Flinders Ranges Circuit — Wilpena Pound & BrachinaGorge.
Distance
450 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
2,500 m
Flinders Ranges Circuit — Wilpena Pound & Brachina Gorge.
The ancient quartzite ridges of the Flinders Ranges rise from the red South Australian outback — one of Earth's oldest exposed mountain landscapes. Two days through Wilpena Pound (a 17km-wide natural amphitheatre sacred to the Adnyamathanha), the geological wonder of Brachina Gorge (600 million years of strata in 20km), and the legendary Prairie Hotel. Best April–October; summer heat can reach 45°C.
Quick facts
SurfaceMixed
Distance450 km
Days2
Total climb2,500 m
Fuel stops1 along route
DifficultyModerate
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 9 waypoints to discover along the way.
Port AugustaStart · Gateway to the Outback. Fill all fuel capacity — services are sparse in the ranges. Carry extra water. Leave early to beat the heat.
QuornScenic Point · Heritage township with the narrow-gauge Pichi Richi Railway. The Flinders quartzite ridges begin rising here — ancient folded mountains glowing ochre in morning light.
HawkerFuel Stop · Last reliable fuel before Wilpena Pound. The ABC Range rises sharply to the east — 600-million-year-old quartzite glowing copper-red in the morning.
Wilpena PoundOvernight · Overnight at Wilpena Pound Resort. The Pound is a 17km-wide natural amphitheatre — walls of quartzite rising 500m. Sacred to the Adnyamathanha people. Brilliant outback stars.
Bunyeroo ValleyScenic Point · Begin Day 2 through red-walled Bunyeroo Valley on an unsealed loop road. Yellow-footed rock wallabies are often spotted in early morning light.
Brachina Gorge — Geological TrailPhoto Spot · 20km unsealed drive through 600 million years of geological history. Each rock layer is a different era. Ediacaran fossils from the world's first complex animals are found in these walls.
BlinmanScenic Point · Highest town in South Australia at 600m. Historic copper mining village with sweeping views north across the ranges.
Prairie Hotel — ParachilnaRestaurant · South Australia's most legendary outback pub. The feral mezze includes camel bratwurst, kangaroo fillet, emu pate, and goat cheese. Every overlander stops here.
Port AugustaEnd · Return south via Quorn. 250km of near-empty outback highway through mulga scrub and open saltbush plains.
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