days.  Mostly we just had a campfire and enjoyed some of the finer things in life – wine, cheese and our beautiful surrounds. One evening, we perhaps indulged a little bit too much on one particular “finer thing”, but the result was pretty good - us running up a mountain to see the sunset over the Southern Ranges – if sober I think this definitely would not have happened as it was a very steep, rocky mountain. Good times!

Wednesday rolled around and we had achieved all we needed to and we also had a giant shopping list of everything we’d need to get for “up the middle”. Once more we set off to Port Augusta. We restocked and excitedly drove north. We stopped off at Quorn, got a few hints and tips as to where to go and what to see, then went to Warren Gorge for the evening. To begin with the campsite seemed quite small, but we found a track to the left and decided to explore – luckily we did so as it turns out that Warren Gorge was a maze of camping sites, rocks and huge gum trees set on many an acre! The gorge itself was also rather spectacular, large red and orange coloured rocks jutting out at sharp angles with small scrubs peppering the ground – beautiful.

The next morning we took a back road towards the Flinders Ranges National Park.  Along the way we stopped at some rather interesting ruins. Simmerston was the town that died before it came to life – literally, the railway was potentially going to pass by, thus a few hopeful go getters started to build a large hotel and a house, only to find out the railway was not going to be built there and thus all was abandoned half finished and still “standing” (however it was mainly only the foundations). We drove through Hawker then stopped off at some more ruins, this time of a huge homestead near a water hole. After getting a small history lesson, we moved on towards the Flinders. On this drive we spotted the first of many Wedge Tailed Eagles, we also saw several hundred emus and a couple of skippies.  We stopped at several lookouts and then settled for the evening at Wilpena Pound Resort. Once more the rain was looming, but we were eager to go for a walk. We put on our raincoats and left regardless. We ended up doing the Drought Busters Hike. This track had several desert plants along it with placecards to tell us what they were. It also had sweeping views of the ranges and the Pound. On the way back we spotted some feral billy goats and some absolutely stunningly coloured parrots.

Eager to find out about my potential job, I used the pay phone several times to talk to several people. This is where it gets interesting folks – I got the job and now Michael and I are going to live in Alice Springs! We went to the pub to celebrate and had quite seriously the largest meals we’ve eaten so far on the road.  At this stage I was to start mid August but had a lot of paperwork to do and had to also get it signed by a JP. The next morning we went to the information centre to ask where the closest JP would be only to find out it was Hawker (northward it would be a couple of weeks til we found one). As the rain had once again set in, all of our hikes were postponed, so the drive back to Hawker seemed like the best idea. When we reached Hawker (and reception) I received another phone call, apparently I was to start the job June 18! Eek! So with some serious planning, a lot of form filling then posting and a change in our trips route (we now had a week to get to Alice if we wanted to go home first to get everything we’d need to move – so much for two months!).We left Hawker, once more heading for the Ranges. 

This time we passed Wilpena, found a dirt track that said “scenic route” and decided to take it. The rain had made the track quite muddy and as a result our Hulky is still wearing a brown and orange coating. Despite the mud, the track was well worth it. It lead us to some amazing lookouts, and considering we now had to fast track our trek, it gave us an opportunity to soak in the beauty of the Ranges at top speed. Along the way we passed Buneroo Gorge and I somehow managed to spot a couple of yellow tailed rock wallabies in their den. Most will probably not know about this little beauty, once considered extinct the wallaby has fought the elements and predators and somehow managed to reappear, it is still considered a rare species to spot though. Excited from seeing the wallabies, we drove on to the Teamsters Campsite, where a yellow footed rock wallaby actually crossed our path! We couldn’t believe it, people were lucky to see one and we’d seen three! We started dinner, with spits of rain threatening. Michael being ever an optimist lit a fire to fend off the cold. Then suddenly a little head popped up over a nearby rock – another wallaby! This one was very game however and came extremely close. We think because we were the only people dumb enough to be out in the weather that we were lucky enough to see 4 wallabies and have one join us for tea!

In the morning the sun was shining, so we explored the campground. Set near a small billabong and with rocky mountain ranges surrounding us we were once again blown away by the beauty of nature. We knew we had to gain some ground that day, so packed up and headed north. We travelled via the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail, saw the Great Wall of China, Blinnman, Parachilna and then stopped in Leigh Creek for some lunch and some much needed reception and internet time. We also booked some flights home for Saturday the 9^{th June}. Then back to the road! We drove through Lyndhurst then lost all signs of civilisation. The road was so thick with mud it made for an interesting drive. Eventually we arrived at Marree. The last thing we expected to find out there was water and mud, but there was definitely no shortage - apparently the town had recently received 8mm of rain. This was enough to close the Birdsville track and coat just about everything in thick red mud.

 We headed straight for the pub. Yes we had earned a drink, but more importantly a family friend is currently managing the pub so we wanted to call in and say hi. For those who haven’t been outback, pubs are also a huge hub of information on where to go and what to do. So we said hellos, set up camp out the back of the pub and somehow ended up booking into a flight over Lake Eyre and Cooper Creek the next morning. But that’s a story for next week’s adventure! 

So we settled down, grabbed a beer and soaked in the local atmosphere. If you’re ever in the vicinity stop by, it really is a ripper of a pub and of course management are lovely!

Lesson of the week: Mother nature never stops surprising you, and if it does you definitely don’t have your eyes open!