Flinders Ranges guided walking tour

With an 8am pick up in central Adelaide, we’ll head north to the very start of the Flinders Ranges.

Our first stop is Crystal Brook for morning tea then on to Mt. Remarkable National Park via Melrose, where we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch. After lunch we’ll head out to the beautiful Alligator Gorge for a short easy walk through the vivid red sandstone gorge.

Our accommodation is back in Melrose for the night and we’ll enjoy dinner at the North Star Hotel.

Note, as we walk on the first afternoon, please wear your hiking clothes on the bus and bring your day pack ready to go.

After breakfast we make our way north to our walk at Dutchman’s Stern, near Quorn.

The walk today is a steep but steady incline through sugar gum forest to the top, where you will be rewarded with 360° views over the sweeping plains, Quorn and Lake Torrens in the distance. The path then makes its way through drooping she-oak woodlands back down towards the start of the walk. Along the way we cross paths with the famous long-distance Heysen Trail.

After our walk we head to Quorn, an old railway town, to have a quick wonder around and stock up on anything extra you may need. From here we make our way in to the heart of the Flinders Ranges.

Tonight we will be able to really make ourselves feel at home at our accommodation, Rawnsley Park Station, as we will be staying for 4 nights.

This morning we will drive to Black Gap to commence our walk towards Bridle Gap and the natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound, following a part of the Heysen Trail.

The walk up to Bridle Gap can be quite steep and rocky in sections, but the views at the top are worth it. From Bridle Gap it’s a gentle walk down in to the valley floor of Wilpena Pound through a variety of mallee, native pine and heath. These habitats provide excellent opportunities for keen naturalists to observe interesting local birds, including wrens, robins, parrots and raptors.

Enjoy the views along the Bunyeroo Valley Scenic Drive as we make our way toward today’s walks. Our first walk is the Bunyeroo Wilcolo Circuit walk. It’s a fairly easy walk with more gentle hills than other parts of the Flinders Ranges, offering a nice contrast to the steep and rocky terrain of yesterday.

We’ll enjoy unbeatable views of the ABC Range and the Wilpena Pound Range from the halfway point lookout and some nice spots to rest along Bunyeroo Creek.

After a picnic lunch we will have some time to explore the geological wonders of Bunyeroo Gorge.

It’s a short drive to Wilpena Pound and the start of our walk today where we will commence one of the more challenging walks of the week.

St. Mary’s Peak stands proudly above the Pound below and is central to the Adnyamathanha creation story. Aboriginal people of the Flinders Ranges ask visitors not to climb to the summit of the peak and thus we will climb as far as Tanderra Saddle with stunning views of the surrounding ranges and plains.

We will have both guides on today’s walk to ensure the enjoyment and safety of everyone.

In the afternoon you may opt to do a scenic flight over the majestic ranges that we’ve been discovering on foot these last few days.

After packing up we will make our way to the northern parts of the Flinders Ranges National Park.

The walk today will once again follow part of the Heysen Trail. We’ll pass through a variety of terrain as we make our way through cypress pine forests and mulga country. As we follow the ABC and Heysen Range we leave the National Park behind us and make our way to Parachilna Gorge, where the famous Heysen Trail also comes to an end.

After the walk we’ll make our way to the Prairie in Parachilna (or sometimes the Blinman Hotel, depending on availability) for our final night’s stay and a hearty hotel dinner.

Today we will make our way back to Adelaide via the picturesque Clare Valley where we’ll pick up some lunch (own expense) before heading out to one of the local wineries. Here you can taste some wine or discover some of the vineyard by foot.

We expect to arrive back in Adelaide at around 4.30pm.