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This tour has been thoughtfully designed to showcase the best walking experiences in the region, offering a journey through dramatic contrasts and stunning scenery, from rugged gorges to towering cliffs and red-weathered peaks over 600 million years old. The Flinders Ranges is a place where history, geology, and natural beauty converge, creating an unforgettable walking experience.
The tour centers around Wilpena Pound, an impressive 83 square kilometre natural amphitheatre that forms the heart of the Flinders Ranges. Walk through this iconic landmark, where striking cliffs encircle the rugged landscape, creating breathtaking views from every angle. The itinerary also includes sections of the renowned Heysen Trail, which winds through the region’s diverse terrain, offering a closer look at its rocky gorges, ancient fossil remains, and picturesque landscapes.
TRAIL NOTES: 2.5km circuit, 1.0 hour walking, Easy Grade.
TERRAIN: The track climbs gently on a compact rocky base, with a short downhill to complete the circuit.
WALK ITINERARY: This morning, our guides will meet you in the foyer of the Mantra Hindmarsh Square at 7:30am. We have about 450km to cover to reach Wilpena Pound Resort – we will break up the drive with a short walk along the way. We will stop at Mambray Creek, part of the Mount Remarkable National Park, for an easy 2.5 km hike on the Davey’s Gully track. This grade one walk allows us to meander amongst ancient River Red Gums and native Cypress Pines and offers some spectacular views across the Spencer Gulf to the Eyre Peninsula. During our walk, we will likely witness some of the 117 bird species have been recorded in this area, and encounter Western Grey Kangaroos, Euros (wallaroos) & Emus, who call this area home. Following lunch here, we drive to our accommodation at the lovely Wilpena Pound Resort, nestled at the foot of the giant crater-like Wilpena Pound. Enjoy some time to settle in, before dining at the charming on-site restaurant, which features local produce. Dinner is accompanied by local South Australian wines from the Southern Flinders and Clare Valley regions.
TRAIL NOTES: 7.5km return, 3.0-3.5 hours walking with breaks, Easy-Medium Grade.
TERRAIN: The track follows the broad creek bed, with surfaces alternating between coarse sand to various-sized rocks.
FLEXIBLE WALKING: As this is a return walk, guests may choose to opt-out at any point, and wait for the group to make their way back, before completing the walk together.
WALK ITINERARY: Enjoy a hearty breakfast, before we take a spectacular flight over Wilpena Pound to get a birds-eye view of this immense rocky formation. Afterwards, we take a scenic drive to begin our adventures for the day. We travel north and then head west to Brachina Gorge, featuring an expansive winding riverbed and an abundance of geological formations to marvel at. This gorge is home to one of the few remaining colonies of the rare and beautiful Yellow-Footed Rock Wallabies, which can often be seen basking on the rocky outcrops or nibbling at native grasses. After morning tea, we proceed to the trailhead of Bunyeroo Gorge Walk, following the iconic Bunyeroo Valley Road, which allows the opportunity to absorb more of the magnificent scenery offered by these magical mountain ranges. Today’s walk will enhance your understanding of this spectacular landscape, the creation of which dates back about 800 million years. Our walk is framed by rugged rock formations as it follows the bed of the charming Bunyeroo Creek; a watercourse that is usually dry, but has remarkably cut its way through the rugged Heysen Range, forming Bunyeroo Gorge over an eternity. This serene gorge is lined with River Red Gums. and provides opportunities for viewing native wildlife, as well as highlighting specific geological features at regular intervals. After an outback cuppa, we return to Wilpena Pound Resort, taking in some amazing outlooks along the way, as we continue to trend generally south on Bunyeroo Valley Road. Back at your accommodation, there’s time to relax before indulging in a lovely dinner in the restaurant, accompanied by wonderful wines from South Australia.
TRAIL NOTES: 12km one-way, 5.5-6 hours walking with breaks, Medium Grade.
TERRAIN: The track varies considerably from creek bed to undulating compact path, to steep and loose rocky surfaces, and a gentle decline on a loose rocky pathway, before levelling out.
WALK ITINERARY: Enjoy breakfast before checking out of our accommodation, and transferring to the start of our walk, cruising along the spectacularly beautiful Moralana Scenic Drive. Today’s walk offers remarkable views from the more southerly perimeter of the crater-like Wilpena Pound and forms part of the 1200km Heysen Trail. Our walk begins from the Black Gap Carpark, and initially climbs approximately 300m over about 3km to Bridle Gap, offering spectacular views of the ancient mountain ranges and the surrounding landscape. We will encounter some steep and loose rocky surfaces to navigate to take us to our highpoint on the Pound wall, but we are in no rush. From Bridle Gap, we descend into the Pound itself, and traverse a section of the internal floor, wandering through interestingly diverse landscapes of huge River Red Gums and Native Cypress Pines. We break at Hills Homestead, located inside the Pound, the history of which is a firm reminder of the historical hardships encountered in these remote regions. We then follow the picturesque Wilpena Creek out of the Pound to finish back at the Resort. Enjoy a lovely dinner in the Resort’s restaurant accompanied by local wines once again.
