Outback South Australia

The South Australian Outback consists of approximately 750,000 square km bounded by Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales.
It is an arid region with monthly average rainfalls of less than 30mm falling in less than 5 days per month. The rainfall is usually from thunderstorms. These thunderstorms transform the desert from stark red sand dunes, glistening ironstone gibber plains and blinding salt lakes into raging creeks, endless lakes (Lake Eyre being the largest) and carpets of vividly colored wild flowers of reds, purples, pinks and yellows the most spectacular of all being the "Sturt Desert Pea". The rain also causes an abundant array of wildlife to emerge from their hideouts.
The temperatures can vary between maximum summer temperatures as high as 50 degrees to winter night temperatures as low as minus 2 degrees.

Clare Valley

The Clare Valley is one of Australia's premium wine growing districts.
The first vineyards were planted in this area in 1851 by The Jesuits, (Society of Jesus) who migrated from Austria to Australia in 1848 seeking a life free from religious and political persecution. They settled at Sevenhill in the beautiful Clare Valley and established Sevenhill Cellars originally called "Open Ranges" which is the oldest winery in the Clare Valley. The winery was originally established to provide sacramental wine for religious use, which has been ongoing, but today they also produce excellent quality white, red and fortified wines.

Rawnsley Park

Rawnsley Park run by the Smith Family since 1953, is an operating sheep station of approximately 3000ha with a stocking capacity of 1200 sheep. The station abuts the southern boundary of the Flinders Ranges National Park and Wilpena Pound.

The area was first settled in 1851 with attempts to grow cereal crops but due to drought, grasshopper plagues, rabbits and fluctuating grain prices, cereal cropping eventually succumbed to the elements and sheep grazing became the principal form of farming.
Sheep grazing has also had it's good and bad times with fluctuating wool prices which in 1968 lead the Smith Family to enter the tourism industry to supplement their income. Today tourism is a major enterprise at Rawnsley Park Station. At Rawnsley Park you will have breath taking views of Rawnsley Bluff (after which the station was named) at the southern end of Wilpena Pound, the opportunity to take a bush walk or a bike tour or just relax and enjoy the splendor of the magnificent Flinders Ranges.

Flinders Ranges National Park

Recognised as one of Australia's finest, The Flinders Ranges National Park of 94,908ha was proclaimed in 1945. With its rugged mountain ranges, tree lined gorges, abundant waterholes, wildlife and flora, makes it a major drawcard for bushwalkers, campers, artists, photographers and nature lovers.
The park has significant Aboriginal heritage, with major art sites, European heritage with ruins of early pioneering miners and pastoralists and impressive geological features, including the most famous, Wilpena Pound.

Wilpena Pound

Wilpena Pound is one of the wonders of the world. A crater like geological feature covering 83 square kilometers stands proudly above the surrounding plains. It is the result of millions of years of erosion of a mountain range.
Wilpena Pound was first noted by the crew of Mathew Flinders' HMS Investigator in 1802, but the first detailed reports came from Edward John Eyre who explored the length of the Flinders Ranges in 1839 and 1841.
In 1850 the first sheep run was established at Wilpena and this is when the word "Pound" was added because of the resemblance to the enclosures for keeping sheep, which at the time were called "pounds".
The interior of the Pound is accessible by one gorge, which takes you to the ruins of the old homestead occupied by the pioneer pastoralists.

Blinman

The town of Blinman was established as a result of a copper discovery 1859 by Robert Blinman. The Blinman Mine was established and was the largest mine in the Flinders Ranges until it closed in 1908. The Blinman Mine at the northern edge of town is now a declared Historic Reserve with an interpretive walking trail around the old mine site. Many of the old buildings are still standing and occupied, like the North Blinman Hotel (1869), the Police Station (1879) and the Post and Telegraph Office (1876) and several miners cottages, which have been restored for accommodation for the passing tourists.

