World Toilet Day was November 19, and I forgot.

Bummer!

Forgetting the biggest event on the loo lover’s calendar is a dunny detective’s disaster! A toilet tragic’s tragedy!! A convenience chaser’s catastrophe!!!

BUT …

… then I think about the 4.2 billion people without safely managed sanitation facilities and the 673 million people worldwide who practice open defecation. The 2 billion people whose drinking water is contaminated with faeces, the 432,000 diarrhoeal deaths per year, and the children in conflict zones 20 times more likely to die from sanitation-related illness than violence.

That makes my dunny disaster look like a s**t-storm in a teacup.

World Toilet Day

Check out the World Toilet Day official fact sheet HERE for some even more scary facts that’ll make you realise how lucky we are in Australia.

So while you’re admiring 10 All-Australian amenities, with the 10 amazing All-Australian adventure hot spots that go with them, spare a thought for those for whom doing their ‘business’ is SO not a pleasure. Then keep reading for ideas about how YOU can help!

1 Timber Creek, Northern Territory

Afloat on a small (and relatively unstable) structure surrounded by crocodiles on Australia’s wildest river is enough to make you want to – well, YOU know! Luckily, this croc-proof (we hope!) purpose-built pontoon has ALL the amenities to survive a Victoria River Crocodile Cruise – drinks and snacks while enjoying a Northern Territory sunset AND crazy-cool crocodile cruise conveniences if nature’s call gets a little bit too much.

That’s a relief in more ways than one!  Read more about cruising with crocodiles HERE!

2 Bruny Island, Tasmania

Bruny Island isn’t just the last stop off the Tassie coast before Antarctica! Dress up in some (REALLY unfashionable) heavy weather gear for a wet and wild ride over heaving seas, through keyhole rocks, past rugged islands adorned with seals and right under the second highest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere before reaching the Great Southern Ocean!

En route to the cruise departure point, don’t miss this loo on the Neck (are you wondering why it’s called that?) far below Truganini’s Lookout!  Discover Beauty and the Beasts on Bruny Island Cruises HERE to see why it’s one of my favourite Australian adventure hot spots!

3 Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales

Climbing Australia’s highest mountain is embarrassingly easy – you heard it here first!  It’s only 2228 metres (7310 feet) above sea-level, making it lower than the height above which lots of people live! BUT … ‘mountaineers’ like me who climb it can bag their first (and in my case only) ‘Seven Summits’ peak.

Although I don’t know from personal experience, I bet it’s the ONLY Seven Summits peak with a view over the highest Public Toilet in the land!!  But I’ll let the REAL mountaineers prove me wrong!  Go HERE for more about how I climbed Mount Kosciuszko!

4 Head of Bight, South Australia

Head of Bight – highest point of the distinctive bite-shaped coastal curve along the southern Australian coastline – isn’t easy to get to. But you’ll drive right past it on the 4100+ km (2500+ mile) road trip across the Nullarbor Plain between Sydney and Perth! At the 2300 km mark, just over half-way from Sydney, take a pit stop to watch whales cavorting with their calves under the longest line of sea cliffs in the world!

And visit the Head of Bight loo that overlooks it all!  Check out my story about seeing the Whales at Head of Bight HERE!

5 Point Quobba, Western Australia

Killer king waves, shipwreck stories, blowholes and extreme water sports make Point Quobba one of the wildest stretches of rugged, rocky coastline in Oz (above and top) – and one of the most picturesque!

If action adventure with a massive dose of danger isn’t quite your thing, just find a vantage point (away from the edge!) and you’ll probably see a whale.  When you’re not being distracted by the thrill-seekers getting a drenching at the blowholes, that is!

Alternatively, just take in all the action from the vantage point of this classic Aussie dunny overlooking the famous blow hole.  I promise that you won’t miss anything while you’re doing your business – because the door doesn’t close!

The famous Quobba Blowhole at Quobba Point is just one of the many superb Australian Coastal and Beach Holiday Destinations you can read about HERE!

6 Mt Hotham, Victoria

Whether it’s summer or winter, the view over this part of the Australian Alps is white.  Visible in summer, the white-bleached tree trunks killed by bushfires outline the many-layered mountain ranges surrounding Mount Hotham. In winter, they’re covered in snow.

It’s likely to be significantly cooler than the plains below at any time of year, so when you get there, admire the white view from the ski lift transit lounge loo AND appreciate the civilised conveniences plumber who installed just one tap – HOT!

Read all about the Mount Hotham loo (and surrounds!) HERE!

7 Richmond, Queensland

If you’re a keen prehistoric fossil-fossicker, the chances of striking it lucky on the Outback Queensland Dinosaur trail are better than average.  Especially at Richmond, where the soft Toolebuc formation on what was once an inland sea under 30-40 metres of water has given up world famous fossil relics like the Richmond Pliosaur, Minmi and Kronosaurus.

Even the dunny gets in on the act – but while you can make your ‘deposit’ at the future coprolite drop zone (aka the loo), chances are good you won’t be around when it’s unearthed as a fossil!

Discover more about Queensland’s famous Richmond fossil fields HERE!

8 Warraweena, South Australia

For a taste of what’s on offer in one of the top Australian adventure hot spots, the ancient wonderland us South Aussies call the Flinders Ranges, head out to the privately owned Warraweena Conservation Park.  In the less well known northern Flinders Ranges you’ll find rugged 4WD tracks, mountain climbing, wildlife, stunning scenery, historic sites and eco-tourism all in one handy location.

You’ll also find the only combination scenic public toilet/visitor information centre I’ve ever seen at the historic Sliding Rock Mine site!

But that’s not all!  Go HERE for a LOT more things to do throughout the amazing Flinders Ranges.

9 Lord Howe Island, New South Wales

This tiny sub-tropical paradise 600 km (370 miles) off the east coast of Australia has so many world exclusives it’s hard to know where to start. First up, there’s Balls Pyramid – highest volcanic rock stack in the world. Then there’s only golf course on earth on World Heritage turf and world’s southernmost tropical reef. Even the wildlife gets in on the act with the endemic Lord Howe Island Woodhen and Phasmid, a large stick-insect.

And then there’s this awesome view – clearly visible from what has to be one of the most scenic loos downunder! Australian adventure hot spots don’t get much better than this!  A Lord Howe Island Holiday can be awesome – read about mine HERE!

10 Tunnel Creek, Western Australia

Although the Gibb River Road has claimed countless tyres, axles, windscreens and suspensions over its 660 km (410 miles) length full of tyre-shredding rocks, perilous creek crossings, red dust and bone-jarring corrugations.  But it’s still a popular Aussie road trip, most likely because of the stunning Kimberley natural attractions scattered along its length!  Take a short detour to Tunnel Creek and go underground for a different perspective of the Kimberley Region.

And while you’re there, detour into the even more welcome attraction you’ll find under the rocky cliffs.  There’s more about the amazing Kimberley region HERE!

We’re very lucky down here to have so many Australian adventure hot spots with amazing attractions and awesome amenities in some of our most remote and adventure-filled locations.

So while it’s easier for us (read: me!) to forget World Toilet Day even though it’s been an official UN day since 2013, we can contribute to the impact it’s having around the world on any day!

How to get involved:

World Toilet Day is about working together to eliminate the life-threatening hazards caused by poor sanitation in places where the ‘adventures’ many people face in doing their business are a lot less welcome.

