Flinders Ranges SA – Drive Day | Dave and Fiona's Travels

Thursday 29 November 2018
Today we gave our feet a rest and did the tourist drive from Wilpena Pound to Parachilna and Blinman via Bunyeroo Valley and Brachina Gorge. We had a tasty bush lunch at the Prairie Hotel at Parachilna. We then travelled through the centre of the Flinders Ranges National Park to Aroona Ruins and then headed to our home for tonight Rawnsley Station. The drive was very scenic and picturesque as you will see from the photos. It was also a very well earned rest day.

We spoiled ourselves with a beautiful meal at the Woolshed Restaurant at the Station. Our meals were so nice – Dukkah crusted kangaroo fillet on bed of beetroot, sweet potato and chickpea salad for me and slow cooked lamb and mushroom risotto for David. The main ,gal was so lovely we both had dessert. Quandong cheesecake, on quandong jam with mango sorbet for me and Wattleseed and berry pudding with caramel sauce, nut praline and raspberry sorbet for David. It was very very nice. A real treat in a lovely restaurant with fantastic ambience. A fitting end to a lovely day.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring as we need to make a decision in which direction we shall head – Eyre Peninsula, York Peninsula, Kangaroo Island. ??? Who knows. Not I.

: The Cazneaux Tree – named after Harold Cazneaux, an extraordinary early Australian photographer who was moved by the grandeur and beauty of the Australian landscape..

: ..The giant gum tree stands in solitary grandeur on a lonely plateau in the arid Flinders Ranges.

: A hikers hut on the Heysens Trail – a 1200km hiking trail from Cape Jervis to the top of the Flinders Ranges.

: St Mary Peak – our climb from yesterday is the peak just above David’s finger

: Bunyeroo Valley Lookout

: Razorback Lookout

: Brachina Gorge..home of the Yellow Footed Rock Wallaby..

: ..needless to say we spent at leat 20 minutes whilst David scoured the area in search of the elusive rock wallaby. He was just about to leave because he thought they were nocturnal when he read that someone had seen them at midday. So another 10 or so minutes went by whilst he had another look.

: Brachina Lookout

: Parachilna dongas

: The old Ghan

: Parachilna art

: Inside the Prairie Hotel – the only business in town.

: Waiting for our bushtucker lunch.

: DB with his furry friend.

: Kangaroo, Emu and Camel sausage with smashed roasted potato and roast tomato. It was very tasty. The emu tasted a little like a beef rissole.

: It must have tasted ok as we cleaned the plate.

: The Prairie Hotel on a lonely quiet street – Population 5-7

: Blinman Memorial Hall

: Galvanised iron kangaroo and emu at Blinman general store

: The Great Wall of China

: Aroona Ruins..Homestead built in 1854

: ..along the Heysens Trail..

: Aroona Hut – Built in 1925 as an outstation for Eddie Pumpa and his family. The hut is the house is a typical pug and pine construction.

: Red Plain Paddock Project…

: ..on Willow SPrings Station

: Willow Springs Station lookout

: The Wilpena Pound, in the Flinders Ranges

: Wild emus along the roadside. DB has played dodgems with both a kangaroo and emu today. He had to hit the anchors pretty hard in both instances. They lived for another day.