HEY BACK IN THE FLINDERS RANGES!

Lookin for Aboriginal rock art in Sacred Canyon

I left Adelaide yesterday heading north again.

The gap year road trip continues back through the Flinders ranges to the northern part of the ranges, exploring the Gammon Ranges NP.  Then through Arkaroola, across to Leigh Creek and north to Marree.

Lake Eyre is accessed direct north of Marree via a track through a pastoral property.  Then back to Marree, veer north west up the Oodnadatta track (red dirt) to the Witjira NP on the NT border.  Along the track at William Creek I have the option to access another track (east) through a pastoral property to Lake Eyre.  I will provide further travel plans later on.

You will not hear from me very often due to lack of internet in the outback.  I have purchased a Telstra broadband internet modem which should give me some coverage in remote small towns hopefully.

From now on don't bother sending me any text messages as my optus mobile phone is basically useless with non existant coverage in most of the outback.

I suggest if you wish to contact me then pls send a email.  Stay tuned to this blog...

Here are some further Flinders ranges pics from my trippin there in early June

On the Bunyeroo gorge loop walk

Bunyeroo loop walk

I think that high point centre left may be StMarys peak which I climbed.  See previous post info

Walking around the Aroona valley.  This is where one of the Aussie famous painters Hans Heysen started doing landscapes in the 1st half of the 20th century here.  Thats the ABC ranges on the left.  So named due to there being 26 of them, same as the alphabet.

A rare endangered yellow foot rock wallaby

Aroona Valley views

Red River gums along one of approx 3 gorges along the Aroona valley walk

Bye Bye Laetitia!  At the Prairie hotel

Laetitia wanted to travel to this remote pub to try the 'feral platter' before heading back south.  The lonely planet travel guide gives it a big thumbs up so I decided to try as well. As you can see camel sausage, emu wrapped in bacon and kangaroo.  It was quite filling and interesting.

Sunrise next morning, over the Flinders Ranges from next to the Hotel.

The Prairie hotel at Parachilina.  Thats all that is there, on the side of the road between Hawker and Leigh Creek nth of Pt Augusta.  Great sunsets over the prairie from the outside bar which we just missed seeing, too late arriving!

AND MORE FLINDERS RANGES

These pics are of the StMarys peak 1170m highest mountain walk at Wilpena pound in the Flinders Ranges NP.Thats the peak on the right. 7.5k's to the top. The flat bit in the middle was 6k's.  Then when u come back to the flat bit you climb down the inside through to the floor of the Wilpena pound and back, another 14 ks. Click to zoom in

A lot of going up was actual rockclimbing over large ledges, thankfully the blue markers  kept me from gettin lost

Lookin back to the start. The bare patch in the middle is the airfield, started hike on the right.

Big granite about 1k from top

Very large grasstrees near the top. Can only presume no fire has got up this high

View inside Wilpena pound on other side of the top. Walked back 14 ks thru here

At the top of StMarys peak 1170m, nice pic Laetitia. Last pic before the rain set in.  We were wet thru by the end at about 5pm. Lucky there was a hot shower to warm up.

MORE FLINDERS RANGES PICS

A lot of outback national parks have old pastoral station properties within them bought by the government. In the Flinders Ranges NP there is the Wilpena pastoral station, started around 1830, where several buildings have been restored.  This is river redgums along the creek

Inside the blacksmiths workshop. See the fire thing on the right with chimney, all original gear lying around

The blacksmiths workshop

Blacksmiths residence

The Bookkeepers on the left and Motor room on the right

The original station residence 1850's

Big station residence 1890's amongst the trees with original on the right

The food storage shed. Apparently passing bullock teams, drovers, bushman etc would stop at these pastoral stations to buy supplies and rest up, get repairs on carts and horseshoes by the blacksmith & even get mail.

The horse stable

FLINDERS RANGES PICS.

The Flinders ranges area is one big mass of mountain ranges which start about 250 k's north of Adelaide and go north for maybe 100-200k's, before the land flattens out to Lake Eyre and beyond.  On the eastern side are a mixture of flat plains and distant mountains.  To the west are the towns of Port Pirie and Port Augusta at top of the spencer gulf.  Up past Port Augusta is a very very large dry saltpan Lake Torrens which goes possibly 100 k's nth to the west of the nth Flinders Ranges.  The old ghan trainline from  Adelaide to Alice Springs runs along the western edge of the flinders ranges too so there are plenty of old train things to see.

Overall the 2 weeks I spent exploring up mountains, through gorges and valley loop walks was quite spectacular , thats if you like scenery, exploring and mountain climbing literally.

Highlights would have to be climbing up StMarys Peak, 1150metres, the highest peak in the ranges and then trekkin back through Wilpena Pound. 21 klm all day hike with my French friend Laetitia.  Also the Brachina gorge and Aroona valley.  Spotting the endangered Yellow Foot rock Wallaby.

I will be going back through there after I get back from Brisbane next week.  Aint I lucky...

Climbing up the Dutchmans Stern conservation park peak near Quorn.

View west to Lake Torrens dry salt pan from The Dutchmans peak.  Click to view larger size

The info brochure said there were Adelaide Rosellas at the Dutchmans. Very hard to get close enough for a pic.

Around the back of the Dutchmans peak is a large gorge

The Dutchmans Stern peak. Named, as the top apparently looks like the back of an old Dutch wooden ship!!

A well earned cuppa after climbing the Dutchman!

Another old 1800s stone cottage

There are ruins of old mid to late1800's pastoral homesteads all over the Flinders ranges in different states of repair or falling down.  This one is the Kanyaka ruins

Kanyaka woolshead, shearers quarters on the right. apparently in the 1800's there wasn't much timber for buildings.

Unknown Rosella or Parrot, have to check my bird book

ITS ALL HAPPENING IN ADELAIDE!

Went for interview with Dept Defence at their assessment centre today for 6 hrs, phewww..
I had no real dramas with the whole process but could feel the vibe that they were tryin to get the best uni graduates for their professional jobs in Canberra.  Cross your toes for me.

BTW don't think anyone would hav recognised me as i had on full business outfit including tie!
Couldn't wait to get it all off and back into the shorts and tshirt n thongs getup....:)

Been back in Adelaide for the last week hangin around the glenelg area at the beach.

Before that I was up in the Flinders Ranges (great place to visit) for 2 weeks climbing mountains and bushwalking etc and hangin with a crazy french tourist chick, for 5 days!!!  Hi Laetitia..

On Wednesday i fly to sunshine coast for 6 days, got a cheap flight, then back to Adelaide, Then the road trip continues north into the outback.  Yeahhh.

Will get some pics of flinders ranges on when i get motivated soon hopefully....