TRAIL NOTES: 12km return, 6-6.5 hours walking with breaks. Medium-Hard Grade.
TERRAIN: The track begins with gentle undulations then climbs consistently on a mostly compact pathway. There is some steep & quite challenging terrain that include large boulders, requiring a solid level of strength and flexibility.
FLEXIBLE WALKING: As this is a return walk, guests may choose to opt-out at any point, and wait for the group to make their way back, before completing the walk together.
WALK ITINERARY: Enjoy breakfast before we head out on our walk, which today begins right at our back door!! Our target is Tanderra Saddle, one of the iconic walks of the Flinders Ranges, and includes most of the longer and more challenging St Mary’s Peak Hike. The traditional custodians of this region, the Adnyamathanha people request that visitors do not climb St Marys Peak due to its significance in their creation stories; in respect, we only travel as far as the saddle that sits just below. The hike begins on a gently undulating track through native forest, and as we start to scale a northerly section of the external wall of the Pound, the elevation increases considerably. As we proceed, we are rewarded with spectacular views of the Pound, the surrounding salt lakes, and St Mary’s Peak itself. From the saddle (944m), you will be able to appreciate the immense size of the Pound and the surrounding Heysen and ABC Ranges. We retrace our steps, negotiating our way back down, before transferring to Rawnsley Park Station. After settling in here, we can take a short walk to “Alison’s Saddle”, which provides breath-taking vistas across the Elder Range as the sun slowly sets; the decks on our Superior Units offer spectacular views of the Pound and surrounds. Tonight, we dine at the property’s Woolshed Restaurant, which offers rustic charm and paddock to plate dining, featuring local produce accompanied by South Australian wines sourced from local regions.
TRAIL NOTES: 14km return, 6-6.5 hours walking with breaks, Medium-Hard Grade.
TERRAIN: The track begins with a gentle uphill gradient, then climbs steeply onto a challenging section of the trail before levelling out onto rock-based surfaces.
FLEXIBLE WALKING: As this is a return walk, guests may choose to opt-out at any point, and wait for the group to make their way back, before completing the walk together. There are also several marked trails on Rawnsley Park Station of varying distances and difficulty that could be completed as an option if you prefer – discuss these with your Guides.
WALK ITINERARY: After breakfast, a short transfer takes us to start our walk on Rawnsley Park Station itself, climbing to the more south-easterly aspect of the Wilpena Pound escarpment (940m), to deliver stunning views both into the Pound and across nearby ranges. We will encounter some challenging sections but climb gradually, to begin with, taking our time to navigate the steeper sections we encounter along the way. There are several spectacular lookout points, allowing uninterrupted, breath-taking panoramic views – a photographer’s paradise!! The Bluff itself is host to a dry-stone survey cairn, constructed as a trigonometrical survey marker in the late 1850s; ironically its title honours H.C. Rawnsley, who falsely presented himself as a surveyor to the Governor of SA in 1850, and was discharged within 3 months for lack of competency. Tonight, we return to the Woolshed Restaurant for our final dinner together, to chat about the day’s adventures, enjoying a lovely dinner accompanied by local wines once again.
TRAIL NOTES: 3km circuit, 1.5-2.0 hours walking with breaks. Easy Grade.
TERRAIN: A steep series of stairs takes us down to creek level, where we follow both a flat, compact track and do some rock-hopping. A gentle consistent ascent completes the circuit.
WALK ITINERARY: Enjoy breakfast before we farewell Rawnsley Park Station and begin our journey back towards Adelaide. Along the way, we will enjoy another short walk in the Mount Remarkable National Park, this time on the eastern side at Alligator Gorge, a hidden gem of the Southern Flinders Ranges. Towering cliffs of visually striking pink and white ABC quartzite provide a stunning corridor along which to amble. We take a short side-trip to visit a series of rocky platforms known as ‘The Terraces’, which highlight the impact of long-receded oceans and intermittent waterways, before proceeding “downsteam” along the creek bed. This collective area is home to a multitude of bird varieties, and we will likely see and hear many of these if we are quiet. From here, we make short stops at Melrose and Port Wakefield before we continue to Adelaide, marking the end of a remarkable journey together.
FINISH TIME: Arrive back in Adelaide at approximately 6.30pm.
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Flinders Ranges SA 5434
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Narrabeen, NSW
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Bookings for this one are taken on the Operator’s own site, not on epyic. Check their site for the terms that apply.
Narrabeen, NSW
