A week in/around the Flinders ranges and far north

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Lots of pics in this one, a lot of ground was covered

This was a first for me, going this far north. I spent 7 nights "on the road" so to speak from the South Flinders ranges to Marree and then Gammon ranges and Mt. Remarkable. Probably close to 2k kms were travelled, a lot for an old car! Barring one minor setback with the air shocks, the car loved it and I couldn't be more happy with how it performed. At times I didn't see a sealed road for days and it just sailed over those corrugations, dirt and rocks in air-conditioned bliss without issue. Didn't spend enough time in Flinders ranges or Gammon ranges, but enough recon to come back and see it all properly another time.

Saturday morning, loaded and ready to go


Arrived at Trezona campground in the Flinders ranges by 4 or 5 PM, raining cats and dogs which I had to set up in


More rain overnight, the water flowed this close to my tent


On the Trezona loop hike, the past years of sheep farming and feral activity have caused incredbile erosion, this was just a taste


These stromatolites are from algae, 600 million years ago! The reason earth developed an oxygen rich atmosphere.

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Same day as the Trezona hike (maybe a mistake ) the Mt. Ohlssen bagge hike was 2.7km almost straight up to 900+ meters of elevation. I nearly couldn't do it, many stops to catch breath but the view was totally worth it, Wilpena pound is breath-taking.


And back at the bottom heading back to the car I saw my first yellow footed rock wallaby. The first of many on this trip. So cute!


On day 3 I left the park for Marree, went out through Brachina gorge which was stunning


There's a nice lookout and information panel on the edge of the park on the Brachina gorge road. This is looking back towards the park

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Back on the black top


I think this was a roadworks section, otherwise there is bitumen all the way to Marree. Pretty isolated!


And just as I rolled into Marree from the south, so too did the Shitbox rally from the north/west! Over 250 cars. I've always wanted to be in this event, got talking to one of the teams, it looks and sounds like an absolute blast.


Due to the rain days before, clay was a common theme in Marree and this was a common sight


Day 4 was all about the flight over lake Eyre, the main reason for my trip!

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Shortly after takeoff, this is far north SA. Yes, it is pretty dry and desolate


The lake still had close to 2m of water at the deepest part, but evaporating by the day as evidenced by the white salty shoreline. It won't be there for much longer.


Various rivers flow into Lake Eyre, some are muddy while others are not hence the colour changes. There were also vivid pink sections due to the algae.


Sadly things went pear-shaped after this due to my motion sickness/vertigo so I couldn't appreciate the latter 3/4 of the flight I had 3 kwells tablets that day to no effect, the plane was just too bumpy. If you've never been really motion sick, it is absolute hell, and I suffer terribly from it. I was placed in the rear-most row of seating next to the emergency exit. At one point seriously contemplated opening it and jumping out to end the suffering

After I was on the ground again and had an hour nap in my car at the air strip I headed off for the next camp which was supposed to be at Coward Springs on the Oodnadatta track. It's a natural hot spring oasis in the middle of the desert. But this is where the car had other ideas. About 50km into the track I heard banging and scraping from the rear end. Went to pump up the rear shocks again but could hear it leaking back out Spent hours on the side of the road rolling around in the dirt trying to fix it, but nothing helped. Decided I had to turn around and crawl back to Marree, then spent over an hour getting the rear bar back on after that point! Was this close to throwing the tow-bar in the bush and leaving it behind, the holes just would not line up.


And this is where I was broke down!

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So I did crawl back to Marree at 40, sometimes 25km/h hitting bump stops on every corrugation Got back into town after 7pm, the hotel owner was very kind and let me have a room for another night at such short notice.

So day 5 at sparrows fart I set off back towards Leigh creek banging and scraping my way, went to Copley which is just north of there. Found the town mechanic shop and asked if they could possibly help. Miracle of miracles, they could! It was the T-piece in the air lines that was leaking and they'd never seen air line that small (1/8") pure fluke they had a push-fit kit which had a T-piece in it. This fixed my issue and I never had to pump the shocks up again all trip. I happened to take 3 x 1kg tubs of honey on this trip "just in case" so I gave it to their 2 mechanics and the boss man, they were over the moon. Paid them as well of course

So I was free to continue my trip, went straight onto the 100+km dirt road into Gammon ranges


I booked a room at the park headquarters on a whim. It's the old shearers quarters building at Balcanoona. It has hot showers! The main reason I went there. Was amazed at the facilites there! A massive kitchen, dozens of cupboards and drawers filled with everything you could ever need. THREE fridges plus a deep-freeze, 5 burner gas hob and massive oven, 2 microwaves, dining table and chairs enough to seat 16 people x 2. A living room with an enormous combustion heater (fully stocked firewood shed outside) TV, couches, large outside BBQ with another table + seating under a large shelter, large outdoor firepit, this place had it all. 8 rooms with 2 beds each, 4 showers and 4 flushing toilets. You just need to bring food and bed linen. It would be so sweet to book this place for a week and take 15 friends up, set the telescope up in the car park, the mind wanders
And I had it entirely to myself! Apart from the ranger who lives nearby, didn't see another soul.


Emus are everywhere in Gammon ranges NP


An action shot


A beautiful gorge near Bolla Bollana natural spring. Stopped here for afternoon tea

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A typical view from inside Gammon ranges, mostly only accessible on foot (there aren't many roads in the park)


Day 6 went on a 12km bushwalk that turned out to be more than 15km in the end, my fault Didn't take enough water and nearly expired in the heat. At the halfway point was Grindell hut where apparently sheep were farmed in the late 1800s. I can't see how, it was so dry but maybe things were different back then. It was surrounded by ranges and the stone was such a uniform kharki brown/green colour, it really looked like the colour of the surface of Venus.


A decent view on the Monarch mine hike, these ranges are so, so ancient.


We're up to day 7 now, I left Gammon ranges and headed for Blinman, so come back through the Flinders ranges (a more scenic drive than just taking the highway)


Visited the so-called great wall of China


Went to Arkaroo rock south of Wilpena which I missed the first time to see the Aboriginal rock paintings. It was a moving sight.

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Day 7 still I went to Mt Remarkable N.P via Pt. Augusta to get some supplies, visited the arid lands botanic garden. Got into Mambray creek campground around 5 PM. Not enough time to see Alligator gorge. It's an 8km walk one-way from Mambray creek or more than 1 hour drive by car. Still, managed to fit in a sneaky moonlight hike after dinner, no torches! Just a short one, glad I did! View from the lookout in the moonlight was beautiful. Nearly stepped on a sleeping kangaroo, not sure who was more surprised at the time

Anyway the camp ground was packed, I think due to there being hot showers again. Also came across the road-base cement stuff they are lining camp sites with again. Came prepared this time after K.I, I wasn't bending any pegs. Week before this trip I made 15 pegs out of 12mm rebar and sharpened the ends. Had to smash them full force both hands with a mini-sledge hammer to drive them in. They did the trick though!


And this was it, last night in a tent. Was a bit sad, didn't want to go home like any holiday I suppose.


Reckon I could stay out for 2 weeks like this no problems. Next big one on the list is probably going to be Eyre peninsula, Pt. Lincoln and the likes. A fishing oddysey perhaps?

Anyway if you got this far, thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.

[El_Freddo]

Sick trip mate and an awesome report too! Very jelly you’re getting out there and using your subi - I miss that! Live it up before you settle down, I can’t complain, I would like to be doing more of this sort of stuff though!

Keep it up! The old girl will take you many places! Nothing like working through troubles on your own in the middle of nowhere!