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Wilpena Pound in the late afternoon
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Wilpena Pound
One of Australia's most famous landmarks and an
area of excellent bushwalking
There's a postcard of Wilpena Pound, a
magnificent aerial view of this almost perfectly formed geological
bowl, which declares: 'Did you know - An aerial view of Wilpena Pound,
the floor of which is 200 metres higher than the surrounding country.
The highest point is St Mary's Peak which is 1188 metres above sea
level. The pound is 17 km long and 8 km wide and contains 8960 hectares.'
Located 429 km north of Adelaide, Wilpena Pound
lies in the heart of the north Flinders Ranges and is a remarkable
natural amphitheatre covering nearly 8000 hectares. It is a huge flat
plain covered in scrub and trees and totally surrounded by jagged hills
which form a rim. From the ground it looks like a rugged low mountain
range which can easily be traversed. When you reach the top you look
across the plain and can clearly see the hills around the edges. From
the air it is a remarkable sight. It is claimed that the word 'wilpena'
means 'place of bent fingers'.
Wilpena Pound is basically for bushwalkers.
Certainly it is true that the road to the 'pound' traverses some of the
most beautiful country in the whole of the Flinders Ranges (this was
where Hans Heysen found the inspiration for some of his most famous gum
tree paintings) but when the traveller arrives at Wilpena Pound there
is nothing to do but walk. That is not a bad thing. But it is the
reality of the experience.
The Flinders Ranges, of which Wilpena Pound is the emotional
centre, were first sighted by Matthew Flinders in 1802. He lent his
name to the low lying range of hills which starts south of Port Augusta
and stretches northward for some 500 kilometres.
In 1839 Edward John Eyre traversed the ranges as
he travelled north discovering the vast Lake Eyre which lies to the
north of the range. By the 1850s, although the land was deemed to be
beyond the limits of cultivation, large tracts of the land were being
leased. Wilpena Pound was leased in 1851 and, given its natural
protection, was first used as a large horse breeding area. The horses
were simply led into the 'pound' and left to their own devices.
In 1899 the Hill family who lived at Hawker took out a lease
over the whole of the pound. They cleared the land and started wheat
farming. If you come across old pieces of farm equipment while walking
in the pound it probably is left from these days. By 1904 the Hills
were doing sufficiently well from their wheat that they built a small
stone house near the entrance to the pound. They lived there until
1914.
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The gum tree in front of the
Wilpena Pound Motel
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A resort was
established near the only entrance to Wilpena Pound in 1945. It was
administered by the South Australian Tourist Bureau. By 1972 the pound
was under the control of the National Parks Commission and it has
remained under government control ever since.
In recent times Rawnsley Park Station, which is located to
the south of the pound, has established itself as a modestly priced
caravan park with good quality apartments (taken from a nearby mining
site). It offers a range of activities including scenic flights over
the Pound, horse riding and bicycling, as well as interesting and
unusual walks to the Pound. See below for more details.
Things to see:
Walking at Wilpena Pound
There is an excellent brochure published by the South
Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service which is available at
the camping ground/motel at the entrance to Wilpena Pound. The booklet
outlines some 13 walks in the pound. The most popular ones include:
1. Old Homestead and Wangara Lookout
This takes between 1-2 hours and is a relatively easy
walk which goes through the Pound Gap, past the old Hill homestead and
up the easy edge of the Pound so that, by the time the walker reaches
Wangara Lookout, they have good panoramic views across the Pound.
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Wilpena Pound in the late afternoon
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2. The
Drought Busters
This 1.5 kilometre walk takes about one hour and is
an introduction to the flora which survives in this land where the rain
and water supply is both low and unreliable.
3. Mt Ohlssen Bagge
This is a 2-3 hour walk which is strenuous but offers
the walker a good view of the Pound floor and the country which lies to
the east of the Pound.
4. Arkaroo Rock
15 km from Wilpena there is a car park at the foot of
Arkaroo Rock. The walking trail from the car park takes about 1-2 hours
but the rock walls have some very fine Aboriginal art including red
ochre images of emu and bird tracks, snake lines, circles and leaves.
5. Edeowie Gorge
This is an 8-9 hour walk to the north west of the
Pound. It goes to Edeowie Creek and Malloga Falls and enters and
crosses a section of the Pound.
6. St Marys Peak
The highest peak (nearly 1200 metres) in the Wilpena
Pound area this is a challenge for bushwalkers. The walk takes about
6-7 hours. It is a difficult walk but the walker is rewarded with an
outstanding view of the whole of the pound.
