Travelling Worm

In this post: Gorgeous scenery and challenging technical driving in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia.

This is the blog of Mark Wordsworm, the travelling worm. I’m a 40-year-old bookmark (give or take a few years) and I proudly boast my own Hallmark serial number, 95 HBM 80-1. You’ll probably want to read all about me and my Travelling Companion (the TC).

Today’s travel notes

Me and the TC recently spent a few days in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia. It’s a fair way from home: three solid days’ drive each way from Sydney. The long trek is well worth it. This must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. We were also lucky in that the region has had an unusually large volume of rain over the past several months. The hills and valleys were covered in vegetation, all shades of green and white and grey and red.

The book I’m in

The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers. Since my previous blog post, the characters have been digging themselves deeper and deeper into the complexities of a long-lasting affair. A light snack for this bookworm is looking more like a full-course meal. I’m keen to see how this situation turns out for all involved.

Travel tips

If you go off the main roads, even onto the easy dirt roads, travel with at least one other vehicle. If something goes wrong, it’s very useful to have another, working vehicle to get you out of trouble. The landscape is huge and the conditions can be unforgiving.

Recommended restaurant

Flinders Food Co in Hawker. We went there for lunch, once and then again two days later. The TC, bless her cotton socks, was impressed when a staff member said, “Welcome back!”

The photos

Me at the entry to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park:

Yes, I’m there. Look closely, dear reader. Yours truly is just a bit dwarfed by the grand sign. Everything in the Flinders is on a grand scale. Look for me between the L and the I. Peg is there too, hanging on to my tassle and balancing on top of the I.

The Flinders Ranges form the biggest mountain range in South Australia. They started forming about 800 million years ago and are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. They’re known as a “folded” range, which nicely describes the appearance of the mountains as you approach from the north west on The Outback Highway:

Brachina Gorge and Bunyeroo Road

Our first scenic drive in the Flinders Ranges was Brachina Gorge:

For the most part, Brachina Gorge Road is an easy dirt road, winding through steep valleys and picturesque country. There is, though, the occasional creek crossing, some of which could be tricky in wet weather.

Part way along Brachina Gorge Road, we took the Bunyeroo Road turnoff. Pretty purple flowers decorated the roadside. Pretty to the eye, but they’re known as Paterson’s Curse. They’re poisonous to grazing animals if eaten in bulk. Even so, some farmers allow their animals to eat these plants in moderation, as they’re sometimes the only fodder in a drought (despite being poisonous). So Paterson’s Curse is also called Salvation Jane.

One of the most spectacular viewing points in the Flinders Ranges is Razorback Lookout on Bunyeroo Road. Here’s yours truly at the lookout. In the foreground on the left is an interesting sharply-pointed hill with vertical stripes:

Are those dinosaurs? The ancient landscape would seem to support the idea:

No, they’re emus, Australia’s large flightless bird. They’re the tallest living bird in the world, after the ostrich.

Wilpena Pound

We camped overnight at Wilpena Pound resort. Wilpena Pound is a large, bowl-shaped valley in the Flinders Ranges, formed by huge slabs of rock colliding, folding, and pushing upwards in an oval ring.

A 360 degree view of Wilpena Pound as sundown approaches:

The Moon and Venus came out as the sun went down:

Bendleby Ranges

Bendleby Ranges is a property in the Flinders Ranges where you can camp, explore 4WD tracks, and enjoy the natural beauty.

Finding the property can be a challenge, especially if you decide to take the back routes. We didn’t so much decide as end up taking the back routes. Luckily this sign assured us that we were nearly there:

The property owners have set out 210 kilometres of 4WD tracks that you can drive yourself. The tracks are rated for difficulty, from easy to hard. They’re all very beautiful, winding through hills with a huge landscape as the backdrop:

Marchant Hill Lookout at Bendleby Ranges:

This video shows part of a gorgeous and technical drive in the “Hungry Ranges”, the name given to an area containing the more difficult tracks at Bendleby Ranges. The track in the video is rated 10 out of 10 for difficulty. It should also be rated 10 out of 10 for beauty.

Some of the tracks do require serious four-wheel driving know-how and a well set up vehicle with diff locks, high clearance, and a winch. There are some dangerously rubbly and steep ascents and descents.

A well-known track is Billy Goat Ridge, not to be confused with Billy Goat Bluff in the Victorian High Country (see my earlier post about the Billy Goat Bluff Track). A signpost announces the start of Billy Goat Ridge:

The track wanders off into the distance. It looks deceptively tame, but it offers a good challenge to a keen four-wheel driver:

Dawn at Bendleby Ranges can be frosty, especially in the month of July (mid winter) when we were there:

At 7am, the weather app said the temperature was -2 degrees, feels like -4.7. The tent was covered in ice:

There was even ice on the inside of the tent. The ice thawed when the sun hit the tent, and dropped in sheets with a pretty tinkling noise, all over the TC’s bedding and clothing. Everything got wet.

The TC, bless her woolly mittens, prides herself on being a hardy soul. But even she decided that one night in an iced-over tent was enough to prove the point. We moved into a room the Shearer’s Quarters for the next night:

The team at Bendleby Ranges opened up the Shearers Quarters just for us! The accommodation was comfortable though basic, and aah the warmth provided by the aircon was bliss.

That’s all for today, folks.