If you’re not sure how you can help, here’s a few ideas:

• Who Gives a Crap:  Buy your toilet paper (and/or tissues and kitchen paper) from this innovative company, and 50% of profits are donated to building toilets for those in need (the other 50% mostly goes to growing the company).  Get in quick and you could order the wicked Gift Edition Loo Paper to make Xmas REALLY fun!
• Toilet Twinning:  Your £60 donation (about $AUD114 on 20/11/19) funds a community loo project, and you’ll get a pic and the coordinates of your toilet ‘twin’ to hang in your own amenities! Can’t afford that?  Check out the website for other fundraising products and ideas.
• Sanitation First:  Send a Shitty Gift (their words, not mine) for any occasion – check out the graphic range of gift cards – and you’ll be helping this organisation tackle poverty one toilet at a time (again, their words, not mine)!!
• TEAR Australia:  Sanitation is just one of several initiatives this organisation has to reduce poverty.  Check out their collection of Really Useful Gifts!
• World Toilet Day official website: more information and ideas, don’t forget to mark the date on your calendar for next year.

Got more ideas?  Put them in the comments below!

The post TOP 10 All-Australian Adventure Hot Spots for World Toilet Day! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

The serrated peaks of the Flinders Ranges zig-zag dramatically across the skyline – the unmistakeable silhouette of a 430 km (265 miles) line of mountain ranges that jumps from a standing start right out of the vast outback plain. Blindfold me and drop me in the middle of it and I’ll know EXACTLY where I am.

Praise be I’m in South Australia, so I’ve pretty much got that killer landscape all to myself!

St Mary’s Peak, 1171 metres (3842 ft) above sea level and highest point, is pretty low by world standards. But from the plains below, it soars to the apex of a 17 km (10.5 mile) stretch of jagged pinnacles forming the outer rim of Wilpena Pound, best known attraction in the Flinders Ranges.

Cars on the road below, dwarfed by these ancient landforms eroded over millenia to a fraction of their original size, will rust into oblivion before these timeless ranges turn to dust.

Yes, channelling my inner philosopher while travelling the folds and faults of the Adelaide Geosyncline forming these ranges is WAY too easy!

It’s also WAY too easy to admire the staggering scenery, especially because there’s no amazing view that can’t be enhanced by an awesome scenic loo! IMHO. But even if you’re not an amenities admirer or dunny detective like me, it’s got enough mountains, gorges, historic sites, wildflowers, rock formations, lookouts, 4WD tracks and wildlife to keep you busy.

VERY busy.

SO … if you HAVEN’T been here, you’ll be wondering where to start, right?

DON’T PANIC! All you need to do is keep reading!

This 7 Day Flinders Ranges itinerary is mostly based in the Central Flinders Ranges, and Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

That’s because I’m being gentle with you – after all, it’s your first time!

There are LOTS of Southern, Northern and Central Flinders Ranges things to do, but you can’t do everything in 7 days, right? So I’ve made it it easy for you with a week’s worth of some of my favourite activities and attractions in three great Flinders Ranges destinations.

You can thank me later.

Ready? GO!

HOW to get there:

Get started by driving to Quorn, 335 km (208 miles) north of Adelaide in the Southern Flinders Ranges. Pick whichever self-drive route from Adelaide which appeals to you the most.

• Route 1 – Food and Wine trail via Clare: drive 143 km (89 miles) to Clare (detour via the Barossa Valley on the way if you like), then 193 km (120 miles) to Quorn via Laura, Wirrabara and Wilmington.
• Route 2 – Country South Australia: drive 216 km (134 miles) to Jamestown via Clare, then 148 km (92 miles) to Quorn via Orroroo and Wilmington (detour into Alligator Gorge near Wilmington if you like). Yes, this way is a bit longer.
• Route 3 – Coastal Ports (tautology alert!) via Port Augusta: drive 306 km (190 miles) to Port Augusta via Port Wakefield, Port Pirie and Port Germein (add a few extra km for detours into the ports), then 41 km (25.5 miles)to Quorn.

Be WARNED: If you’re sightseeing along the way, getting to Quorn will take nearly a full day. To make the most of the Flinders Ranges, I suggest starting your trip a day early!

Choosing THINGS to DO:

Select from my lists of things to do in each destination. Attractions and activities are split into MUST DO – my suggested top picks; and MORE Things to DO – alternative/extra activities and attractions.

And for the most pleasurable places to do your business, look out for my *Scenic Loo alerts!

Days 1 and 2: Quorn and Southern Flinders Ranges

STAY: Quorn Caravan Park (Campground, Cabins). A range of other accommodation is available in and around Quorn including Motel, Hotel, Bed and Breakfast, Cottages and Air BnB

MUST DO in Quorn:

• Pichi Richi Railway – Half-day Steam Train tours leave from Quorn every weekend, so plan your trip accordingly and book ahead
• Dutchman’s Stern – Hike the 10.5 km (6.5 mile) loop to the Dutchman’s Stern summit for spectacular views over the ranges and Gulf and fantastic Southern Flinders scenery
• Buckaringa Gorge – Drive the ~80 km (50 miles) loop (some dirt roads) through classic Southern Flinders Ranges country and historic sites of interest to Buckaringa Gorge and Lookout

MORE Things to DO in Quorn:

• HIKES: Devils Peak (1.3 km return); Warren Gorge (5.2 km loop – *Scenic Loo alert!); Mt Brown Summit Hike (15 km loop); Mt Brown Hike (11.6 km)
• DRIVES: Alligator Gorge (via Wilmington – 55 km one way); Quorn/Port Augusta/Wilmington Loop (125 km loop, sealed roads)
• QUORN: Flinders Ranges Visitor Information Centre; Heritage Walk (4.7 km); Quorn Native Flora Reserve (2 short walks); Cafés

MORE about the Quorn Region:

• Pichi Richi Railway
• Dutchman’s Stern Climb
• Quorn, South Australia

Days 3, 4, 5 – Wilpena Pound and Flinders Ranges National Park

On Day 3 drive 67 km (41.5 miles) to Hawker.

MUST DO en route to Hawker/Wilpena Pound:

• Kanyaka Homestead and Death Rock – stop at these historic sites en route from Quorn to Hawker for insights into local colonial and indigenous heritage.
• Wilpena Panorama – View this amazing 360º painting at Hawker’s Jeff Morgan Gallery of the summit view from Flinders Ranges highest point St Marys Peak (see trail notes below)

From Hawker, drive 52 km (32 miles) to Wilpena Pound.

STAY: Rawnsley Park Station (Campground,Cabins, Units, Eco-Villas); or Wilpena Pound Resort (Campground, Standard and Deluxe Rooms, Safari Tents). Other options including Station Stays and campgrounds in Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park are also available in the area.

MUST DO at Wilpena Pound:

• St Mary’s Peak – This strenuous hike (14.6 – 21.5 km (9-13.5 miles) depending on route taken) is a Flinders Ranges showpiece. But if you viewed the panorama in Hawker (see above), you already what’s to be seen from the summit! (ps I haven’t done this hike either).
• Wilkawillina Gorge – Drive the 34 km (mostly dirt) past the Bunkers. The gorge hike is 11.4 km (7 miles) one way – even if you don’t do the whole walk, the scenery is spectacular.

• Brachina Gorge – drive about 50 km (31 miles, mostly dirt) via the Bunyeroo Valley and Gorge then along Brachina Gorge’s Geological Time Tunnel with interpretive signs and lookouts, walks and classic outback scenery. Return the same way, or via the ABC range and main road. (*Scenic Loo alert!)
• Hucks and Stokes Hill Lookouts – 10 and 13 km (6.2 and 8 miles) from Wilpena Pound. Visit them en route to Wilkawillina or Blinman.
• Bridle Gap – Part of the Heysen Trail, this 18.8 km return hike crosses the Pound and offers great views from the Bumbinyunna Range on the other side. Much of the hike is flat and easy going and is an alternative to the much more difficult St Mary’s Peak trail.

MORE Things to DO at Wilpena Pound:

This is just a sampler of alternative activities – ask for more details at your accommodation.

