Hop on the Pich Richi Railway Train in Quorn and you can really get a feel for the timeless Flinders Ranges. Peterborough Steamtown is home to railway gauges and historic trains. A guided tour and the evening Light and Sound Show are not to be missed. Burra is another very interesting country town and part of our tour.

Flinders Ranges Tours depart Adelaide from any city centre hotel

Depart Adelaide accommodation around 7am and let us take you on a tour filled with wonder and delights of South Australia. We start with a tour of the historic town of Burra. Hear about the great copper mining history and tales of locals long ago departed. A visit to the local gaol, pump house and mine site gives you a fantastic insight of Burra town. After lunch we travel to Terowie, a small historic town in the mid north. Several well-preserved and authentic 1880s buildings line the main street making this a picturesque discovery walk. Then it is onto Peterborough, one of only two places in the Southern Hemisphere where you can still see three railway gauges and where Australia’s great steam era has been preserved. See the trains up close on a guided tour of Steamtown before our delightful 2-course dinner. After dark, the Steamtown displays come to life and we join the Light and Sound Show this evening. (Day 1 Lunch, Dinner, Peterborough Motel overnight)

Travel from Peterborough to Arkaroola Village and Join an Observatory Tour at night

After breakfast we pay a visit to the Wilpena Panorama Gallery and view Wilpena superbly portrayed by local artist Jeff Morgan in Hawker. Continue your journey to the most ancient of lands – Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Arkaroola features rugged mountains, towering granite peaks, magnificent gorges, and mysterious waterholes. We drive past the Western wall of the Flinders Ranges and stop in the old town of Copley. After our lunch break, we turn off the Outback Highway and follow the Vulkathunha Gammon Ranges Road deep into the Northern Flinders Ranges. Upon our arrival at Arkaroola, we settle into our rooms and join back for dinner and an Observatory Tour of the Southern Hemisphere night skies. Arkaroola offers ultimate star gazing opportunities. The region’s high elevation, arid environment and distance to any other town contribute to exceptionally dark skies making it a perfect location to observe stars and planets. The Observatory includes a talk and viewing of stars, on average the tour is about 2 hours. (Day 2 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Arkaroola Sanctuary overnight)

Arkaroola Ridgetop Tour as an inclusion on all Flinders Ranges Tours

Today we experience Arkaroola’s world-famous signature tour – the Ridgetop Tour. We travel in specially designed vehicles for an unforgettable encounter with the timeless terrain and unique natural beauty of the area with a 360-degree view at the top of the Ridgetop track. The Half- Day Tour is a ‘must do’ experience at Arkaroola and is a huge highlight on our Flinders Ranges Tour. After lunch we head out to the impressive Ochre Wall and explore Arkaroola by foot. Look out for some of the 160 recorded bird species to the area or the various flora and fauna abundant at this time of the year. There is time for an optional scenic flight over Arkaroola Sanctuary or an additional walk this afternoon. Arkaroola is a haven for the endangered yellow-footed rock-wallaby, join the Arkaroola staff at feeding time. (Day 3 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Arkaroola Sanctuary overnight)

Nilpena Fossil Station Tour and Lunch at the Iconic Prairie Hotel

The iconic Prairie Hotel at Parachilna is our destination for lunch today. The Prairie Hotel was first licensed in 1876 and the current stone hotel replaced the original structure in 1905. Recent renovations include an upgrade to the restaurant and bar plus the addition of a brew house. Indulge in the Prairie’s famous “feral food”, trying emu, kangaroo, camel, quandong and more. Their menu has been recognised as one of twenty “unmissable outback experiences”. Sit around the wine barrels set out the front of the charming sandstone building and enjoy one of the Prairie’s home-brews, the Fargher Lager beer.

