Arkaroola in the Northern Flinders Ranges

We had heard good things about Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, in the northern Flinders Ranges, but weren't sure what to expect when we pulled into Arkaroola village and found the place all but deserted.  Yes, we had come out of peak season, and we almost had the camp ground to ourselves.  We toyed with the idea of bush camping however with no one else around, it made sense to camp near the amenities block and settle in.

Our beaut camp at Arkaroola

For those who have never heard of Arkaroola, it is a unique geological part of Australia, purchased by the Sprigg family in the 1940s.  Reg Sprigg was one of Australia's best regarded geologists and in these hills found fossils of some of the earliest forms of life found anywhere in the world.  A real pioneer in many fields, he also was the first person to drive (with his family on-board) across the Simpson Desert.  Gresilda Sprigg (his wife) recalled the crossing and many other anecdotes of an extraordinary life in "Dune is a Four Letter Word".

Arkaroola is now run by Doug and his sister Marg, and their property is as much a botanical and wildlife refuge as it is a geological marvel.  After clearing nearly 100 000 feral goats from the place, native plants such as native orange, pines and myrtles are recovering.  Relics from much wetter times, their tenuous existence is incredible to witness in these rugged hills.

All set and ready for our adventure

We were extremely fortunate to have Doug Sprigg take us on the flagship tour of Arkaroola, The Ridge Top Tour.  The tour follows some extremely steep rocky tracks put in by companies seeking to exploit some of the mineral wealth of the area.  Thankfully the mining wasn't profitable enough to go ahead, but the legacy is some unbelievable scenery accessible in the 'comfort' of a 4WD.

Doug's knowledge of the geological landscape was impressive, as was his intimate knowledge of the native plants growing in the area.  In fact Doug is one of those people who leaves us mere mortals in awe at his understanding of our physical environment around us.  Was I a little impressed.  Too right!  

The Ridge Top Tour had been high on my bucket list for a long time.  And it exceeded my expectations in every way.

The famous Ridge Top Tour - Breathtaking

In fact it was a really good way to get to know the property, and appreciate its uniqueness in a way we would never have achieved on a self guided tour or walk. 

That evening I tagged along to a tour of the Observatory.  Again in awe of Doug's knowledge of the stars, it was a fascinating glimpse into a whole other perspective on life.  We are but tiny specks on a regular planet in a standard galaxy.  They believe that there are as many galaxies as there are grains on sand on earth, and in each galaxy there are as many suns as grains of sand on earth.  In short it is a big big world out there.  Perhaps Douglas Adams is more right than we thought!

On top of the world on the Acacia Ridge Walk

With four nights at Arkaroola we didn't have to rush ourselves.  We tackled the 5km Acacia Ridge walk and really enjoyed getting our hiking shoes back on again.  A real highlight of the walk came to us when we were enjoying morning tea near the peak.  A Wedge Tailed Eagle soared past just off the cliff top, metres away from us.  The giant bird's graceful and silent flight held all of us spellbound.  It sent tingles up the back and was simply unforgettable.

Whist at Arkaroola we also drove the Echo Camp Backtrack route, a fantastic lap through some spectacular country.  We stopped for morning tea at Bararranna Gorge.  This ancient seabed is now a secluded water hole, and we scrambled up the gorge to a nice shady spot for our break.

Bararranna Gorge

Bararranna Gorge Waterhole

Not a bad spot for a snack

We enjoyed lunch at Stubbs Waterhole - with some ancient Tillite rocks.  These rocks are a sandstone, that has had glacial rocks dropped into it whilst it was still sand.  This provides some proof that this inland sea was once covered by ice bergs, during an ice age some hundreds of millions of years ago.  In fact this place records our history like a book - you just need to know how to interpret the subtle signs.

Stubbs Waterhole and the ancient tillite rocks, with the Am-a-Rok

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Arkaroola, especially the peace and quiet that comes with visiting somewhere out of season.  We were blessed with spectacular weather that wasn't too hot and wonderful hosts who couldn't do enough for us, and patiently answered all our questions (even examining our rock and potch collection from Coober Pedy).  Marg, Doug and their helpers Luke, Allen and Siobhan really went out of their way to make us feel special - just amazing people,

This is truly a special place and well worth visiting.  We will be back!

Another day dawns - Arkaroola