Outback in the Flinders Ranges

What a glorious day!! It began with a 4WD tour traversing mountain ranges, continued with a scenic flight over Wilpena Pound and concluded with a walk through the Old Wilpena Station just before sunset.

The road (and I use the term loosely) makes the roads in Costa Rica seem like the Loop 1 Toll Road in Austin. I can't recall driving over such difficult mountain terrain with no guardrails, but the views were absolutely breathtaking and well worth the bodily stress! We spent the entire 4 hours on a huge working sheep station that afforded magnificent views of Wilpena Pound and the Elder Ranges which are part of the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The term “Pound” is an old term to describe a cup-like structure and Wilpena means “closed fingers.” Picture your two hands cupped together with fingers bent to hold or catch something. Red gum eucalyptis trees can be found in areas containing rivers or underground streams while other areas were covered in scrub grass and bushes. Vivid colors shown in the strata of the rocks.

Following a very quick lunch back at the resort, we drove to the nearby airfield – simply a dirt runway with a shack for the office. I now understand why the only way to truly see the Pound is by air. We flew in 2-6 and 4-seater Cesna aircraft. The afternoon was bright and sunny and the views incredible. I took a lot of photos ln the 30-minute flight as we crossed back and forth over the Pound and then through the surrounding valleys and got a few good shots.

Again, no rest for the weary. By the time we got back from the flights, it was time to depart for a 2-hour walk through the old Wilpena Station. What a living history of the original settlers who arrived in 1856 and described the area as “the prettiest place in the Far North.” The area still contained many of the huge old gnarled red gum trees that are the true representation of the Australian Outback. I felt as though I was on a movie set as I walked through the old Homestead, seeing original buildings and sensing what life must have been like for these sturdy pioneers. We weren't alone as numerous kangaroos stared curiously at us along with a few emus and wedge-tailed eagles soared overhead. The photo is of a mama 'roo' with her joey(baby).

Time hasn't permitted me to go into detail about the history of the Aborigines in Australia, but, needless to say, the life of these native people was drastically altered with the arrival of the Europeans. Two years ago on April 28th 2007, an Ikara sculpture was dedicated to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum that gave Aboriginal people full citizenship rights. The 2 dominant forms represent 2 akurras (Dreamtime serpents) – a fluid shape representing the Adnyamathanha (Aboriginal ) approach to the land and the flat-topped bench-like structure depictive of the European approach to living on the land.

I could have spent much longer in this beautiful peaceful setting, but darkness was rapidly descending. Tomorrow we leave Wilpena Pound and head back to Adelaide but on the way do more hiking in this amazing country.

More adventures tomorrow from the Australian Outback and Austin's sister city, Adelaide.
Linda