Gammon Ranges National Park

The Gammon Range National Park of 128,000ha is an area of rugged ranges, deep gorges, abundant waterholes, home of the rare Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby and rich in Aboriginal heritage.
Aboriginal legend tells of the giant dreamtime serpent "Arkaroo" slithering down from the ranges to quench his thirst from the saline lakes of the plains. As he dragged himself back to The Gammon Ranges he carved a deep gorge along the Arkaroola Creek and where his bloated body came to rest, springs and waterholes were formed.
This area is also where the legendary stockman and world renowned clothing manufacturer, R.M.Williams began his career.

Arkaroola

Abutting the northern boundary of the Gammon Ranges National Park is Arkaroola a privately owned and operated wildlife sanctuary of 61,000ha. It has been under the control of the Sprigg Family since 1968 when they purchased and requested it be declared a wildlife sanctuary. Prior to this it had a history of mining and sheep grazing.
The sanctuary features rugged mountain ranges, towering granite peaks, razorback quartzite ridges dissected by deep gorges lined with century old Australian Gum Trees and waterholes. It is rich in Aboriginal Dreamtime myth and legend and abounds in native wildlife and indigenous flora and is the home of the world famous "Ridgetop Tour" which travels a mineral exploration access track along the ridges and gorges of the Sanctuary.

Iga Warta

At the southwest corner of the Gammon Ranges National Park is Iga Warta the home of the Adynamathanha people (Hills People). Here you will learn about and experience their culture and their knowledge of the yarta (land). You will view Aboriginal art and artifacts, learn about bush tucker and medicine and hear the silence of the bush.

Copley

Copley was originally named Leigh Creek after a nearby pastoral property but in 1891 when it was surveyed it was renamed Copley after the then Commissioner of Crown Lands, William Copley.
It was essentially a railway town on the Great Northern Railway later to be known as the Ghan Railway.
Today it is the home of the famous Quandong Café and Quandong Pie.
The Quandong is a native fruit commonly called "Wild Peach" which grows in arid areas of South Australia, Queensland to north-western Victoria and Western Australia. The ripe fruit is bright red with a dense flesh and a large hard pip containing a kernel.

Leigh Creek

Although coal was originally discovered near Copley in 1888 the Leigh Creek Coal mine is about 5km north and the town Leigh Creek South is about 5km south. As the quality of the coal was low grade there was only limited mining of the coal until 1943 when open cut mining began to supply a power station in Adelaide.
Today approximately 2.7 million tonnes of coal is mined annually and railed, on one of Australia's longest coal trains to Port Augusta for use in the Thomas Playford and Northern Power stations which generate about 40% of South Australia's electricity.
The original mining town of Leigh Creek was situated over what was considered inaccessible reserves but in 1974 a decision was made to deepen the open cuts so the town was moved to the current sight of Leigh Creek South.

Lyndhurst

Lyndhurst another small town on the old Ghan Railway and the gateway to the Strzelecki Track which leads to Moomba Gasfields, Innamincka and the Coopers Creek.
Just out of town is one of the characters and a great philosopher of the Outback, Talc Alf (Cornelius Alferink) who makes a living carving talc from the Mount Fitton Talc mine 120km north-northeast of Lyndhurst.
Near town there is the grave of the last surviving full blood Aboriginal of the Yantruwanta people who died at the age of 115 years.
Just north of the town are the ochre cliffs of spectacular reds, pinks, oranges and whites.

Farina

Farina, (Latin for wheat or flour) now a ghost town was established in 1882 as a farming centre and railhead for wool and cattle. It was originally named by Governor Jervois as Government Gums which was appropriate with the presence of mature River Red Gums in the creek to the north of the town.
At its peak the town had a bakery, grain store, two breweries, two hotels, a general store, post office, Anglican church, five blacksmiths and a school. Many of the buildings still remain some of which are being restored.

