Tony enjoyed his time at Arkaroola Wildness Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. We dined at the restaurant at night, went on the world-renowned Ridgetop Tour to Sillars Lookout (with Lamingtons, tea and a hair raising 3-point turn at the Lookout), observed the stars in the Observatory (there are 4 at Arkaroola) and even took a plane flight over Arkaroola and Lake Frome.
On the Ridgetop Tour Tony got to sit in the passenger seat upfront, the rest of us bounced around in the back!
We visited a few abandoned copper mines – the Ridgetop Tour track was made when mining companies where looking for uranium in earlier times. The Flinders Ranges generally and Arkaroola in particular is one the most beautiful places in Australia and it is geologically unique in the world.
Arkaroola and the nearby Brachina Gorge are also home to the endangered Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby, Australia’s most beautiful macropod (kangaroo or wallaby). Pictures of Arkaroola and the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby can be viewed here: http://thedocaus.com/blog/?cat=74
In 2014 Tony and I travelled around outback NSW, Queensland and South Australia. Places like the Warrumbungles, Broken Hill, Marree, the ochre pits at Lyndhurst, ruins at Farina, Arkaroola Wildness Sanctuary, Innamincka, Brachina Gorge in the Flinders Ranges, Epsilon in outback Queensland, Cameron’s Corner, Tibooburra, Menindee Lakes and lots of others.
Characters like Talc Alf, roadtrains and huge coal carrying locomotives, the odd emu and even some water in this parched part of Australia.
Tony had a long chat with Talc Alf and enjoyed his stories (Alf was also the Outback postmen, talc carver, talc miner and general dogs’ body!).
Here is a map of the trip. The kink over Lake Frome near Arkaroola in SA was a plane flight we both took around Arkaroola. Doug Sprigg was the pilot and he thanked us all for financing his hobby (flying) when we returned. Lake Frome is the whitest salt lake in the world and is used by NASA to make various measurements.
Tony often spoke about the trip. He had photos on his phone he would show to nurses on his many trips to hospital. Tony is in five images below and I have written a little story around each one.
Coffee at the Innamincka Pub in SA
We had a shower at the public shower block – after being so remote for a few days a shower felt amazing.
Tony is drinking coffee before lunch. Then on to juicy steak sandwiches, chips and salad in the dining area. Then cake and ice cream for desert. The food was superb. The Innamincka Pub at the time was owned by the same people who owned the Birdsville Pub, Innamincka had better food IMO.
Tony also retained fond memories of the Innamincka Pub. We talked about it for years after.
Canonba near Nyngan Outback NSW
Tony sitting beside the car near his tent around 6.30am. My bed is in the Patrol.
We had refuelled and resupplied at Nygnan the previous afternoon and drove out to the free camping ground at Canonba. It was on the Canonba Road about 10kms out of the Nygnan township. Close by us in the camping ground was a wandering drover with his dogs (hidden by the Patrol).
Canonba was once an important Outback town when it was a supply depot for Cobb & Co coaches. Once the railway went through Nygnan, Canonba disappeared.
Middle of nowhere
Tony with the trailer gate down boiling the billy for tea. We had camped overnight in the middle of nowhere. The driver was tied. We camped beside the Wool Track between Ivanhoe and Cobar, NSW. It was an access road to the surrounding stations and not a single car drove past the whole time we were there.
Coally Station, Far North West NSW
Tony is leaning on the passenger’s seat setting up his camera. This was at a small ephemeral wetland off the Silver City Highway near Coally Station Homestead.
Earlier we had driven through Cameron’s Corner (fancy hamburgers for lunch that time, yum), then through Stuart National Park in the far north eastern corner of NSW.
Epsilon Station, Outback Qld
The image with Tony standing at the car door looking forward was near Epsilon Station in remote Outback Queensland. We were travelling out of the area on private roads used to service the Moomba Gas Field oil wells. Earlier we saw the white camel also pictured.
The road is called the Nappa Merrie-Santos Road. We were on the Santos end, Nappa Merrie Station (Ranch for any American readers) being at the other end. In remote Australia it is common to name roads after the destinations at each end, it sure helps you know where you are going.
How do I remember these details? First, I add keyword to my images. Second, I keep a travel diary to help indexing. Last, I add GPS co-ordinates to the images. Here I mainly used the GPS co-ordinates and memory.
Due to some medical issues with Tony (bruising mostly) the trip lasted only two weeks instead of the planned three weeks. Due to Tony’s limited mobility I was visiting places where I could drive Tony close to the scenery or eating place. It worked out well. I still remember those delicious BLTs (bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches) at the Blenheim Pub, Flinders Ranges. SA.
Click on the first image and a slideshow will appear. Take five minutes to look through the images.
Digging deep into the The Doc’s secret archives comes a variety of images of Australia’s most beautiful macropod, the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby. The Doc has posted a few in the past, but none of these images.
Arkaroola is in the northern Flinders Ranges. Millions of years ago a large rift valley was formed. After the rocks were laid down, huge forces beneath the surface pushed the layers up, hundreds of metres into the air. The layers of rock are now visible, often at steep angles and sometimes vertically. It is a unique geological location having sedimentary, metaphoric and volcanic rocks in the one location.
Arkaroola’s unique geological features were recognised by Sir Douglas Mawson, the famous Australian Antarctic explorer. He urged Reg Sprigg to get the pastoral lease of Arkaroola if possible. Reg and his wife Griselda were able to take over the lease in the 1960’s. Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is now run by their children Marg and Doug Sprigg. Those names may sound familiar to some readers, as this family did the first motorised crossing of the Simpson Desert in G60 Patrol.
The best parts of Arkaroola are seen on the world famous Ridgetop Tour whose highlight is the spectacular Sillars Lookout. Surprisingly, many visitors don’t go on the Tour. The tracks at Arkaroola were originally built by mining companies exploring Arkaroola.
There are several old copper mines and smelters around the property including Wheal Turner and Bolla Bollana being examples. The Doc also explored properties nearby Arkaroola and visited the Needles, the Yudnamuntana Historic Site (old copper smelter) and Mt Freeling Station.
There is less bird life at Arkaroola than the Gammon Ranges National Park 30 km to the south. But Arkaroola has a healthy population of Yellow-footed Wallabies, arguably Australia’s most beautiful macropod. The Doc managed to get a few shots.
The tracks constructed by the mining companies allow you to drive in many places across the property. He is a selection of photos from a couple of those drives including Titllite Gorge, Mt Jacobs Track and Stubbs Waterhole.
The Doc also took to the air in a helicopter over Arkaroola and Freeling Heights.
A separate Report on the textures of Arkaroola can be viewed here.
A beautiful place to visit but only part of the broader Flinders Ranges.
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