• HIKES: Hills Homestead (6.6 km); Wangara Lookout (7.8 km – incl Hills Homestead); Ferntree Falls (5.2 km); Pines Cave (5.4); Rawnsley Bluff (12.6 km)
• HERITAGE: Old Wilpena Station, Sacred Canyon
• DRIVE: Arkapena Track for Scenery and Lookouts, Moralana Scenic Drive
• RIDE: Scenic Flights; Willow Springs Skytrek 4WD (self-drive and escorted tours); Mountain Biking on Mawson Trail

MORE from the Central Flinders Ranges:

• Kanyaka Historic Site
• St Marys Peak
• Wilkawillina Gorge Hike
• Bridle Gap Hike
• Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorges

Days 6 and 7 – Blinman and Angorichina

On Day 6 drive 59 km (36.5 miles) north to Blinman.

MUST DO en route to Blinman:

• Hucks and Stokes Hill Lookouts – stop if you haven’t already seen these (see above)
• Perawurtina Cultural Heritage Site – Adnyamathanha rock paintings and engravings
• Mt Emily and the Great Wall of China – Interesting rocky outcrops, and yet another Great Wall – this one Flinders Ranges Style!

MUST DO at Blinman:

• Blinman Underground Experience – the Blinman Mines Tour comes with a Sound & Light show, expert local commentary and a fascinating dose of the area’s mining and social history

Drive 14 km (8.7 miles) from Blinman to Angorichina Village.

STAY: Angorichina Tourist Village (Campground, Cabins and *Scenic Loo alert!). Alternatively, there’s a range of accommodation in Blinman including Hotel, Cottages, Station Stays

MUST DO at Angorichina:

• Blinman Pools Hike – Follow Parachilna and Blinman Creeks through sheer cliff faces, gorges and rocky creek beds for 10 km (return) to 1^st pool, then 1 km (return) to 2^nd pool.
• Glass Gorge – A 43 km loop via Blinman through the picturesque Glass Gorge
• Nuccaleena Historic Mine Site – add another 34 km onto the Glass Gorge loop and visit this remote mine. This leg is 4WD on rough, rugged roads and station tracks.

MORE Things to DO at Angorichina:

• HIKE: Heysen Trail – this 1200 km (745 mile) hike starts in Parachilna Gorge. You won’t have time to walk the whole trail (!), but take a 6 km return hike into the Gorge along the track to experience this part of the ranges
• RIDE: Mountain Biking, 4WD tours
• BLINMAN: Blinman Walking Trail (3.5 km); Cafes and Gallery, Mine Office

MORE about Blinman and Angorichina

• Things to do in Angorichina and Blinman
• Heysen Trail

More Adventures

So … now your 7 days are up and it’s time to go. But the adventure isn’t over yet.

Return to Adelaide by driving 18 km through Parachilna Gorge to Parachilna (*Scenic Loo alert!)for a Feral Mixed Grill and a Fargher Lager!

A great end to a great week.

But the good news is that if you’re not yet ready to end your holiday, you can check out the things to do in Port Augusta on your way back!!

Flinders Ranges Fast Facts:

• WHAT: The Flinders Ranges is a 430 km long region of mountain ranges in the South Australian Outback. It includes the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park; Vulkathanha-Gammon Ranges National Park, Mt Remarkable National Park, several Conservation Parks, many natural attractions and numerous sites of historic and cultural significance.
• WHERE: The Flinders Ranges are north of Adelaide. From Adelaide, it’s 335 km (208 miles) to Quorn, 400 km (248 miles) to Hawker and 508 km (315 miles) to Blinman.
• WHEN: The best time to go is from April to October. Temperatures in the hotter months of November to March can range from 30º – 45º C (86-113 F)
• DRIVING: Self-drive is the easiest way to get around. PLEASE NOTE: some of the roads and trails described in this post require 4WD or high clearance. Please check road conditions and vehicle suitability before you drive.
• FACILITIES:  Meals, groceries and other supplies are available in smaller centres such as Wilpena Pound Resort, Rawnsley Park Station, Blinman and Angorichina Tourist Village. Fuel is available at Quorn, Hawker, Wilpena Pound, Angorichina Tourist Village and Parachilna.

Want MORE?

• Flinders Ranges Visitor Information Centre 

The post 7 Days in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia – A Beginners Guide appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

The Dutchman’s Stern Hike

‘Visit the Crazy Horse – but not on Monday’ the log book entry read.

Why, with the magnificent 360° panorama from the summit of the Dutchman’s Stern hike surrounding them, would two German hikers be reminded of an Adelaide nightclub 300 kilometres away? (Note to self – what IS the Monday deal at the Crazy Horse, anyway??)

Good question.

Did they have ANYTHING in common?

Surprisingly, YES.

The Dutchman’s Stern has dominated its small Conservation Park only marginally longer than the Crazy Horse has dominated the west end of Adelaide’s Hindley Street.

And that’s the only connection I can find between the two!!

When I first climbed the Dutchman’s Stern in 2010, reading the summit log book was almost worth the effort of completing the 10.5 km circuit. A pot-pourri of names, dates, weather reports, wildlife sightings, and surprisingly high number of countries of origin was supplemented by a range of comments both comical and asinine.  I’ll let you decide into which category the one above falls!

But disappointingly, 7 years later on my 2nd ascent, the log book comments had lost that edgy zing. You know, the one that made you wonder what a hiker was thinking to record the exact time it’d taken to reach the summit.  I mean, I could just write in a random time too, right?

In fact, the log book made for such dull reading, I was forced to admire the view instead.  The endless panorama of rolling mountains, rocks and totally deadly-looking roads was a LOT more gripping than the log book.  And it’s not every day you see a couple of Wedge-tailed Eagles somersaulting through the air at eye level.  Photos?  Sorry, no.  Too busy watching. You’ll just have to make the climb and see them for yourself!

But even back in 2010 a log book full of intriguing oddities wasn’t enough to detract from the jaw-dropping view.  It’s almost a complete 360º.  From the west, there’s Port Augusta and the top of Spencer Gulf; Devil’s Peak, Mt Brown and the Richman Valley further south; Quorn (nearest town) and Wilpena Pound, the Elder and Yappala Ranges to the north.

Apparently, both times we attempted the Dutchman’s Stern Hike we got lucky – according to the log book the view has been blocked by fog more than once! I would have been seriously peeved to climb steadily for 4.2 km to see NOTHING!

Especially when if you CAN see something, it’s such a spectacular, stupendous something!!

The medium-grade hike to the 820m high Dutchman’s Stern summit isn’t so much difficult as lengthy.

Unsurprisingly for a hike up a mountain, it’s a relentless 4.2 km climb to the summit.  And if I say it’s not a hard walk, you can depend upon it – I’ve got a well-documented aversion to excessive energy expenditure!

But it would’ve been too embarrassing to record the exact length of time it took to reach the summit in the log book.

So no one will EVER know how long it took us – either in 2010 or in 2017!

Let’s just say it’d take some doing to knock me off my ‘world’s slowest hiker’ pedestal!

On our first ascent, Pilchard and I meandered the ever upwardly zig-zagging trail through low grassland, purple with introduced weed Salvation Jane (Echium plantagineum) and dotted with the endemic Quorn Wattle (Acacia quornensis).

Although the 2017 climb followed the same route, it was too early for those flowers, but we got a LOT of grass trees instead.

And a LOT of kangaroos in the grasslands.

I’m not sure what’s better!

The trail then passes through Sugar Gum woodland, before reaching the spring wildflower extravaganza (still flowering in October 2010) of the heathland.

Finally, it rises through the more sparsely vegetated rocky outcrops towards the summit.

And although there weren’t quite as many wildflowers on our June 2017 climb, there WERE lots of grass trees, along with bright red Heath and a few small pink orchids.  Apart from a few landslips, the track was almost exactly as we remembered.  And it was nice to know that the passage of 7 years hadn’t slowed us down.

Much.