Marree

Marree is the gateway to the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks.
The Birdsville Track is an old stock route along which they drove cattle for 514km from Queensland's rich grazing country (The Channel Country) to the railhead at Marree to be railed to the markets in Adelaide.
The Oodnadatta Track follows The Old Ghan Railway, which linked the outback of South Australia, Northern Territory and Alice Springs with Southern Australia. The track also follows closely the route of the Charles Todd Overland Telegraph Line, which ran from Port Augusta to Darwin connecting Australia to the rest of the World by a single wire.
Historically Marree was a staging post for the large Afghan Camel Trains carrying wool and supplies, but between 1940 and 1980 it was an important railhead.
In more recent times it became famous for "The Marree Man" an inscription of "An Aboriginal Man" ploughed into the desolate plains near Marree.
Marree hosts an annual Camel Cup and Gymkhana. There is also a replica Afghan mosque and the Arabunna Aboriginal Heritage museum.

Lake Eyre

Lake Eyre is Australia's largest salt lake totalling approximately 9600 square km, Lake Eyre North 8,430 sq.km and Lake Eyre South 1,260 sq.km. The Lake Eyre Basin, which is the catchment area for the lake system covers approximately 1.2 million square kilometers. Although it is fed from a very large catchment area the lakes have only filled twice in white man's history. That was in 1950 and 1974, when the depth of water was 5.5m and the estimated volume of water was 35 cubic kilometers. Other years when there were substantial quantities of water in the lakes were 1956, 1976, 1989, 1997, 2000 and 2001.
When Lake Eyre does flood it becomes the home of many water birds who come to breed and feed on the abundant life that blooms in the desert after rain. Lake Eyre is home of one of Australia's largest Pelican rookeries.
The salt crust on the lake can be up to 0.5m thick totalling an estimated volume of 400 million tonnes of salt.
The Lake surface is up to 15m below sea level at its lowest point being the lowest point in Australia.
Lake Eyre became known to the world, when in 1964 Donald Campbell set the land speed record of 649kph in his turbine car "Bluebird".

Curdimurka

This is a siding on the Old Ghan Railway near the southwest end of Lake Eyre South. It hosts the biennial Curdimurka Ball a formal affair and fundraiser for the Ghan Preservation Society.
It attracts people from all over Australia.

Coward Springs

This is an area of mound springs, which are formed by artesian water (ground water under pressure) coming to the surface through fractures in the earth's crust and flowing freely across the ground surface. The minerals in the water precipitating forming mounds around the vent. This process continues until the mound reaches a height that equalises the water pressure. The springs usually have seepage with abundant vegetation or a plant fringed pool at the top of the mound. Because the water comes from great depths it can still be near boiling point when it reaches the surface.
The most well known mound springs are "The Bubbler" and "Blanche Cup".
The wetland at Coward Springs, which was a siding on the Old Ghan Railway is artificial, the result of an uncapped flowing bore. Here you can take a dip in the swimming pool.

William Creek

Like most other towns along the Oodnadatta Track, William Creek is on the Old Ghan Railway.
Today, it is one of Australia's smallest towns located within the world's largest cattle station, Anna Creek, which is part of the empire of the famous "Cattle King", Sir Sidney Kidman. It is also home of the magical Lake Eyre and beyond scenic flights and one of Australia's most remote hotels, the William Creek Pub, which has over 100 years of history present in the bar, a focal point for those who venture to the outback.

Algebuckina

This is where the Oodnadatta Track crosses the Neales River with permanent waterholes and the Algebuckina Bridge on the Ghan Railway, spanning over 580m between the cliffs. The bridge was constructed over a century ago, employing up to 350 personnel.
The area also has a history of mining with 60oz of gold being mined in 1887 and the discovery of a diamond weighing in excess of one carat.

Oodnadatta

Oodnadatta was adapted from the Aboriginal word "utnadata" meaning "blossom of the mulga".
The town was a major rail link. The old Railway Station has been placed on the heritage list and has been converted to a museum.
The Oodnadatta Hospital was the nucleus of the Rev John Flynn's Australian Inland Mission being the first medical centre/hostel established in 1911.
Today the majority of the town is owned by the local Aboriginal people.

Dalhousie Springs

Dalhousie Springs are the true oasis in the desert.
They are within the Witjira National Park which is jointly managed by the Irrwanyere Aboriginal people and National Parks and Wildlife , South Australia.
They are the largest artesian springs in Australia, with about 80 active springs spread over an area of 70 sq.kms and account for approximately 43% of the natural water discharge from the Great Artesian Basin with water temperatures as hot as 32degrees Celsius.
There are extensive wetlands associated with the springs which support lush vegetation that is a haven for the abundant local wildlife.

