4WD 4life

Wilpena Pound

Our Weekend at Wilpena Pound

We were all so excited when each family purchased brand new 4x4

MY PRIDE AND JOY IS A TRITON GLS.

My partner (Ana) and I (Bill) could not wait to experience our many weekends’ 4x4 wheel-driving adventures.

The first one with her daughter (Tracey), her husband (Rick) and two grandchildren (Brayden and Alana) in their new 4x4.

After deliberating we decided on a destination, the Flinders Rangers.

DAY 1

So around ten on a Friday morning we congregated at Ana’s place in Salisbury South Australia where everyone was so keen and very excited. Rick led the way on our journey through to Burra.  Leaving the city and our woe’s behind.

Then with Peterborough in our sights, we were looking out of our windows at the very green rolling hills (we have had some good rain recently).

All refreshed we continued to Hawker. We couldn’t help but notice along so many hill ridges what will soon be a very familiar part of our landscape    –   New wind farm generators sprouting up every where.

An eyesore? No I think not, free power from nature seems OK by me!”

We fuelled up in Hawker and continued out on Wilpena Rd.

Everyone looking at the configuration of the folds and colourations of the Flinders Rangers

We all yelled out simultaneously “watch out look, look” as we spotted the wild life - kangaroo’s and emus on both sides of the road - so many of them every where which exited us all. 
With that, the car game was started of counting who could spot the most kangaroos.

We arrived at Wilpena Resort around three thirty that afternoon.

We were pleasantly surprised that we had adjoining rooms. It was arranged to have the joining doors opened, which proved to be a real plus sharing our space for the children. 

More room to move and it made for a very homely, cosy place to stay whilst away.

(Not to mention, Ana was delighted that we were sharing our space as well as our adventure with her children and grand children).

With all the formalities of booking in and settling into our rooms, we went to the restaurant area where  we were able to relax with the open fire and a pleasant view of the native fauna and flora.

After our delicious and beautifully presented meal an early night was in order for all of us –

ZZZZZZZZZ

But we were all extremely excited about booking a scenic flight over the Pound the next morning bright and early.


DAY 2

Early Saturday morning we awoke full of great expectations.  We drove to the remote country airstrip for our scenic flight over Wilpena Pound after missing our bus.

There, standing by a shed (which is the flight centres heart) was a group of people awaiting direction and watching the ground crew fuel and ready the aircraft. Some of these people also turned out to be the Aviators who would take us up into the skies over the pound and tell us some of its fascinating and enthralling past.

We took off in a six-seater plane with a very friendly and charming pilot. She flew us out towards the Chase Range, then flew through the heart of the Flinders Rangers, over the pound, and its homestead where it was once managed, out through the Access Valley, turning around so we could view the many valleys, gorges and other wild terrain. It was picture book perfect with the sun low, this gave us such a view of a feast of colours.

We were told how people tried to cultivate and raise stock in an attempt to control this natural wonder. It was a very tough existence and eventually this all become a national park with tourism prevailing. We learnt that Wilpena Pound was not formed from a large comet, which crashed to earth but a natural formation of the hills around us.

Now that we had seen the area from a birds-eye view, we had a better idea of where we may like to take our new 4 x 4 for our first real off road track.

On the way back to our Resort, Ana and I stopped at the information centre and picked up some brochures about self-driving 4x4 tracks.

They were unreal, info on different tracks, who to contact, what vehicle set up would be required to negotiate the terrain and a lot more.

We decided to tackle the Arkapena Scenic Adventure. This would require (high clearance, low four wheel drive and some four wheel drive experience) we called the contact - Rannsley Park Caravan Park.  They acknowledged the track was open for use and that there was a fee to drive the track and a deposit for the key to enter the property; we also received a mud map.


The first section was easy but still required care, it wasn’t until the second gate things required low four-wheel drive.

We were all into the atmosphere of this adventure, both children laughing at the joy of being thrown round as the 4bs moved over the undulating terrain.

After a while a rest break was taken to stretch our legs and have a picnic at a designated spot with more amazing views and to chat about our experiences so far (it was hard to get a word in as everyone had to express their favourite section of the trip so far).

We all felt as though we were at one with the countryside, being so close to Mother Nature’s natural habitat.  No other way we could do this together with our ages ranging from 2 through to 50+ modest aren’t I?

The toughest was still ahead, climbing from 300m to 450m above sea level in only a few kilometres to end up at a look out that took your breath away.

DAY 3

After sleeping in, everyone woke on the last day a little hungry so breakfast was first on every ones agenda.

Then to the unpleasant task of packing up ready for the trip home.

About ten thirty we started our way home.

 At Quorn there was something that Brayden would be interested in. THE PUFFING BILLY (an old steam train)

Stopping at the station, all of us ventured inside and looked at the information they had all about the train’s history.

Time was against us, we had to carry on .Reaching Pt. Augusta around noon we stopped for something to eat.

The road from Pt. Augusta to Adelaide was familiar to me and Rick so there seemed that an air of urgency had came over us to hit the road.

It is always wonderful and exciting to go away but even better coming home.

Upon arriving back from where we started, all of us had an absolutely wonderful time. One, which I am confident, we will reflect on in times to come.

Driving through to Pt Wakefield we had a short break. The children were soon asleep and HOME WAS THE NEXT STOP.

(READY TO START  PLANNING  OUR  NEXT GREAT  ADVENTURE)