Flinders Ranges is composed of discontinuous mountain ranges located north of Adelaide and is considered the largest mountain range of South Australia.
On the northern part of the ranges is the Flinders Ranges National Park, which is home to numerous plants and animals capable of withstanding and adjusting to the area's harsh and semi-arid conditions. Nature walks take visitors to beautiful scenery, small canyons, and interesting rock formations.
The park's most famous attraction is Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre actually composed of two mountain ranges with formations resembling that of a sickle. Read more...
Wilpena Pound also contains St. Mary Peak, the highest mountain in all of the Flinders Ranges.
The Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park is also located north of the ranges. It features deep gorges and chasms that afford spectacular views to those who take the time to explore the park. Some parts of the park are ideal for bushwalking, though due to its remoteness, only the fittest and more vigorous are encouraged to try this activity.
Another interesting destination is the Simpson Desert Conservation Park, where visitors get to explore beautiful sand dunes, woodland, grasslands, and dry playa lakes. The park supports a wide variety of plants and animals that are rarely glimpsed anywhere else. The park can be explored aboard four-wheel vehicles or by hiking, though permits are needed for visitors to enter the area.
Visitors can also go camping at the Lake Eyre National Park, a dry salt lake that experiences flooding from time to time, during which the park becomes ideal for bird watching. A pass is needed to allow visitors to explore the park, who need to bring their own water and supplies due to the lack of facilities within it.
There are several tour operators that offer visitors the chance to experience Aboriginal culture in Flinders Ranges. Highlights of these tours include sharing meals with the Aborigines and hearing them tell of Dreamtime stories.
Flinders Ranges and the adjoining desert landscape provide stunning subjects for paintings and photographs that visitors can purchase at several galleries, such as the Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery, the Talc Alpha Rink Outback Republic Art Gallery in Lyndhurst, and the Underground Art Gallery in Coober Pedy.
One interesting way to explore Flinders Ranges is to ride its historic trains. The Afghan Express runs from Port Augusta to Quorn and allows visitors to experience a mode of transportation used in bygone years. Another historic train, the Pichi Richi Railway, runs from Quorn to Woolshed Flat.
Those interested in learning more about these historic locomotives should pay a visit to the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre in Peterborough. This center features collections of rail structures and carriages diligently restored to their original conditions.
Another exciting way to explore these mountain ranges and its surrounding areas is to take scenic flights. There are several tour companies that offer this service, taking visitors over known attractions that are quite spectacular to behold from above. Examples of which is the Wilpena Pound, the town of Cooper Pedy, and the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.