Mount Remarkable National Park is located 238 kilometres north of Adelaide in the Flinders Ranges. This mountain range began forming about 800 million years ago, when Australia was still connected to Antarctica and the area was a shallow sea.
The creeks here are dry in summer and the landscape is hauntingly beautiful. Massive red river gum trees shine silver in the evening light. I walked to Hidden Gorge, where jagged orange rock walls rose up around me. It certainly felt hidden—I didn’t see another soul on the 18 k walk, excepting a few kangaroos and emus.
We also visited the Baroota Homestead Ruins, where early pioneers tried their luck at running sheep from the 1850s. And mostly failed. First came draught, then floods. These settlers had been told the area could support 50,000 sheep; realistically, it could only run about 2,200. We tried to imagine their isolated life: no shops, no doctors and that relentless South Australian heat.
Our stay was comparatively comfortable. Mambray Creek Campground has hot showers, dishwashing facilities, and flush toilets. And, after paying for an $85 SA parks pass, we can stay in any national park campsite for no extra charge for two months. Bargain. We love South Australia. They even gave me a library card that I can borrow books on and return them to any SA library along the way.
Next stop: The Eyre Peninsula.
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It’s great to hear that you are discovering all these new things, this time about South Australia, inc. that welcome helping hand so you can stay in more National Parks campsites (bargain indeed!) and the fantastic library service. Seems SA is doing its bit for travellers. I wonder if ‘Flinders’ has anything to do with Vlinders (the Dutch word for ‘Butterflies’)?
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Ah, Matthew Flinders, famous explorer. I looked it up.
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