Flinders Ranges And Outback
As you head north into South Australia’s famed Flinders Ranges, the Australian outback surpasses legend and becomes dirt real. The endless hills of colored dust and sagebrush, with the road threading through them like a dribble, make all the trite sayings come true. Humans become minuscule in the face of the land, the sky never ends, the colors deepen with the setting sun as intense russets, blazing oranges, and soft purples emerge and darken before the burning sun reclaims the land with its unrelenting glare
The Flinders Ranges begin at the northern end of the Gulf of St. Vincent and continue 400km into South Australia’s vast northern outback. Within the Ranges, the southernmost national park is Mt. Remarkable (15,632 hectares). The Flinders Ranges National Park (92,746 hectares) comprises a large portion of the central Ranges, including Brachina Gorge and Wilpena Pound. The Gammon Ranges National Park (128,228 hectares) contains much of the rugged wilderness of the northern Ranges. If you’re planning to hike in the central Ranges, Quorn is the best base. Of course, camping is always an option, especially in the north.
North of the Flinders, a moisture-deprived basin has created the salt flats of Lake Torrens and Lake Eyre. Much of the sparsely populated outback beyond is encompassed by the Desert Parks nature reserve. The Oodnadatta Track is a rough 4WD circuit carving through this area. Most people who travel through northern SA, however, are interested in getting through it as soon as possible en route to the more touristed loci of the Red Centre, including Ayers Rock and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Stuart Highway, which slices the continent in half from Port Augusta up to Darwin, is the quickest and, for the most part, the only option. The road passes through the outback outpost of Coober Pedy on its way to the NT.
A car allows flexibility in traveling this region, but with many roads unsealed, 4WD is essential if you plan to diverge from the Stuart Hwy. Keep in mind that this region, although arid, is subject to flash flooding. Before setting out it is always a good idea to check road conditions on the Northern Road Conditions Hotline. Towns are few and far between, so fill your tank whenever you strike petrol. Carry plenty of water for long drives as well (both for drinking and for your car). Also note that banking services are extremely limited in these parts. Only Cooper Pedy has an ATM, although Quorn has EFTPOS. Carry ample cash and traveler’s checks.
Related Travel Information
The Red Centre
The dry, desolate outback at the center of Australia takes its name from the color of the oxidized dust that stretches to the horizon. To many travelers, the Red Centre represents the essence of Australia. Flat lands bake perpetually under a burning sun rarely obscured by rain clouds. The gnarled vegetation is weedy and sparse, and the wildlife is locked in a constant struggle for survival with the unforgiving climate and the unbearable hush flies. Out of this stark landscape, at the geographic center of the continent, rises Uluru (Ayers Rock), a celebrated symbol of die land
Melbourne City Centre
The city centre is a combination of modern high-rise and beautiful historical buildings. Melbourne’s city centre is very well laid out in a grid. Latrobe St borders the north, Flinders St the south, Spring St the east and Spencer St the west. The city centre is filled with amazing eateries, not all of them in obvious locations. The smaller city streets hide some of the best Greek, Italian and other cosmopolitan eateries.
China Town occupies two blocks of the city, starting at the corner of Swanston and Little Bourke streets. The Bourke St Mall sits between Swanston and Elizabeth
St Paul's Cathedral
Built from 1880 to 1892 from the designs of William Butterfield, a famous English Gothic revival architect, Anglican St. Paul's Cathedral is noteworthy for its highly decorative interior and the English organ built by T. S Lewis. Step inside to see gold mosaics on walls, Victorian tessellated tiles on the floors, intricate woodcarvings, and stained-glass windows. The cathedral sports the second highest spire (98m/321 ft.) in the Anglican Communion. A boys' choir sings at 5:10pm Monday through Friday during school times, and on Sunday at 10:30am and 6pm. Outside is a statue of Matthew Flinders, the first sailor
South Australia
South Australia exists in a state of sublime schizophrenia. Alongside vast kilometers of harshest, most uncompromising terrain on the continent, peaceful vineyards sleep lazily and a sophisticated city basks under a steady sun. Capital Adelaide is a stately, serene oasis, well-fed and well-watered by some of the best cuisine and finest wines in the country. Gracious buildings line its streets, world-class festivals crowd its boulevards, and hip cafes occupy its East End. As if in defiance. Adelaide's green parklands challenge the searing heat of the encroaching desert.
This is the driest state in Australia, but also the most urbanized, precisely
Central and Western Queensland
Queensland's interior has little of the charm of South Australia's and Northern Territory's outback, but it is in many ways more authentic. The land is unforgiving, water is scarce, and constant threats such as rabbit overpopulation and locusts have hardened farmers. There are no "cowboys" here: the correct title for a greenhorn is "jack-eroo" (or "jilleroo," as the case may be). From the third year, workers are called stationhands, and the name "jackeroo" becomes a hard strike against pride. While outback towns can be unkind to outsiders, the people living here maintain an ethic of trust. Folks
