Adventure to the Red Centre, part 2

Up to Wilpena Pound

There were 11 of us on the trip, all east coast Aussies bar us.  From the get go, it was apparent that we were all going to get along with plenty of irreverent humour shown.  Our driver/guide from APT, Kym, was out of the same mould too.  Transport to the various locations was via an articulated Scania 4WD truck with very comfortable seats for long hauls over some indifferent roads and tracks, plus a good comms system and internal window for Kym to chat with us.

The mighty Scania

Working our way north from Adelaide, the first leg up through the Clare Valley was what you might call pastoral, plus large areas of fruit and vegetables.  The big difference compared with similar places in the rest of the world is the steep drop-off in the number of people you see on the roads outside the main centres.  It can be a lonely place if you run into trouble.  Some of the small population areas are in steep decline for multiple reasons, whilst others are reinventing themselves.   A good example is Watervale, where we stopped for lunch.  Origination was in the mid 1800's and it has more recently become an epicurean centre for good wine and excellent locally-grown food, centred around the beautifully restored hotel.

Here are some photos.

The Watervale Hotel

Massive old cast urn outside the hotel - presumably a high copper content

Magnificent kitchen

Reception area with Aboriginal art

One of the restored dining areas

After a magnificent lunch, it was time to head further north.  By the time we reached Orroroo, about 280 km north of Adelaide, the landscape change was really noticeable, being dustier, drier and a fair way from anywhere.  Big main street, a good number of empty shops and a declining area population of around 500 at present.  

Orroroo main street

Sign outside the butchery

Seeing the southern Flinders Range late afternoon on the horizon and then arriving at Wilpena Pound was a really exciting prospect as we were due to see it from the air early the following morning by light plane.  We didn't really know what to expect but it seemed to be on the bucket list of everyone we spoke to.  Accommodation and food was excellent, as were all the places so far.

Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains over 400 km north of Adelaide and what a spectacular place it is! We waited for the small high wing Cessna to turn up at the nearby bush airstrip and I noticed a couple of kangaroos watching us, rather hoping that they weren't going to cause trouble during take-off or landing! The pilot looked like he was on work experience from school but doesn't everyone these days?  Mountain pilots are normally highly skilled to cope with the climatic conditions and this young fella was as smooth as silk.

Don't look now but we're being watched....

Here comes our ride

Wilpena Pound from the air

Traversing the rim of the Pound

Solar power installation

Outside the Pound, showing dried-up watercourses

After the breathtakingly beautiful flight, we visited a nearby historic station and homestead from the 1850's.  Conditions for early settlers were pretty challenging to say the least.  The next photo shows a eucalyptus tree which is known to be at least 500 years old.

The Wida River Red Gum, a protected tree of significance.  Wilpena Pound in the background

Eucalyptus branch mottling

One of the original living quarters on the station

Later in the day, Jennie and I walked for a while inside Wilpena Pound and saw the effects of nature at work in this area.  It's hard to assess the scale in the following photo but the tangle of uprooted eucalyptus trees in the creek bed is between 5- 10 metres tall. It was due to a flash flood in 1989.  Termites and weather are gradually returning the trees to the land.

The result of flash flooding in 1989

The impact of weather on the erosion of Wilpena Pound and the nearby ranges is shown in the following photo.  The rock is about 2 metres long and 3/4 metre deep.  It's been recently split in half most likely due to water ingress into small cracks, followed by the typically cold nights and hot days of the desert climate causing expansion and contraction.

 

The power of nature

Next morning required an early start for the long haul up to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.  In a trip already laden with superlatives, Arkaroola certainly wasn't going to disappoint!