After a fabulous Prairie Lunch, we make our way to Nilpena Station, home to the Ediacaran Fossil Site, featuring fossils that are over 555 million years old and represent the earliest evidence of complex life on earth. This site is regarded as one of the most important of its type and offers a fascinating look into the past. Our fascinating tour includes seeing the state-of-the-art interpretation centre in the old Blacksmith shop. Nilpena’s most significant fossil bed the Alice Restaurant Bed has been carefully excavated from the local Fossil Fields and is now on display with audio visual effects bringing the fossils back to life. (Day 4 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Leigh Creek Outback Resort overnight)

Blinman Mine Tour, Indigenous Cultural Tour in the Flinders Ranges, Hucks Lookout, Old Wilpena Station

The Flinders Ranges are home to some of the state’s most fascinating natural attractions with Wilpena Pound being one of them. Today we spend the full day discovering the rugged ranges and taking in the living culture of this region. We take the unsealed Parachilna Gorge Road to Blinman, a scenic drive and landscape which has been the backdrop for famous movies, such as Gallipoli, Robbery Under Arms and Rabbit-Proof Fence. Blinman is the highest town in South Australia sitting at 614m above sea level and the town is home to an old Copper Mine. We join an underground tour into the heart of the mine and learn about the miners and their families. After lunch we drive to Wadna, an authentic Aboriginal art and craft gallery in the Flinders Ranges and a great introduction to our cultural experience later this afternoon.

We travel further south towards Wilpena Pound Resort and stops on route include the Great Wall of China and Hucks Lookout. At Dingley Dell we meet our local indigenous guide. Listen to history, culture and ancestor’s dreamtime stories and view archaic rock carvings. More photo opportunities await us at the most photographed tree in the Flinders Ranges, the Cazneaux Tree and Old Wilpena Station. Wilpena Station was established in 1851 and had a working life of 135 years. The historic precinct is one of South Australia’s most significant pastoral settlement sites due to its well-preserved condition, wealth of heritage and spectacular natural setting. We are only minutes away from Wilpena Pound Resort. Check into your room, refresh, and join back for dinner. Time permitting meet at the flagpole in front of resort reception as the Adnyamathanha people welcome you to the area in Yura Ngawarla, their language. Enjoy Aboriginal songs, traditional stories, and local information as you are welcomed to Wilpena Pound Resort and the Flinders Ranges by a Yura staff member. (Day 5 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Wilpena Pound Resort overnight) 

Wilpena Pound Scenic Flight option, Brachina Gorge and Bunyeroo Valley Scenic Drive, Wilpena Homestead Walk and Wangara Lookout, Drive to Quorn

This morning you can take an optional 30-minutes scenic flight over Wilpena Pound and views of Elder Range, Lake Torrens, Edeowie Gorge, St. Mary Peak, Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorge. Or join your guide on a 2.5-hour walk to Hills Homestead and for the good walkers up to Wangara Lookout. Discover the Hills family history of farming inside Wilpena Pound. With a picnic lunch packed we all travel back in time on the Brachina Gorge Geological Drive passing through millions of years of earth and history. We continue our scenic drive through Bunyeroo Valley with its impressive views to Wilpena Pound’s Razorback Ridge from the lookout stops. The colours, rock shapes and stunning views are spectacular. Great opportunities to see euros, wedge tailed eagles, black-breasted buzzards, other birds of prey and every now and then a yellow-footed rock-wallaby.

Early afternoon we depart the Wilpena area and traverse the Southern Flinders Ranges townships. Stop at Rawnsley Bluff and Elder Range Lookout before visiting Kanyaka, an old cattle and sheep station established prior to the construction of the transcontinental railway line. We have half an hour to explore the different ruins on this historic property. Our final stop takes us to Quorn where we stay at the Great Northern Lodge. Check into your room upon arrival and take a leisurely discovery walk around the historic railway town. After dinner you may like to head to the Railway Precinct to watch the Quorn Silo Light Show. For sound just tune in on the 87.6 FM radio station. (Day 6 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Quorn Great Northern Lodge overnight)

Pichi Richi Train Experience in Quorn, Wirrabara Silo Art, Laura, Lake Bumbunga – final day on our Flinders Ranges Tours

Our last day has arrived, and we step back in time with a train ride on the Pichi Richi Train mid-morning. Take a seat and enjoy the stunning views as we travel through the Pichi Richi Pass. Upon train arrival back in Quorn we take the scenic route back to Adelaide. We drive south through the country towns of Wilmington, Melrose, and Laura. Look at the fantastic Wirrabara Silo Art before our final stretch to Adelaide. Our magnificent Flinders Ranges Tour is coming to an as we arrive back in Adelaide by 6.30pm. (Day 7 Breakfast, Lunch)