Three great things to do in Walhalla, Australia
Relax by the cozy fire, have a ride on a tourist train, visit a gold mine, wander through the historic cemetery – it’s a great weekend away in Walhalla.
Previous slide
Next slide
Rotate to landscape to view slideshow
Arkaroola - Ancient Wilderness
Well off the beaten track, Arkaroola Wilderness Area is situated in the rugged and spectacular Northern Flinders Ranges,in South Australia.
The 61,000 hectare, privately owned Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary offers guests a unique outback experience, not the least of which is the Ridgetop tour. Climb aboard to enjoy the rough ride out across the ridges of this ancient land.
This is the oldest part of the Flinders Ranges, much of it is granite. But the Ridgetop also includes some even more ancient sedimentary rock that dates to almost a billion years older than the rest of the Flinders Ranges.
The ancient granite terrain starts just north of the Arkaroola Creek. This landscape is really wild and rugged, and like other parts of Arkaroola, it contains some plants unknown elsewhere. They are specially adapted to these rock and soil types. Other plants also survive as remnants from wetter periods in history thanks to the relatively cooler and wetter conditions up in the mountains compared to the surrounding semi-desert plains that ocassionally spring to life after rain.
The first humans to inhabit the Flinders Ranges were the Adnyamathanha people (meaning "hill people" or "rock people") whose descendants still reside in the area, and the Ngadjuri (Ndajurri) people, who were dispersed by European settlement after colonisation. Cave paintings, rock engravings and other cultural artefacts indicate that the Adnyamathana and Ndajurri lived in the Flinders Ranges for tens of thousands of years. Occupation of the Warratyi rock shelter dates back approximately 49,000 years. More
We visited Arkaroola while we were staying at Rawnsley Park Station. We took a short flight over Wilpena Pound and went on the thrilling Arkaroola Ridge Top Tour – a four wheel drive trip into the remote country around Arkaroola.
The Ridge Top Tour lasts around 4 hours, the road is rough and the country is rugged and exciting. We had low cloud at the lookout, but that seemed to add to the mystery of the place.
Our pilot decided she would come with us on the 4WD trip as she had never been on the tour. It was interesting seeing her get ‘greener’ and ‘greener’ as the truck lurched over the rough track. Our guide finally took pity on her and transferred her to the front seat.
More from Australia
Whalers Way on Eyre Peninsula
Whalers Way on Eyre Peninsula The very tip of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia reveals magnificent coastal scenery in a drive along Whalers Way.
Salamanca Market, Hobart, Tasmania
Hobart’s renowned open air market was established in 1972 so it’s coming up for its 50th Anniversary.
You might enjoy these destinations:
Mt Athos – Part 3
Part 3 of our story about a visit to Mt Athos, the holy mountain, in Greece
Bayeux, France
Bayeux is a picturesque medieval village in Western France, largely unscared by past conflicts, but with a unique connection to the past.
Sagrada Familia Basilica
A visit to Sagrada Familia Basilica is uplifting. The exterior gives you no clue to the feelings you will experience inside.
I was there in 2010 – a wonderful experience
What an exciting place – great photos