Even the scary bit (if walking a dodgy narrow track along a steep hillside with the ever-present danger of plunging down a gorge gives you the cold shivers like it does me) was still doable – just as well, because it’d be a long way back round the other way if I’d lost my nerve.

After climbing the 4.2 km to the summit and sighting the resident Peregrine Falcon – no sign of the eagles in 2010 – we chose the longer 10.5 km loop for our return.

Take the shorter 8.4km return route if you don’t mind retracing your steps.  The 6.3 km return route we selected passes  through Drooping Sheoak and Sugar Gum woodlands into the steep, scary, scree-lined slopes of Stony Creek gorge before returning to the trail head.

And if birding’s your thing, Chestnut-rumped Heathwren’s (subspecies pedleri) appearance ALMOST made up for the Gilbert’s Whistler absence in 2010 – but we went one better in 2017 and saw them both.

Just between us though, choosing between a summit view free of fog and a rare bird sighting is a no brainer.  I’d go for the view any day!

Just don’t tell birdo Pilchard!!

This post about the Dutchman’s Stern Hike first appeared on my blog in 2010 after our first ascent.   In 2017 we climbed it again so I’ve updated and re-posted the original to include updated information along with our most recent experience. AND new photos!

The Dutchman’s Stern Hike, just one of several walks in this former pastoral lease and also intersected by the Heysen trail, is an awesome way to experience this part of the Flinders Ranges.  It was just as good the second time around 7 years later.  Check it out!

Want MORE?

• Dutchman’s Stern Conservation Park Website
• Dutchman’s Stern Hike and Conservation Park Brochure (PDF Download)
• Flinders Ranges Visitor Information Centre, South Australia
• MORE RedzAustralia Hiking Adventures
• MORE Flinders Ranges Photos on Flickr HERE

The post The Dutchman’s Stern Hike! Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

So what are Australia’s best activities?  A simple state by state word association test will more than likely give you results like these:

Northern Territory = Uluru.

Queensland = Barrier Reef.

New South Wales = Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Tasmania = Cradle Mountain.

Victoria = The Great Ocean Road.

Western Australia = Wildflowers.

Australian Capital Territory = Parliament House! And all those wonderful politicians …

But South Australia = ? Well … WHAT??

OK, so you think South Australia doesn’t have a main attraction?  Well, I say who needs just one, when South Australia is chock-a-block with things to do! Whether you’re looking for a fun family holiday, a swag of adventure activities, some cool country towns to visit, fabulous natural attractions, or just a romantic weekend away South Australia is the place to be!

So just check out this list of the best activities to do in South Australia you can choose from with confidence because they’re hand-picked by a local – me – and they’re some of my faves!

You’re welcome!

1 Ridge Top Tour, Arkaroola

Getting to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, Australia’s premier eco-tourism destination, by car is half the fun – and a tour of some of the most spectacular South Australian Outback scenery to boot. The Sanctuary Village is set amidst a stunning landscape of fantastic rock formations, low ranges, multi-coloured minerals and a massive sky. So how do you top that? Take the Sanctuary’s signature Ridge-top Tour – a rugged 4 hour return 4WD adventure through the (almost) trackless wilderness to Sillers Lookout.

I’m calling it the best lookout AND one of the best adventures in OZ!  But don’t take my word for it – here’s where you’ll find even MORE About Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary!!

2 Lions at Naracoorte Caves

It’s just as well that Thylacoleo carnifex is extinct. It’s scary enough seeing a ghostly skeleton silhouette deep underground in the Naracoorte Cave system when you know it’s long dead. But imagine meeting a real live one face to face above the ground? These days, the scariest wildlife (not counting snakes) above the ground along the Limestone coast are the bats – and the wombats!

The Naracoorte Caves complex (South Australia’s only World Heritage listed site) is an awesome blend of fascinating Pleistocene megafauna fossils, stunning limestone formations and intriguing pre-history.  And the Bat Cave.  Don’t forget the Bat Cave!

MORE About Naracoorte Caves National Park

3 Whale Watching at Head of Bight

I’m not sure if the LOOOOONG drive across the Nullarbor Plain just above the LOOOOONG curve of the Great Australian Bight stretching for thousands of kilometres along the southern coastline and the LOOOOONGest unbroken line of sea cliffs in the world means the Head of Bight whale-watching experience qualifies as EXTREME whale-watching!

In season, from May to October, Head of Bight becomes a whale nursery with 40 or more whales and calves cavorting below the cliffs.

But you won’t come across it by chance – it’s over 800 km west of Adelaide so it’s best experienced as part of a Nullarbor crossing en route to Perth (or Adelaide if you’re heading east).

And that’s a pretty cool road-trip adventure in itself!

MORE About Whale Watching at Head of Bight

4 Wilpena Pound and the Flinders Ranges

Unless you’re planning a lengthy stay in the magnificent Flinders Ranges, it’s way too big to see it all in just one visit. So get started by exploring its iconic centrepiece, the spectacular Wilpena Pound, a massive 8 x 17 km natural rock amphitheatre once used by early pastoralists as a grazing ground!

If Wangara Lookout near the old Homestead doesn’t give good enough view; or a sighting from atop St Mary’s Peak is too challenging; or a flight over the Pound too expensive, take the up close and personal (and fewer people) option and walk across it! The Bridle Gap trail (also part of the Heysen trail – see below) crosses Wilpena Pound and climbs its southwestern edge for spectacular views back across the Pound and out across the layers of ranges beyond.

Once you’ve seen the Pound for yourself, why not stay a while longer and check out Sacred Canyon, Mt Ohlssen Bagge, St Mary’s Peak, the Cazneaux Tree and lots of other hot spots.

Not sure where to start?  There’s a LOT more in my beginners guide to exploring the Flinders Ranges HERE!

5 Troubridge Island

Troubridge Island is about 2000 km too far south to make it into the tropics. But if you were washed ashore on a fine day, you’d think you really WERE on a deserted tropical island. Luckily, a Troubridge Island escape means you can stay on this tiny island, deserted but for the Little Penguins and Cormorants for whom this is a breeding ground AND whoever else you brought with you to share the solitude!! But snorkelling the clear waters surrounding the island, hauling in a fish or two for the BBQ, wandering the beaches and staying in a renovated lighthouse-keeper’s cottage about 6 km offshore from Edithburgh on the Yorke Peninsula is a mighty fine deserted-tropical-island substitute.

MORE About Troubridge Island

6 Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island

The odd-shaped wind and sand-blasted granite Rocks aren’t the only remarkable thing about the third largest of Australia’s 8222 islands! Vivonne Bay regularly makes the lists of the top 10 eco-friendly beaches in Australia, if not the world. Because of its relative isolation it’s got the purest strain of Ligurian bees in the world – just one of the reasons that foodies flock here. And if you like the smell of fish, get up close to the permanent seal colony! BUT … head back to Flinders Chase National Park to see why these rocks ROCK!

MORE About Kangaroo Island

7 Going Underground at Coober Pedy

Just between us, you don’t actually have to go underground to find your very own piece of Australia’s national gem, the Opal! I found a piece in Coober Pedy’s main street without too much effort at all – although it WAS in a shop attached to a rather attractive ring with a price tag of just $600

Mostly underground, tiny outback opal mining town Coober Pedy is classic South Australian Outback with a harsh climate, distinctive mining town moonscape, the only underground campground in the world, the BIG Winch and just up the road, the longest man-made structure on earth – the Dog Fence!

It’s not short of natural attractions either, with the stunning natural landscape of the Breakaways a few kilometres down the road.

MORE About Coober Pedy and Opal Mining

8 The Cockle Train

It’s not just South Australia’s first railway line AND first public line laid with iron rails in Australia; this coastal railway line running from Goolwa to Victor Harbor is also unbelievably scenic.