Painted Desert

The "Painted Desert" are the Arkaringa Hills which is 800sq.kms of "striking and fragile beauty" listed on the National Estate.
It is what is called "breakaway country" consisting of mesas (flat topped hills) and broad flat open plains, displaying an array of earthy ochre colours.
It is also one of the few known habitats in South Australia of the "giant perentie" (a large goanna).

The Breakaways

The Breakaways are approximately 20kms north of Coober Pedy and they display some of the best desert landscapes. Like the Painted Desert they are composed of Mesas and steep escarpments displaying magnificent earthy colours. The scenery is so awe-inspiring, that they have been used as the setting for movies of world acclaim like "Mad Max - Beyond Thunderdome", "Priscilla Queen of the Desert", "Pitch Black", Mars - The Red Planet and the list goes on.

Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy is the Opal capital of the world producing an estimated $35.6m worth of opal in 2001.
The name Coober Pedy was adapted from Aboriginal words "kupa" - uninitiated man or white man and "piti" - hole indicating the nature of the mining methods and where the miners lived.
Opal was discovered at Coober Pedy in 1913 by 14-year-old Willie Hutchison who was accompanying his father on a gold prospecting expedition. The opal discovered was "floaters" which are pieces of opal eroded out of the rock and left lying on the surface usually at the base of an escarpment. The site of the original discovery is within the present township.
Today Coober Pedy is a thriving town boasting a population of approximately 3000 people from over 50 nations.
Coober Pedy is unique and interesting, in that many of the residences and facilities are underground, the most famous of all is the Desert Cave Motel. This is to escape the harsh summer temperatures and the cold winter nights. There is also the "moonscape" that has been created by the years of underground mining, creating piles of blinding white earth dumps across the landscape.
The town has all the conveniences of any major town and is a definite stopover for anybody travelling in the outback.

Aussie Swag

The "Aussie Swag" is a camp bedroll. Traditionally it was a large piece of canvas with blankets, sheets, pillow and other belongings inside. The canvas was folded over the bedding from both sides and the bottom then rolled up from head to feet and tied with a rope or belt. This prevented any dust or foreign animals from getting into the bedding. It was usually carried on the back by a "Swagman", who was a person that during the 1930's depression would travel between farming properties looking for work in return for food or money.
Today the "Swag" is only a bedroll and is much more elaborate with comfortable mattress, mosquito net and fully enclosed with heavy-duty zippers. The Swag is used extensively by Jackaroos, Jillaroos (male & female station hands), campers, 4Wdrivers, Geologists, drillers, field hands and many more.

Port Germein

Port Germein is best known for being the home of one of the longest wooden jetties in the southern hemisphere. The jetty is constructed of huge red gum timber carted from the Wirrabara Forest 30kms east on the eastern edge of the Flinders Ranges. It was a major port for exporting wheat produced locally until World War II.

Port Augusta

Port Augusta is a historic coastal town and port being surveyed in the 1850's. In its heyday the port was the destination for the magnificent square riggers to load wheat and wool from four corners of the earth.
In more recent times it was the crossover point for the trains travelling between Sydney in the east to Perth in the west and Adelaide in the south to Alice Springs in the north. It is also home of the Playford and Northern power stations that generate electricity from coal mined at Leigh Creek, 260kms to the north, on the western flank of the Flinders Ranges. Port Augusta has major bases for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air, each servicing the outback areas of South Australia. It is also home of the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens and Wadlata Outback Centre, an interpretive museum that takes the visitors through the "tunnel of time" of the Flinders Ranges and outback.

