Susie gets her fill of the Flinders

FOSSIL

By Susie Underwood

eyes

At the end of June this year, Nick and I (in our new camper) and a bunch of happy Campfire Escapees set off from El Caballo roadhouse, bound for South Australia - specifically the Ikara-Flinders Ranges.

Iwas just a bit excited, because my only previous experiences of South Australia had been a weekend in Adelaide at the airforce base watching my son graduate and driving from Sydney to Perth in a minibus towards the end of the last century. Our way forward was hampered somewhat by the closure of the HydenNorseman Road which necessitated a detour via Great Eastern Highway, adding 167 km to our first day’s drive. Our chosen campsite was east of Norseman at a place called Ten Mile Rock (10 miles from Fraser Range) and, bypassing the 24 hour rest stops inconveniently placed right on the very noisy highway, we nosed our way down a few tracks, getting well off the road and into camp with just enough daylight to see what we were unpacking and settled down by the campfire with the traditional garlic prawns and little boys. The next few days stretched somewhat monotonously across the plain, punctuated by the odd (sometimes very odd) roadhouse coffee and sausage roll. Strangely enough I found that nothing much had changed since my east-west traverse in 1979, though my ride was a tad more comfortable. One of the highlights before we hit South Australia was travelling through the Madura Pass. After hours of monotonous straightness and flatness, you are suddenly presented with the realisation that you have been up on the Hampton Tableland and now stretching out below you is the Roe Plain. From these dizzying heights the road continued flatlining (with occasional sea views) until we reached the border. As we set up camp outside Eucla at the whimsically named Weebubbie Cave it occurred to me that two weekends previously we had flown to Sydney, attended a birthday party and then flown back to Perth in the time it had taken us to drive this far. People bang on about the vastness of Australia (me in particular when I’ve had a few red wines), but driving across that enormous empty landscape really

Pines draw the gaze to the blue horizon.

The shucker serves up ugly Kilpatricks.

Add a drip of Worcestershire.

does give you an appreciation of the hugeness of the place. From Eucla it was off to Port Augusta to restock after being de-fruited and de-vegetabled in Ceduna (and filling up fridges with oysters). Our last camp before we sighted the Flinders was just outside the little town of Wirrulla, somewhat sinisterly named “The Town with a Secret”, though I have since discovered that their secret is they’re apparently the only place in the world with an inland jetty. We were a tad late getting into camp that night, but once camp was set up and the fire blazing, Nick produced his own hidden secret, a bag of uglies purchased in Ceduna. To the uninitiated (and I was one), uglies are oysters that are clumped together, making them very hard to shuck and sell individually. The man at the Oyster Bar in Ceduna sold Nick a bag of these for $15 and told him to stick them on the shovel in the fire until they opened. Well! The shovel was produced and heated and the uglies popped open obligingly. Can I say right here right now that I’m never eating oysters any other way again. Left on a hot shovel just until they start to open produces a warm (not cooked) oyster that tastes divine. From that single bag of uglies we reckon we got 5060 oysters. The next night we were a little more refined and cooked them on a barbeque plate at Willow Springs, complete with bacon and Worcestershire sauce. Magnifique! The first sight of the southern Flinders as you drive into Port Augusta is truly breath-taking. The ranges stretch away into the blue distance and really are a sight to behold. Our first stop was to be at Willow Springs Station (home of the famous Skytrek) and our route took us through some truly picturesque scenery. You can tell from the hyperbole that I really, really loved this place! Places we have highlighted to revisit include Pichi Richi (where you can board a steam train and chug ecstatically through the winding valleys), Quorn and Hawker. Dotted along the road were many stone ruins, more than I expected to see. South Australia being mainly bereft of trees, most houses were built from the local stone and according to our information many were abandoned soon after being built, the early settlers unaware of the inhospitable conditions which mostly prevail in this region. I’d like to say that’s a testament to hope, but really, it’s probably ignorance. We arrived in Willow Springs late in the afternoon to a warm welcome. This is a lovely place to visit, with lots (and lots) of room to spread out, also (bliss after four days on the road) hot showers and toilets.

The next day we tackled the Skytrek, which begins benignly enough with a tour through rocky creek beds and past Aboriginal rock carvings, before winding through the back blocks of the station to a locked gate. Those of you who have read my stories in the past will be aware that heights and I are not often on speaking terms (well never really), and once through the locked gate things took a turn to interesting. I have driven up Mt Meharry in WA many times, every time swearing that this will be the last, but in my opinion this track puts Mt Meharry in the shade. It starts steep, gets steeper and then, just as you think the steepness is over, it gets suddenly vertiginous. You pop out on top of a bald hill with an absolutely breathtaking view of Wilpena Pound and the surrounding mountains. After leaping out of the car and giving myself a good shake I was able to take in the view, happy that it was all downhill from here on. Sadly that was not to be, we had two more lookouts to negotiate, all extremely beautiful, particularly in the late afternoon light. Putting my heights neurosis aside, the Skytrek is absolutely not to be missed, the track is in really good condition and it provides a unique perspective of the surrounding landscape, Wilpena Pound in particular. Just as an aside and to give an indication of the harsh conditions of this part of our country, Willow Springs is a sheep and cattle station of 70,000 acres, the stocking rate 1 sheep per 16 acres, making for a lot of lonely sheep. After restoring my equanimity with a hot shower, we settled around the camp fire with a large glass of red and reflected on our interesting day. The next day’s drive took us through Bunyeroo Gorge to Brachina Gorge. Driving through the Bunyeroo valley treats you to amazing views out to Wilpena Pound. There is a ‘Corridors through Time’ geological trail in Brachina Gorge which is well worth a visit. We meandered leisurely along this track, stopping at the interpretive signs throughout the gorge. Lucky for us we had Glenn-the-geologist along to explain what we were looking at in