Break your journey and explore the stunning coastline at Middleton and Port Elliot; then take a stopover in Victor Harbor and take the horse-drawn carriage to Granite Island.

Back in Goolwa, there’s the Murray Mouth and Coorong – end of Australia’s longest river system (see top photo), and the chance to explore the wonderful coastline visible from the train.

MORE about Goolwa and the Cockle Train

9 Farina Bakery

7 hours north of Adelaide, the driest part of the driest state of the driest continent on earth isn’t the most logical place to set up a town to service a fledgling wheat-growing industry. Maybe that’s why Farina is now a ghost town – except for a few weeks in May, June and July when the Farina Restoration Group move on-site. But historic site restoration isn’t the only attraction on offer at Farina – one of the first buildings to be restored was the smokin’ HOT Farina Bakery! All the better for being so unexpected, the Bakery’s volunteer bakers turn out an extraordinary amount of perfectly baked goods in the middle of the Outback!

In 2020, the Farina Bakery is open from 23rd May to 19th July!  Don’t miss it!!

MORE about Farina Bakery

10 The Heysen Trail

One of Australia’s Great Walks, the 1200 km Heysen Trail is a great way to see the best of South Australia. And if you haven’t got a spare 60 days to do the whole walk, then use the route map as a guide, choose a few sections in areas like the Barossa Valley, Mount Lofty Ranges, the Mid North and Flinders Ranges and see the highlights on foot. There’s something for everyone on this trek!  Starting in Parachilna Gorge and ending at Fleurieu Peninsula coastal town Jervis Bay, the walk is named for legendary artist Sir Hans Heysen, whose works showcase the beauty and diversity of South Australia.

MORE about the Heysen Trail

Of course there are plenty more RED HOT South Australian experiences to be had, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?  And if you’re ready for a South Australian adventure, take a look at the best flights and get started!

Have YOU been to South Australia? Do share YOUR favourite things to do in South Australia in the comments below!!

PSSST!  MORE South Australia Photos on Flickr!

The post Red’s BEST Activities in South Australia! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

I’m always on the lookout for unusual Aussie places. But staying in a Tuberculosis Sanatorium SO wasn’t on my radar.

Even if it DID have a staggeringly scenic loo and a killer view of the Heysen Range in South Australia’s Northern Flinders Ranges.

Angorichina Tourist Village – ‘Ango’ to the locals – about half-way along the 30 km (19 mile) stretch of dirt road between Parachilna and South Australia’s highest town Blinman is one of those rare places with a little bit of everything. Built after World War 1 as a retreat for servicemen with tuberculosis, it’s got one of Australia’s most picturesque campgrounds.

AND gave us the chance to practice our mud-running skills when the rain that started a couple of hours before we left turned the road from gravel to a miry dirt soup!

Here’s what WE got up to at Ango!

Nuccaleena Mine and Glass Gorge

Sliding down a treacherously steep scree-covered slope awash with potentially toxic mine site leavings from the century before last could have been responsible.

Or perhaps lurching sideways to (unsuccessfully) avoid the sharp rocks littering the embankment AND (sucessfully) avoiding the gaping adit* directly below them might have done the trick.

Either way, I’d ripped the seat out of my jeans and had a prickle in my bum.

The bad luck that plagued what is arguably Australia’s least successful mine – investments of over £57,000 with a return of only £13,000 – had clearly rubbed off on me!

But Nuccaleena isn’t just a long-deserted copper mine site with a transferrable death wish – it’s at the end of a remote 4WD Public Access Route** with enough rugged road, creek crossings, tyre-shredding rocks, erosion AND killer scenery photo stops to make the last 14 km (8.7 miles) of the 36 km (22 miles) drive from Angorichina Village take nearly an hour of fun-filled 4WD fantasy!

For those like us with less clearance and less experience in the Boys Own Adventure art of Four Wheel Driving, that is.

It’s hard to imagine a full scale mining operation in this remote spot despite a number of building ruins, an 85 metre (279 feet) long tunnel (a trap for dead kangaroos) and stunning scenery all around. It’s all great fun to explore – if you’re alert to mine shafts, falling rocks, rotting wood and slippery slopes. And stray Spinifex!

But the odds of YOU ending up with a piece of spinifex embedded in YOUR derriére are much reduced if you choose NOT to use my tried and tested mountainside descent method …

Return the same way, or drive a scenic loop via Glass Gorge and Blinman to Angorichina, 47 km (29 miles) from Nuccaleena.

MORE about Nuccaleena Mine

Blinman Pools Hike

I’m not sure who owned the Reg Grundys*** sodden and forgotten on the rocks of Blinman Creek. And I didn’t want to think how they got there! But the smart money was on one of the hot young blokes in the school group who trotted past us en route to Blinman Pools. As they passed, one of the responsible adults confided that the boys were keen for a swim despite the nearly sub-zero winter temperature of the water.

The even smarter money said it wasn’t ME they were trying to impress.

Hiker information about the 10 km (6.2 mile) return hike from Angorichina Village to the first pool describes the walk as ‘challenging’, with multiple creek crossings, rock-hopping, some steep climbs (ie up a waterfall) and a sometimes unmarked track.

Despite that, finding the first pool is a no-brainer – just keep walking up the dry creek bed! Interesting rock formations, gorges, cliffs, an island, pools, wildlife and a waterfall make this a varied and interesting hike.

The second pool is only another kilometre upstream, but we gave it a miss left it for next time. I took 2 ¾ hours (with MANY photo and exploratory stops) to walk the 5 km upstream; and 2 hours to return – possibly because the track was easier to find while walking downstream!

The hot young things were long gone by the time I returned to Ango. No one gets to challenge ME for my title of Australia’s slowest hiker! But I’m still wondering if the hapless owner of the Reg Grundys underestimated the effect near-freezing water would have on his ability to impress the girls?!?!

MORE about Blinman Pools Hike

Mt Emily and the Great Wall of China

If you’re looking for the longest man-made structure in the world snaking across the landscape for hundreds of kilometres and reportedly visible from the moon, you’ll probably be disappointed with Mount Emily’s Great Wall of China. For the real thing, spend the bucks and head overseas.

But for the all-natural Aussie cheapskate version, take the road to Hawker for about 15 km (9.3 miles) south of Blinman (29 km from Ango), and check out Mt Emily!! It’s one of quite a few natural rock formations downunder with the words ‘Great’, ‘China’ and ‘Wall’ in their names – no one accuses us Aussies of overactive imaginations in the place-name stakes!

Mt Emily’s a great spot to have lunch especially with a traditional Cornish pasty (watch out for the dessert at one end) and/or Quandong Pie (trust me – get BOTH!) from the excellent Blinman General Store and Bakery.

Besides, the REAL Great Wall of China ISN’T the longest man-made structure on earth – that honour goes to the all-Australian Dingo Fence!

The Heysen Trail and Parachilna Gorge

The sun was getting very low in the sky as we headed out for a late afternoon stroll along the Heysen Trail – the iconic 1200 km hiking track through quite a LOT of South Australia. It starts (or ends) in Parachilna Gorge just a few kilometres west of Angorichina and ends (or starts!) in Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

1200 km was a bit far for a casual stroll, so we took the shorter 6 km return option – or would have if a case of terminal laziness and LOTS of photos hadn’t meant we didn’t make it to Parachilna Gorge at Wild Dog Creek****. But walking a short way along the trail through massive dry creek beds, along spinifex-laden slopes and between a staggering array of mountains meant I could channel the late, great artist Sir Hans Heysen OBE for whom the trail is named.

With photos, anyway – I’ll never be an artist!

It’s no accident that the Heysen Trail starts here, in Parachilna Gorge. Some of Sir Hans’ best known works – The Land of the Oratunga (1932); Aroona (1939); Patawarta , Land of the Oratunga (1929); In the Flinders Far North (1951); and The Three Sisters of Aroona (1927) were painted right here in the Northern Flinders Ranges.