Whyalla

Whyalla was first settled in 1901, after the discovery of iron ore at nearby Iron Knob in the 1890's. A tramway was built between Iron Knob and Whyalla to transport the iron ore. It was then loaded onto barges and shipped across Spencer Gulf to the Port Pirie smelters where it was used as a flux. Whyalla's first progressive step was in 1941 when a blast furnace was built, producing pig iron for the foundry industry and the establishment of a shipyard and a deep water harbour. The shipyard closed in 1978. The second boom and by far the biggest, began in 1958 when BHP (Broken Hill Proprietary) Ltd announced a fully integrated steelworks would be established. This opened in 1964. Today Whyalla is a major player in the Australian steel industry under the banner of the OneSteel company.

Cowell

Cowell located on the western shores of Franklin Harbour a land locked bay with a narrow entrance. It is a small regional town providing services for the surrounding farming community and is a popular fishing and holiday spot for the locals. Cowell is also recognised for its high quality Nephrite Jade discovered in 1965 by a local farmer in the Minbrie Ranges northwest of the town. It is also home to thriving aquaculture businesses farming oysters.

Arno Bay

Like most of the seaside towns along the coast of South Australia Arno Bay was established as a shipping port servicing the nearby farming district. Today it is a popular fishing and holiday destination for the locals as well as others. It is also the home of CleanSeas Aquaculture, established in 1996 to produce abalone spat and finfish fingerlings.

Port Lincoln

Port Lincoln is situated on Boston Bay one of the world's largest natural harbours. It was discovered by Matthew Flinders in 1802 and named after his home county, Lincolnshire in England.
Port Lincoln is the major service centre for Eyre Peninsula with a population of 13,000 people. It is a major port for exporting grain, it has one of the largest modern fishing fleets in Australia moored at Lincoln Cove Marina that catch tuna, southern rock lobster, prawns, a wide variety of scale fish and support aquaculture industries which generate in excess of $400million per year for the states economy. It also has a small wine industry producing premium quality wine.
Port Lincoln hosts the annual John West Tunarama Festival that attracts thousands of people from all over the continent.
The local area offers spectacular scenery from the rugged coastline being battered by the wild seas of the Southern Ocean at Whalers Way (scene of TV series, Australian Survivor 2002), booming surf beaches to stunning white sandy beaches in the protected clear blue waters of Boston Bay and spectacular lookouts to view the overall beauty of Port Lincoln and Boston Bay.

Streaky Bay

The coastline between Port Lincoln and Streaky Bay offers some of the most spectacular coastal scenery seen anywhere in Australia, from the protected bays of Coffin Bay, Dutton Bay, Elliston, Venus Bay, Baird Bay and many more to sheer limestone cliffs that drop hundreds of metres to the fierce and sometimes unforgiving waters of the Southern Ocean and Great Australian Bight. Also there are secluded unspoilt surf beaches backed by spectacular, gently rolling white sand dunes.
Streaky Bay is another of these protected bays along this beautiful coastline. It is a service centre for the surrounding farming district and is home to a small fishing fleet when the seasons are open.
The nearby area offers Murphy's Haystacks, unusual granite outcrops standing above the surrounding gently rolling hills, Point Labatt Sea Lion colony, swimming with the sea lions at Baird Bay, surfing, fishing and a lot more.

Minnipa - Wudinna Area

This area is granite country with significant and unusual granite outcrops standing above the gently rolling countryside. Because of their geological significance some have been listed on the Register of National Estate. Some of these are Pildappa rock, a wave like formation, Tcharkulda Rock featuring large, spectacular tafoni formations, Mount Wudinna and Ucontitchie Hill.
This area is also the gateway to the Gawler Ranges National Park

Gawler Ranges

The Gawler Ranges are gently rolling, peaceful hills of
volcanic origin.The ranges are a spectacular wilderness area of unspoilt beauty with vast domes of volcanic rock displaying a vivid array of colour against the pure white of the numerous salt lakes of the area, of which Lake Gardiner is one.
The ranges are renowned for their display of wild flowers in spring. The first sighting of South Australia's floral emblem, Sturt's Desert Pea was made here in 1839 by Edward John Eyre.
The area is home to some 140 species of birds and many other native animals including emus, kangaroos, wombats and yellow footed rock wallabies.
The Gawler Ranges National Park, formally Paney Station is a 165,000 ha wilderness area with a unique environment of considerable beauty.