Great tracks on the Skytrek.

Old fossils found old fossils.

Brachina Gorge on the geology trail.

layman’s terms with Nick just itching to get his rock pick out and dig himself up a fossil. There are several camp sites along the trail and we have also earmarked this as a place to go back to and explore more thoroughly. The Flinders Ranges are also home to the fabulously named Golden Spike which Glenn directed us to. The Golden Spike delineates the Ediacaran Period, which is the first geological time period to be declared in the southern hemisphere. Though unassuming in appearance, the disc marks the geological reference point for the Ediacaran in the world and is a hot spot for excitable geologists. Brachina is also home to the largest population of yellow-footed rock wallabies in Australia, though sadly we saw none during our time there. By the time we had finished our geological ramble through the millennia it was time for a restorative coffee at a cafe in Blinman before heading out to the old horse yards at Angorichina to camp. What a pretty spot that is, with willow trees, massive gums and a river bed winding past. That night we were visited by one of Australia’s least favourite species, a feral cat, which inconsiderately left paw prints all over our nice new kitchen. From Angorichina it was off to Arkaroola via the Artimore ruins not far from Blinman. Artimore was one of the first sheep stations to be established in South Australia in the early 1850s and there you will find some pretty

The Ediacaran Golden Spike - a global geological treasure.

impressive ruins. It must have been a large establishment in its day, carrying more than 40,000 sheep at its peak. However, the unreliable rain, wild dogs and overstocking led to its abandonment in 1903. From Artimore it was a long and dusty drive out to Arkaroola for a couple of nights. The least said about the drive into Arkaroola the better. We drove through what must be quite a pretty gorge, invisible due to a wall of white dust. When visiting this region it would be best to avoid school holidays in my humble opinion. Arkaroola is home to the Echo Camp backtrack, a self-guided 4WD tour through Bararranna Gorge. The track is steep and rocky, but not half as vertiginous as the Skytrek and well worth visiting. Through here you can see ripple stone, which is formed by water running over ancient riverbeds, but over time and various geological eructations, this ripple stone can now be found sitting vertically in the rock face. There are also numbers of the very cute yellow-footed rock wallabies, but due to the very dry conditions there are also large

Glenn the geologist opened our eyes to the significance of it all.

The camp minstrels at work.

Dust traces the pathway to Arkaroola.

Rugged country on the Echo Back track.

numbers of dead animals, overall quite depressing. We had a very pleasant evening at the restaurant at Arkaroola before packing up and heading out to Farina, via the Gammon Ranges. Our route this time took us very close to the little town of Beltana where a member of my family lives. Lucky for us Ngatina was home and gave us a guided tour of this special place. Unlike a lot of the little towns in this region, Beltana has never been abandoned. All the houses in Beltana are still privately owned and, such is the pull of the town, those family descendants who have moved away to pursue education and careers are beginning to retire and return to the family home, the population increasing from 6 to a dizzying 35 in recent years. Most buildings have interpretive signs out front so if you’re ever in the area it’s well worth a visit and a wander around. However, we

The underground bakehouse at Farina has raised a lot of dough to fund restoration work.

had our sights on the bakery at Farina, so beetled off in plenty of time to get there before the bakery closed. Farina (the latin word for wheat) was established in the mid 1850s with the intent of turning the region into the food bowl of South Australia, another testament to hope over reality. It must have been a bustling place in its time and was home to two hotels, a post

The northern lip of Wilpena Pound en route to Bunyeroo Gorge.

Yellow-footed wallabies were a highlight at Arkaroola. A study in geological motion.

office, police station and cells, a church and brothel. Interestingly, the brothel was across the road from the hotel and next to the police station, conveniently saving everyone unnecessary time. A rail line also passes through and there is an old cricket ground. The Farina ruins are gradually being stabilised and restored by an enthusiastic group of volunteers who go out there every year for weeks at a time, gradually unearthing more buildings and more history. The bakery is world famous (well it should be, its bread is amazing). It is underground and pumps out delicious loaves of bread for only six weeks of the year, but is extremely popular with travellers. Each morning there’s a queue of people waiting for it to open. The bakery funds the restoration work and the group are also using the funds to build a dedicated visitor’s centre and cafe next to the underground bakery which will open next year. Early the following morning, we were treated to a guided tour of the bakery and new visitor’s centre by our friends Jude and Johnno, part of the team of volunteers bringing Farina back to life. After filling our cheek pouches with bacon and egg pies and apricot Danish, we tackled the Oodnadatta Track on our way out to Lake Eyre and Coober Pedy. Suffice to say I didn’t love this part of our journey. The track is rocky and very, very dusty and also very heavily trafficked - we had picked probably the worst time of year to travel - there were camel races at Marree, the Big

Arkaroola’s Echo Back track was a tad steep in places.