Where even a non-artist like me is moved to attempt to capture the magnificent scenery at sunset in these photos all taken within just a kilometre or so from the trailhead. Luckily, we had a watertight excuse to get back – after dark, the road is awash with kangaroos!

MORE about Sir Hans Heysen 

MORE about the Heysen Trail

Blinman Mine Tour and Walking Trail

NIL = Amount of time spent by me channelling Cornish Miners in Australia before doing the Blinman Mine Tour.

That’s why I didn’t know what chipping out tunnels and stopes with a hammer, chisel and explosives, lit only with candles and protected only by a leather helmet inside the equivalent of an underground 50-odd storey building for 12 hours a day, 6 days a week felt like.

Praise be that I still don’t know what it REALLY feels like, but after an hour on the excellent Blinman Mine Tour and the 1 km self-guided interpretive walk around sections of the mine site above the surface, I had a pretty good idea.

And it’s not something I’m planning to willingly try any time soon

Unlike the Nuccaleena Mine, Blinman’s Mine Tour goes deep underground – which makes it MUCH easier to channel those Cornish miners, despite the hard helmets and lights the miners never had. And without the killer dust from the drilling, explosives and a few hundred miners jostling for position under the surface at any given time. And spending only 1/12 th of the time underground than the average miner spent on a shift.

Actually, perhaps it’s NOT that easy to channel a Cornish miner’s experience after all.

These days, with modern mining techniques and machinery, the section of the Blinman Mine that took 8 years to tunnel out would only take a couple of weeks. And while it’d leave a dirty great hole in the ground instead of the intricate network of shafts and stopes inside the Mine, the chances of modern day miners being affected by silicosis of the lungs, fatal injuries and unpleasant working conditions like their counterparts of yesteryear would be virtually NIL!

Contact The Blinman Mine Office for current prices (my July 2015 tour cost $27.50 for an adult ticket; there are concessions and cheaper prices for children and families.

MORE about Blinman and the Blinman Mine Tour 

Angorichina Fast Facts:

WHERE: 500 km north of Adelaide, South Australia.

HOW to get there: Travel north from Hawker to either Parachilna or Blinman. From Parachilna, turn right and travel for 15 km along a dirt road through Parachilna Gorge. From Blinman, turn left and travel for 14 km along a dirt road.

WHEN: Angorichina Tourist Village is closed in summer. The Heysen Trail is closed during the fire ban season from November to March.

WHAT’S THERE: Campground (powered & unpowered sites); Self-contained accommodation; General Store (supplies, alcohol, souvenirs); Workshop for minor repairs including tyres; Mountain bike hire.

Want MORE?

• Angorichina Tourist Village, Northern Flinders Ranges
• Flinders Ranges, South Australia 
• Flinders Ranges and Outback Touring Guide 
• MORE Angorichina Photos on Flickr HERE!

* Adit = Mine opening (as any crossword aficionado will tell you!)

** Public Access Route = a through track or road on private property on which permission to enter the property is not required

*** Reg Grundys = undies = underwear (Aussie rhyming slang!

**** Wild Dog = Dingo. Wild Dog Creek = one of the most common creek names in Australia!

The post 5 Amazing Angorichina Adventures! Northern Flinders Ranges, South Australia appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Sooner or later, most travellers in Australia will reach the great cross-roads at the head of Spencer Gulf that is Port Augusta.

North is the Stuart Highway to the Northern Territory. West is the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor to West OZ. East is the Barrier Highway to Broken Hill and New South Wales. And South is to Adelaide and beyond.

Many travellers stop overnight either going to or coming from their main destination.

But discerning visitors who stay an extra day (or two or three) will be rewarded by discovering some of the FAAAAABULOUS things to do in Port Augusta.

Like what? Like THESE! Here’s TEN of my favorites!

1 Time Tunnel Travel at Wadlata

Wadlata Outback Centre isn’t just about tourist information. There’s the excellent gift shop – try a Journey Jottings map or a piece of Indigenous artwork! There’s a cool cafe – try the quandong cheesecake or the quandong slice!

And then there’s the time tunnel!

Walk into the jaws of the giant ripper lizard and be transported into the prehistoric world of life before man on Gondwanaland. This ancient history lesson is never dull as it moves through aeons (via interactive displays, dreamtime stories and intriguing facts) from the beginning of time to the present day in Port Augusta NOW!

While THIS time travel won’t take millions of years, don’t underestimate the time you’ll need – it’s easy to spend several hours there, especially with breaks for lunch and/or morning and/or afternoon tea. Just watching ‘Back of Beyond’, a movie about Outback legend mailman Tom Kruse takes an hour!

The good news is if you run out of time on this visit, just pick up a pass-out from the Wadlata staff and come back to finish it off other time!

2 The Full 360º at the Water Tower Lookout

It’s a long way to the top if you want a shocking fall – and the see-through metal mesh staircase doesn’t help either.

Luckily for us acrophobics, the Water Tower Lookout’s horribly exposed four flights of stairs ends in a fully enclosed viewing platform complete with wire mesh criss-crossing the view in four directions.

Except for a thoughtfully placed hole in the middle just right for a camera lens.

A camera lens like MINE, that is. If size DOES matter; and you’ve brought a giant lens along for a big day out, you might be in trouble

But cameras aren’t required to enjoy the superb view of boats, bridges and birds on Spencer Gulf; the iconic silhouette of the power station; and the general landscape filled with parklands and houses that make up this town, named for Augusta Sophia Marryat, wife of South Australia’s first civilian Governor.

Is late afternoon leading up to sunset the best time to check it out? I haven’t been there at any other time, so I don’t know – but it sure worked for me!

3 Matthew Flinders Lookout and RED Cliff Walk

Even if you’re more immune to the promise of RED Cliffs, the Matthew Flinders Lookout – a short walk from the car park – is worth a visit for its staggering vista of Spencer Gulf against the magnificent backdrop of the Flinders Ranges.

A landscape so fine that even standing atop a high and crumbling cliff face to view it becomes a pleasure. Well … almost

But throw in a killer sunset and even a coward like me can forget the perils of standing on the edge!

For more than double the fun, take the 4.5 km RED Cliff Circuit Walk from the Arid Lands Botanic Gardens to the Matthew Flinders lookout via a bird hide, a bluebush plain and the railway bridge with fine views from the edge of Spencer Gulf over the RED Cliffs, claypans and mangroves! Follow the loop trail back through the gardens.

4 Arid Lands Botanic Gardens

If you’ve got lemons, make lemonade.

And if you’ve got a climate with extreme temperatures, lengthy periods of drought and low rainfall, showcase the plants that LOVE arid conditions in your garden!

That’s exactly what the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden, established in 1993 as an initiative of the Port Augusta Council, has achieved with its arid zone plant habitats – like dunes, desert and saltbush plains – spread over 250 hectares.

But demonstrating water-wise gardening techniques isn’t the only attraction!

When you’re tired of the walks, bird hides (and over 100 bird species recorded), a nationally significant Eremophila garden, art works, lookouts and plant nursery outside, there’s the Bluebush Café and Gift Shop inside.

Entry to the gardens is free, and they’re open all year round (other than Christmas and New Years Day, and Good Friday).

5 Pichi Richi Railway

Take a trip on a small section of the old Great Northern Railway from Adelaide to Alice Springs, once dubbed the Afghan Express and now affectionately known as the Ghan, through the rocky Pichi Richi pass in fully restored heritage carriages.

The Ghan hasn’t passed this way since 1956, but from April to November, experience the magic of steam and take a return trip on the restored Afghan Express from Port Augusta to nearby Quorn (41 km to the north-east); or the Pichi Richi Explorer from Quorn through the pass to Woolshed Flat.

With railway memorabilia at both Port Augusta and Quorn, the railway is a great way to experience the magic of train travel.