7. Black Gap - Heysen Trail
This is part of the Heysen Trail which runs from Cape
Jervis in the south to the northern end of the Flinders Ranges. It
takes about 6-7 hours, crosses the Pound floor and passes over the
Pound's western flank at Bridal Gap.
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View from Rawnsley Bluff,
Wilpena Pound across Rawnsley Park Station
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In the Area
Rawnsley Park Station
Rawnsley Park Station, which is located on the road
south of Wilpena Pound and clearly signposted, was first settled by
Europeans as part of Arkaba Station in 1851. Arkaba, Wilpena and Aroona
were the first pastoral leases in the Central Flinders Ranges. The
leases were granted for 14 years on what was described as 'unoccupied
waste land'.
It is a comment to the tenacity of the farmers who
settled Rawnsley Park that they persisted where many of the others in
the area were defeated by droughts and government subdivisions.
In 1895 the section of Arkaba Station now known as Rawnsley
Park Station, a portion of 6253 acres, was separated off and leased to
a Mrs Fahey of Carrieton. The lease passed to a Mr Nugent in 1905.He
built the simple stone house which still stands on the property near
the old wagon. The Nugents started the present homestead in 1915 and it
was completed by the next owner, Mon tgomery Haeusler, in the 1920s.
The lease passed to a Neil Cutten in 1937 and in 1953 Clem Smith,
father of the present owner, acquired the property. He added 1200 acres
so the property is now 7453 acres. In 1968 Clem Smith started the
Rawnsley Park Station accommodation with a single self-contained cabin.
Since then the destination has grown so that it now includes conducted
horse riding treks, hired mountain bikes, a range of 4WD tours, sheep
shearing demonstrations and flights over Wilpena Pound. It also offers
a variety of accommodation with a strong camping, caravan, family and
group orientation.
Brachina Gorge
An impressive gorge which meanders between sharp
ridges. It is located north of Wilpena Pound off the main road to
Blinman and is characterised by precambrian and cambrian rocks with
extensive fossils. It was once used as a pass by bullock teams.
Wilkawillana Gorge
An excellent place to view fossils and to explore the
Mt Billy Creek. The walk takes about 4 hours. Look out for the small
cone-shaped fossils embedded in the walls of the gorge.
Cazneaux Tree
Located off the Blinman Road this is one of the most
famous trees in Australia. Photographed by Harold Cazneaux in 1937 and
called 'The Spirit of Endurance' it was reproduced on calenders and
posters all over the world.
Flora and Fauna
This is an area where it is possible to see a wide variety
of flora and fauna in their natural habitat. The pound is home to
Sturt's desert pea, river gums, mallee, acacia and casuarinas. The
wildlife includes the red kangaroo, the euro, the yellow-footed rock
wallaby, 18 species of snakes, 60 species of lizard, dingos, emus,
galahs and wedge-tailed eagles.
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Tourist Information
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Flinders Ranges & Outback Information
Wilpena Pound
SA
5001
Telephone: 1800 633 060
Facsimile: (08) 8223 3995
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Motels
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Wilpena Pound Resort
Flinders Ranges National Park
Wilpena Pound
SA
5434
Telephone: (08) 8648 0004, 1800 805 802
Facsimile: (08) 8648 0028
Rating: ****
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Apartments
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Rawnsley Park Holiday Apts
Wilpena Rd
Wilpena Pound
SA
5434
Telephone: (08) 8648 0030
Facsimile: (08) 8648 0013
Rating: ****
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Cottages & Cabins
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Arkaba Station Cottage
Wilpena Rd
Wilpena Pound
SA
5434
Telephone: (08) 8232 5454
Rating: ****
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Caravan Parks
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Rawnsley Park Station Tourist Park
Wilpena Rd
Wilpena Pound
SA
5434
Telephone: (08) 8648 0030
Facsimile: (08) 8648 0013
Rating: ***
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Wilpena Pound Resort
Flinders Ranges National Park
Wilpena Pound
SA
5434
Telephone: (08) 8648 0004, 1800 805 802
Facsimile: (08) 8648 0028
Rating: **
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Restaurants
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Wilpena Pound Resort Restaurant
Flinders Ranges National Park
Wilpena Pound
SA
5434
Telephone: (08) 8648 0004, 1800 805 802
Facsimile: (08) 8648 0028
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