Lake Eyre looking like the ‘Great inland Sea’. An aerial perspective.

Red Bash was just about to start and it was school holidays. Still, we ground along at a reasonable pace, stopping at The Mounds to have a look at the artesian springs before lobbing into William Creek to board our plane for a flight over Lake Eyre. Along with not loving heights so much I don’t love flying so much, particularly in little planes which don’t have the magic light which brings wine and the little screen which shows movies. This time I was seated up the front next to the pilot with a steering wheel in front of me and pedals at my feet. Believe me, I was so terrified I would touch or step on something which would send us into an immediate death spiral I practically strangled myself with my seatbelt. However, once we got over the lake all that was forgotten. It was truly awesome seeing that water stretching away in front of us. Our pilot was very informative and we had an absorbing hour scooting over the water drinking it all in (not literally, I’m happy to add). From William Creek it was a long, hot and bumpy ride out to Coober Pedy. That stretch of country makes the Nullarbor look positively lush. There is nothing from horizon to horizon but rocks and the odd

Oodnadatta Track open (to interpretation).

tuft of optimistic grass. Our first night in Coober Pedy was spent in a caravan park, the details of which I will draw a veil over. The next day was a lay day and we spent an absorbing few hours at the Old Timers Mine and museum, well worth a visit. Along with the old mine shafts the museum also contains an underground house, lived in by the mine owners and kept in its original 60s condition. From there we took a look at the Serbian underground church, which is absolutely glorious! The walls are covered in carvings and it is an absolute gem. Sadly we had run out of time to visit any of Coober Pedy’s other attractions, but we will be back. At sunset, we mounted our mechanical ponies and (along with practically every other tourist in town) scooted out to The Breakaways for sunset drinks and nibbles. What fantastic scenery - the sunset colours were so intense and the landscape out of this world. If ever any Martians come to visit us, they will feel right at home here. For our second night we had booked ourselves into the Dugout B&B on the outskirts of town. If you are ever in need of accommodation in Coober Pedy, do yourselves a favour and book in, it is absolutely five star (in capital letters and flashing lights). Our 3 bed 2 bath villa was in an old mine dug into a hillside, and came complete with vast views over the plain, a kitchen which puts ours at home to shame and (best of all) complimentary port! Most of the furniture has been made by the owners and it really is a unique and very comfortable place to rest your weary head. From here, it was homeward bound for us, with a couple of days at Koonalda, an abandoned sheep station on the old Eyre Highway. The old homestead still stands and

Our digs at the Dugout B&B couldn’t get much cosier.

there is a car dump which will keep any vintage car enthusiast amused for hours. We camped by the old shearing sheds, which are particularly photogenic in the late afternoon light. We had a lay day at Koonalda so we drove over to the coast to the bight for more spectacular views. Lucky for us it was whale-watching season and we spent an hour or two at the Head of the Bight spotting whales. Since my visit last century there have been a few improvements at these lookouts, the Head of the Bight now boasting a cafe and souvenir shop plus walkways and fences to stop oneself inadvertently stepping over the edge. We also had an afternoon excursion out to the Koonalda cave, which is really a doline, more a sinkhole than a cave but large and impressive nonetheless. That night we donned our finery and treated ourselves to a camp oven (mad hatter’s) dinner party

Another amazing campsite, this one near the Gawler Range. The traditional Mad Hatter’s Dinner Party was a hoot at Koonalda. (with more Ceduna oysters). On our route west we followed the old Eyre Highway for a bit before spearing off on the Old Coach Road where we surprised a very Whale spotting at the top of the Bight.

Warbla Cave on the old coach road near Eucla.

laid back dingo out for a morning stroll until he spotted us and hightailed it into the long grass. All across South Australia I had been grizzling to Nick that I hadn’t seen a wombat (not a live one anyway) and I still haven’t, but the Old Coach Road treated us to a bounce through a couple of very large wombat holes which took us by surprise. One more reason to return to SA. Having crossed the heavily policed Western Australian border - on one side it was too late for lunch, on the other too early - we headed into camp near Cocklebiddy then our last night in the Great Western Woodlands by the side of Lake Johnston before heading back to sunny Perth and the dreaded washing. All up, we travelled 6536km in just over two weeks, which was a bit of a mad dash and with my newly retired hat on, I’m looking forward to a more leisurely eastern adventure next time. The new camper worked a treat, apart from a few run-ins with the dastardly snapping cupboard of death (see Nick’s story) and a bit of getting used to the new set up and pack up routine. Ikara-Flinders Ranges is a definite on my list of places to re-visit and linger in. We certainly live in a marvellous part of the world.

Crystal clear night near Cocklebiddy.