6 Trainspotting

Railway enthusiasts need not fear having to adopt alternative pursuits like sightseeing, birding and wildflower watching when the Pichi Richi Railway isn’t operating.

SO … if your preferred lullaby is the soothing sounds of shunting, then find somewhere to stay within sight and sound of the railway because all passenger and freight trains heading north, south, east and west pass through Port Augusta.

Even Railway ambivalents may find a multi-coloured goods train tracking north along the eastern side of the gulf with the Flinders Ranges a resplendent backdrop an awesome sight.

I know I did!

7 Quorn and the Quandong Café

Even without the enticement of a Pichi Richi train ride, the short drive to Quorn is well worth it. And top of MY list of Quorn must-do’s is a visit (or two) to the Quandong Café.

Actually, it’s not the cafe. It’s the scones. AWESOME scones. They even beat my own faithfully copied secret recipe pumpkin scones AND give the discerning epicure the opportunity to experience the delights of the Quandong, Australia’s own arid land fruit at its best when turned into a marvellously piquant jam, the perfect accompaniment to THOSE SCONES!

When you’re done with that, explore the town’s Galleries, historic buildings, cafés, pubs, an Agricultural Museum and the Powell Gardens botanic garden.

If the Quorn scenery looks familiar, it MAY be because scenes from a number of films were shot in the area. Most recently, the region AND the Pichi Richi steam train featured in The Water Diviner with Russell Crowe! Other notable films include Wolf Creek 1 and 2 (2005 and 2013), Tracks (2013), The Shiralee (1986) and Gallipoli (also featuring the Pichi Richi in 1981).

I’m not sure if the Quandong Café featured in any of the films – but it should have!

8 The Flinders Ranges

If you want to explore the folds and peaks of the ragged range that makes such an awesome town backdrop, Port Augusta is an easy day trip from some of the Flinders Ranges hot spots.

Near Quorn there’s the Dutchmans Stern, Devils Peak and Warren Gorge. A little further north there’s Kanyaka Historic Site, Death Rock and the Jeff Morgan Gallery at Hawker, 107 km north-east. 67 km south is Melrose, gateway to the Mount Remarkable National Park.

Exploring the Flinders Ranges will take a LOT longer than a weekend – but a Port Augusta day trip makes a good teaser!

9 Wildflower Wonderland

Just in case you didn’t quite catch the beauty of the arid land vegetation, here’s a little taste of what you’re missing!

10 Blanche Harbour

Past the Port Augusta city limits heading south along the western side of Spencer Gulf, the sparsely vegetated dry hills of the outback to the right contrast nicely with the brilliant blue of the sea on the left, and the intriguing skyline of the Flinders Ranges beyond.

With a landscape like this, it’s no wonder the gulf is lined with holiday shacks.

23 km later, the gulf widens as the outback sweeps down to the sea at Blanche Harbour in a magnificent sweep of coastline. Atop a low hill above the car park, there’s a marvellous vantage point inside a picnic shelter that tells the story of this place while showing off its natural attractions.

But it didn’t always look this good. The ‘before’ photos show what the area looked like 15 years ago, when a group of concerned ‘shackies’ banded together to reverse the ravages of rubbish dumping and off-road vehicle driving.

Now, with revegetation well under way and stunning scenery, Blanche Harbour is a place of beauty and peace.

So take a look at my TOP TEN – and start planning YOUR stop-over – or weekend getaway – now! And if you can fit all TEN of my favourite things to do in Port Augusta into just ONE weekend, you’re doing well!

Want MORE?

• Port Augusta
• MORE Photos of Port Augusta on FLICKR!

PS  Did I mention the Scenic Public Loos??  Here’s a triple-toilet-teaser – see if you can find them all when YOU go to Port Augusta!

The post 10 TOP Things to Do in Port Augusta appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

A six hour drive north of Adelaide takes you deep into South Australia’s Outback zone AND into the Flinders Ranges National Park.

It’s considered remote. By most people’s standards, anyway.

Factor in its staggering scenery, wonderful wildlife, numerous hiking trails and awesome natural beauty, and you’ve got one of the best eco-tourism adventure destinations in the country! That makes it the perfect place to get away from it all.

And when we based ourselves in central location Wilpena to sample the Flinders Ranges, it WAS the perfect place to get away from it all. So perfect,we got away from it all at the same time that a lot of other travellers were getting away from it all.

So where do you go when you want to get away from getting away from it all?

You head for the hills, of course!

The Bunkers, actually.

Take the Wirrealpa road roughly following the park boundary for about 45 km north-east of Wilpena when it passes through The Bunkers, a

range of low hills.

Further along is the extraordinary Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary*.

And on the other side of the road outside the park is the privately owned Bunkers reserve, home of Willow Springs Sky Trek, known for its spectacular scenery.

Saving that trip for another day, we headed for the Little Bunkers trailhead, start – or end – of the fabulously amazing Wilkawillina Gorge hike which would show us a very different side to the Flinders Ranges National Park. A hike on which we would see NO OTHER PEOPLE!

Ironically, the hike actually works better with more people as it’s an 11.4 km tramp one way through the Gorge from the Little Bunkers Trailhead to the Mt Billy Creek Trailhead (or vice versa). And the track notes suggest setting aside 6 hours. One way. So the smart walkers will travel in a group with two cars, leaving one at each end of the track.

Or just do what no-friend-losers like Pilchard and I did – and hike the trail to the halfway point, taking in some of its highlights before retracing your steps.

It doesn’t take very long to start seeing those highlights.

Although that depends on your tolerance for red rock, blue skies, broad and empty river beds and dramatic profiles. In other words – classic outback scenery!

While there’s some evidence of the Barite exploration (there are two mines outside the park boundary) the walk is an opportunity to view Wonoka Formation rocks and minerals, Wilkawillina Limestone, Bonney Sandstone and Rawnsley Quartzite in its natural and largely unadulterated habitat.

If you can’t distinguish Cambrian from Pre-Cambrian, forget the geology lesson, and just admire the staggeringly scenic landscape! The unusual layers, colours and patterns don’t seem real in this empty and lost world landscape. What we’d normally expect from familiar objects like hills and valleys doesn’t apply in this parallel universe where swirling patterns cover the low hills; rocks soar from the dry river bed, full of eucalypts saplings; and striking colours interspersed with dramatic lines frame the sky.

‘Ten Mile Creek’ doesn’t accurately describe the broad river bed, with Archaeocyatha fossils embedded in its rocky banks and massive River Red Gums growing in the gravel, that traverses the gorge. Today it’s dry, except for a few pools, but the flash floods it’s built to carry have helped create this unique landscape, weathered by the harsh outback conditions.

With such amazing scenery on offer, it was tempting to keep going – just to see what was round the next corner. But although it’s fairly easy going, without any friends with a welcoming car at trail’s end, there’s just not enough time in the day. We’re not known as the world’s slowest hikers for nothing! So after lunch (no bakeries out here!)(and sadly, no scenic public toilets either!!) overlooking the river we reluctantly turned back, wandering along the river bed until we reached the river crossing.

Maybe next time we’d walk to this point from the other end. Or find some friends.

But for now, as we happily discovered, the landscape was just as spectacularly dramatic in reverse.

Finally we left the wonders of the gorge behind. Ahead, I could see the car in the distance, perched high above the river bed – the first sign of civilisation we’d seen in several hours.

But I wasn’t entirely sure it was a welcome sight.

Want MORE?

• Wilkawillina Gorge Track Notes
• Flinders Ranges National Park
• More Redz Australia adventures in Flinders Ranges National Park
• *My adventures in Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
• MORE photos on Flickr HERE

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NEXT post: The Ten Commandants, Port Arthur, Tasmania

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The post Walk Wild Wilkawillina! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

The last few kilometres were heavy going as I trudged back to camp. The bright daylight faded into twilight as the sun sank below the eroded peaks surrounding the amazing Wilpena Pound valley, centrepiece of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges National Park.

