Put this one on the 4WD Bucket List
In need of a challenge and a desire to discover the heart of Flinders Ranges, an interesting article pointed us toward Skytrek Willow Springs Station. Described as the most challenging and exhilarating 4WD journey in the Ranges, it ticked all the boxes.
We arrived at reception, inside the house of the 70,000 acre sheep property, and were greeted by the owners who gave us a super brief on the local area and a map to follow. The map had 50 markers, consisting of aboriginal etchings, creeks, modern and historical places of interest, natural springs, geological features and flora and fauna.
The first leg of the journey was relatively easy taking us to dramatic gorges, picturesque creeks, refreshing natural springs and early settler heritage. The aboriginal etchings were a challenge to identify but we managed to locate them with the assistance of some other visitors.
The 4WD action began
After a quick break for lunch we commenced the second leg of the adventure. We smashed through gnarly river beds encapsulated by vibrantly coloured ochre cliffs and ended up at Nathan’s Knob Lookout. Here we were surrounded by a natural amphitheatre of rugged mountain ranges, it was utterly breathtaking.
The car growled it’s way up and down craggy hills and bounced along stoney ridge lines. The most exciting challenge for us was Prominent Hill which stands 704m above sea level. The hill was very steep and rugged with large loose rocks and boulders all the way to the top.
Russ drove fearlessly whilst I screamed most of the way. It was pretty scary! I’m sure we were airborne before we hit the top. As my fear dispersed the 360 degree view hit us, revealing the cardinal point of Flinders Ranges. We sat alone, speechless, absolutely mesmerised by the ancient, untouched dramatic mountain ranges.
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We eventually made our way down the hill and up onto Vambata Hill where the views continued. Interestingly you could use a dial in the Skytrek booklet which pointed out 15 of the surrounded mountains, lookouts and Homesteads.
We then headed to Upilnna Lookout which stands 747m above sea level. Here we happily signed the visitors handbook.
The next stop was Willow Springs Homestead Lookout which took us back to where we started. We didn’t want this journey to end, it was just sensational. The self drive adventure was expected to take roughly 6 hours, although we took 8 as it was so awesome!
There was an abundance of wildlife to be enjoyed including roos, wallabies, emus and wedge-tailed eagles to name but a few. The flora and fauna was beautiful and seemed to change at every corner.
We pitched our tent at Wilpena Pound Resort which also offers it’s own permanent tent and hotel accommodation. The resort includes a bar, restaurant, bistro and pool, an absolute luxury in such a remote place. There is also a general store, pay phone and petrol station. The Visitors Information Centre books local tours and scenic flights over Wipena Pound and the Ikara Flinders Ranges.
As the day came to a close we climbed to the top of a near by hill with a bottle of red and enjoyed a sensational sunset. A perfect finish to an exhilarating day!
Safe travels my friends!!
