Outback South Australia

Outback South Australia has some great experiences to offer. Some might find it too remote and the long flat roads tedious – but we find it amazing. We camped at the Farina Ruins on the way to Marree, where the Strezlecki Track and the Birdsville Track meet. At Farina we were fascinated by a family of emus stopping at the picnic tables for a rest, then a large number of galahs disturbed by the high winds and oncoming rains. It was very interesting to walk around the ruins of the old town. The name Farina means flour in Italian and the settlers originally thought it was a great place to grow wheat. They were very optimistic, to say the least! 

Plains near Farina

View from the ruins of Farina

Our next stop was Marree. The only point of interest there was the old truck of the famous postman, Tom Kruze, who delivered mail on the Birdsville track for 30 years. 

Tome Kruse's Mail truck

After Marree we followed the Oonadatta Track. We stopped off to look at the Mutonia Sculpture Park – a series of Mad Max inspired sculptures made by Robin “Mutoid” Cooke. They were bizarre and amazing – and enhanced by the creaking sound effects of the high winds.

"Plane Henge"

Size of the Dingo sculpture is enormous, the head is a car body,
 The body an old railway watertank! 

We turned off the Oonadatta Track to Roxby Downs and Woomera. Woomera was like an old army base – with lots of no trespassing signs. Our camp for the night was at Lake Hart, a huge salt lake that looks like a frozen lake from a distance. It was a great camp – but the flies were the worst we’ve had yet! The next morning we rode out onto the salt lake – that was an awesome experience. 

Camp at Lake Hart

Lake Hart Salt Lake

After driving along the worst dirt road yet we found a lovely campsite at Hiltaba property, amongst huge boulder formations. After that, we drove through the Gawler Ranges, but didn’t camp there as the weather expectation was for winds of 50kms an hour.  We got to see the ‘Organ Pipe’ rock formations that the National Park is known for.  

Hiltaba views

Hiltaba camp site (spot the car)

Organ pipe formations in Gawler Ranges

Gawler Ranges

Flinders Ranges

It was great to revisit the Flinders Ranges by car as last time we were there we only had our bikes with us (we rode the Mawson Trail in 2014, See Here). We entered the National Park the same way that we rode in last trip – through the Parachilna Gorge to Blinman. This time we looped back via the Glass Gorge scenic route and camped for the night in the Gorge. 

Glass Gorge near Blinman

Parachilna Gorge

Parachilna Gorge

Parachilna Gorge camp site

 This time we looped back via the Glass Gorge scenic route and camped for the night in the Gorge. The next day we drove via Brachina and Bunyeroo Gorge to Wilpena Pound Resort. This time we had the energy to walk up to the lookout over Wilpena Pound itself . The Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains. We were visited back at camp by roos and emus. 

Emu Chicks

Walk up to Wangara Lookout of Wipena Pound

Wilpena Pound

After leaving the Resort we drove the Moralana Scenic Drive – which we remembered cycling along as part of our Mawson Trail ride. It was a lot easier in the car – and we could take a few side trips this time. Our last camp in the Flinders Ranges National Park was at Koolamon – set amongst red river gums with fantastic views of the Heyson Ranges. We really enjoy visiting this area and will probably come back again to do some more cycling.  

Scenic Drive

Heysen Ranges

Corner Country

We left Tibooburra and Dead Horse Gully Campground and headed to Fort Grey, the western most camp ground in the Sturt National Park. Along the way we visited more reminders of the first Europeans to explore the area – including the grave of James Poole (Charles Sturt’s second -in- command, who died of scurvy).  Depot Glen, where the explorers holed up for six months because of severe drought  and Mount Poole, where a huge rock cairn was built by Sturt’s party in 1845. The rock cairn was originally built to relieve the boredom, but ended up being dedicated to Poole, as he had died before it was finished.  

Leaving Tibooburra

Blaze marking James Poole's grave

Cairn on Mount Poole

View from Mount Poole, Car in background

We enjoyed a pleasant couple of days at Fort Grey. We rode the bikes across a dry lake bed to check out a blaze left on a tree by Charles Sturt. We are really getting into the history of our early explorers out here!

On the way to Fort Grey

Dinner at Fort Grey

Remains of well in dry Fort Grey Basin

Sand Dune near Fort Grey

Riding Fort Grey Basin

Outback Sunset

 On the 30 kilometre drive from Fort Grey to Cameron Corner we saw hundreds of kangaroos. The reason became obvious when we got to the border where SA, NSW & QLD all meet. The dingo fence stops them from going any further. The 5,531km dingo fence is the longest fence in the world – running from Jimbour, Qld to the SA coast. It was originally built in the 1880’s to keep dingos out of South Australia. It is still maintained by boundary riders.

Gate in Dingo fence between Qld and SA

Lots of flowers after recent rain

Badly damaged road from Camerons Corner

Strezelecki track junction

Strezelecki track towards the Gammon ranges