The evening coolness rose as we entered the campground.

While taking an 18.8 kilometre (11.7 mile) hike might not have been the smartest move for the world’s slowest hiker, the end was in sight. And the Wilpena Pound Resort campground was everything a campground should be. Beautiful setting. Excellent amenities. Quiet.

But the evening coolness wasn’t the only thing rising.

Jangling through the campground from an antique sound system on maximum distortion blared the not immediately recognisable English World War 1 favourite ‘Knees Up Mother Brown’ (google it for a truly scary experience) accompanying a happy hour for two in full swing.

Was I hallucinating?

Sadly, no. Just as incongruous as the ‘music’ in this arid and remote South Australian Outback park was the table complete with lacy cloth, vase of flowers and two wine glasses which, judging by the quavering vocal accompaniment, had been filled and emptied several times over.

It was going to be a LOOOOOONG evening.

Several hours before, we’d packed our lunch for the 6+ hour return hike to the Bridle – or ‘Bridal’ as it was spelled by the less informed – Gap lookout on the other side of Wilpena Pound. We’d seen the Pound – a valley 7 km (4.3 miles) and 14 km long completely surrounded by an ancient mountain range – from the outside where the jagged peaks formed an impressive and many-layered wall.

But the Bridle Gap Wilpena Pound track crossed through the great bowl of the Pound itself, our best chance to see the whole formation from the inside.  And get away from the crowds stampeding towards the area’s best known and most popular hike – the climb to St Mary’s Peak.

After a short-ish evening stroll of only 7.2 km (return) a couple of days previously, we’d looked across the pound from Wangara lookout, a short distance above the Hills Homestead where early pastoralists lived while using the Pound as a natural corral for cropping and grazing stock.

BUT … droughts and floods saw to that and now Wilpena Pound, named for an Aboriginal word meaning ‘Place of Bent Fingers’ or ‘Cupped Hand’, is now part of the Flinders Ranges National Park.

Leaving the homestead, the protected oasis of the Pound full of native pines and river red-gums, with glimpses of the Wilpena Range from the clearings was a world away from the late spring arid landscape beyond.

No surprise that the local Adnyamathanha people know it as Ikara – or meeting place, and no surprise the area was declared a National Pleasure Resort with organised tours and places to stay in 1945!

Once on the Bridle Gap track, the only other person we saw almost got an eyeful as I emerged from behind a tree after a squat.

After that excitement and with only a kilometre or so to go, we reached the other side and climbed the now-rocky track up the range towards what we hoped would be a vantage point for lunch.

Part of the legendary Heysen Trail that takes dedicated hikers through 1200 km of South Australia’s best scenery, the Bridle Gap Wilpena Pound track stopped conveniently at a rocky outcrop on the edge of the plain below.

Beyond awesome, even by the almost impossibly high Flinders Ranges standards, the staggering view stretched out in a 180º panorama over the wildly magnificent Bunbinyunna, Elder and RED Ranges – their superb scenery on display for us, and us alone.

The 9.4 km return trip across the pound to the homestead, then down along Wilpena Creek to the campground isn’t so arduous if you’re walking on air!

So, from the sublime, we descended into the onslaught of ‘Mother Brown’, and as the soundtrack switched to the ‘Siegfried Line’ (google it – actually, NO – don’t bother), the Grey Nomad couple, loudly and proudly from Western Australia, spontaneously burst into a tipsy song and dance routine.

As a strategy to scare up some happy hour drinking buddies, it didn’t seem to be working. And they seemed to be taking the occasional applause from our quieter neighbours around their campfires as encouragement to continue rather than as a reason to quit while they were ahead …

As the stars came out and the last vestiges of our pure and natural mountaintop experience slowly evaporated, the happy hour veterans soft-shoed to the maudlin ‘… we’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when …’.

We were at least agreed on one thing. That the sunny day to come would bring a new adventure.

Want MORE?

• Wilpena Pound
• Wilpena Pound Resort, South Australia
• Flinders Ranges National Park
• Heysen Trail
• Check out some flights and get to South Australia!

The post Walk the Bridle Gap Wilpena Pound Trail, Flinders Ranges appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

Emus near Quilpie, Outback Queensland

The Australian emu*(Dromaius novaehollandiae**) is arguably the most highly evolved bird on the planet.  Or perhaps even in the universe!

But whether or not you agree may well depend on your gender …

After mating, the female emu sticks around just long enough to lay the eggs, with the male in attendance night and day.  Then she’s off to the fleshpots of emu-land to repeat the experience, sometimes mating several times a season!  Her offspring will never see her – unless by accident, of course!

The mail emu incubates the eggs by sitting on them for eight weeks – and sacrifices himself by neither eating nor drinking during this time.  Then he raises the newly-hatched chicks to adulthood – for at least 6 months, although often until the next breeding season.

That’s Dad, not Mum with these emu chicks in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges!

So images like this show DAD with the chicks, Mum being long gone and likely to have spawned at least one more family by the time the chicks are this size!

A deadly beak, and even deadlier scimitar-like toe-nail protect the emu from its natural predators like the Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) – but also gives them their legendary disregard for fences thus triggering a new predator, the Human (homo sapiens, sub-species farmer).

And while it can’t outdo the ostrich for size, it IS the second largest bird in the world (by height) at up to 2 metres (6.6 feet) – so it can be disconcerting to have one hovering around your barbie waiting for a snag***, or sticking it’s head through your open car window!!  Well, they ARE known for their curiosity …


Emu chicks in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia

 So how to rid yourself of unwanted emu attention?  Waving something white at them may well be an urban myth, but it worked for us while bird-watching at Bowra Sanctuary in south-western Queensland.  Do NOT, however, rely on this method to repel their advances, as other factors (such as eau-de-campfire) may have also been in play …

It’s not clear whether the emu depicted as a co-supporter of the Australian Coat of Arms (along with the kangaroo) is a female!  But it may well be, as many of it’s peculiar behavioural characteristics seem to have been adopted to a certain degree by successive governments …

Gender may be less of a factor in whether or not you agree with THAT!

*  Pronounced ‘EEM – you’
**  According to Wikipedia, this means ‘fast footed New Hollander’ (New Holland being, of course, the name by which Australia was first identified on maps after discovery by Abel Tasman in 1644)
***  Translation – ‘… your Barbecue waiting for a sausage’

The post Aussie ABC – E is for Emu! appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.

What do overseas visitors make of Australia’s more esoteric pictorial instructions? Space constraints mean non-English wording is often limited – or non-existent! So the sign designer is stuck with conveying important, but sometimes obscure facts and instructions with stick figures.

Their success necessarily relies on reader ability to immediately interpret the pictures correctly and heed their warnings and messages without the benefit of English comprehension.

It’s an interesting exercise to test the clarity of the more cryptic drawings by ignoring the accompanying text – and any other linguistic clues – while trying to work out what they mean. And the result isn’t always what the signmaker intended!!

So … it was a relief that at least THIS sign at the Kanyaka Ruins Woolshed gave four VERY clear pictorial messages! 

And these are, as I’m sure you’ll agree, from left to right:

1. Perform your headstands in the space between buildings
2. The bollards are floodlit to prevent you bumping into them
3. The wall is as good a protection as any from errant seaspray
4. Way-station for endurance ice skating/skiing

Or maybe not??

If my interpretation is wrong, it’s a testament to the perils of either monolingualism, or weathering – or both! But if I’m right? Well … the South Australian State Government need fear no reprisals from accident, injury or death arising from failure to heed the warnings!!

So what do YOU think the sign means??

The post Signs #11 – What’s the Problem? appeared first on Australia by Red Nomad OZ.