Thurs. 20/9.

Make our way into the Flinders Ranges today. Very pretty countryside around the towns of Quorn & Hawker which are picturesque with many old stone buildings. Pretty farming country on the plateau & surprising amount of vegetation. Road into the National Park very scenic with lots of native pines. Start seeing many emus & roos & have to be very vigilant driving. After the usual setting up & lunch go for a walk into the Pound. The caravan park is in a beautiful setting under trees next to the entrance to the pound & walking is the only way in. It was a great walk in along a good gravel road with bush all around. Take the high road in to the Hills Homestead inside the pound. Here we see feral goats, emus & kangaroos. Sue, Mike, Graeme & I go up to both of the Wangara lookouts which give a better idea & view of the pound – a crater like formation with only one wide entrance. It was used for grazing animals early last century as they could not escape the area. Good walk back along the creek with many different trees & bushes. Few drops of rain but not enough to get anything wet!

Walking Trail into Wilpena Pound.

 

Graeme dwarfed by Red River Gum in Wilpena Pound.

Fri. 21/9.

Off for an explore of the ranges today. First stop at Stokes Hill Lookout – spectacular 360 degree view. A relief map outlined the different ranges & hills we could see. Next stop at an old ruin – Appealinna – an old settlers house set alongside a creek. We then go down the Geological Trail that showed different areas of time in the rocks as we went along. Had a couple of stops & walks along creek beds looking at the rock formations. Drive a couple of kms. into Brachina Gorge & catch a glimpse of yellow footed rock wallabies. Go back & head south toward the Bunyeroo Gorge. Lovely countryside along the way & then the drive through the gorge very scenic. On the way back to Wilpena stop at a couple of lookouts with impressive views of the ranges & the spines of the hills we are crossing over. Again many emus & roos on the way to the camp site.

Is this really Aus?  Rock Formation along Geological Trail.

Brachina Gorge.

 

Emu in Brachina Gorge.

 

Flinders Ranges.