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 the Prairie Hotel and Nilpena Fossil Station

After breakfast we pay a visit to the Wilpena Panorama Gallery and view Wilpena superbly portrayed by local artist Jeff Morgan in Hawker. In addition, the gallery is home to a large collection of exceptional fossils, rocks, and minerals. 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. We are only a short drive away from Leigh Creek. Once supplying all the needs for the working families in the coal mining industry, the town is transitioning to a regional tourist hub. We stay the night and enjoy a delicious 2-course dinner. (Day 2 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Leigh Creek Outback Resort overnight)

Tour to Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, exploring the Ochre Wall, enjoy walks, bird watching and star gazing

Today we turn off the sealed Outback Highway and follow the Vulkathunha Gammon Ranges Road deep into the Northern Flinders Ranges to the most ancient of lands – Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary. Arkaroola features rugged mountains, towering granite peaks, magnificent gorges, and mysterious waterholes, and with so much to see and do we settle in for two nights.

After lunch at Arkaroola, we head out to the Ochre Wall. Compromised by weathered laminated silts and shales the wall is visually very impressive and a great geological formation. Back at Arkaroola join your guide on a walk along the Spriggina Trail and look out for some of the 160 recorded bird species to the area. 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. Tonight, after dinner, we take part in the local observatory tour of the Southern Hemisphere night skies. The Observatory includes a talk and viewing of stars and takes on average about 2 hours. (Day 3 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Arkaroola Sanctuary overnight)

Enjoy a full day of Arkaroola Touring including the Ridgetop Tour to Sillers Lookout, additional time for walking or an optional Arkaroola Scenic Flight

This morning 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 a late lunch we have more time to explore Arkaroola on foot. Enjoy the short Mawson Valley Walk and look out for the flora and fauna common to the area. There is time for an optional scenic flight over Arkaroola Sanctuary or an additional walk at your own leisure. Arkaroola is a haven for the endangered yellow-footed rock-wallaby, join the Arkaroola staff at feeding time for some fabulous photo opportunities. (Day 4 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, Arkaroola Sanctuary overnight)

Blinman Mine Tour, Indigenous Cultural Tour in the Flinders Ranges, Hucks Lookout and arrival at Wilpena Pound Resort

What an amazing time we had at Arkaroola, but it is time to say goodbye. We depart right after breakfast and travel to Blinman, the highest town in South Australia sitting at 614m above sea level. Our first stop takes us to Wadna, an authentic Aboriginal art and craft gallery in the Flinders Ranges as well as a great introduction to our cultural experience later this afternoon. Blinman is home to an old Copper Mine, and we join a fantastic underground tour into the heart of the mine. Learn about the miners, their families, and the history of the town. The local Miner’s Crib Café supplies our lunch today before we continue south towards Wilpena Pound. Our stops on route include the Great Wall of China and Hucks Lookout. Then at Dingley Dell we meet our local indigenous guide. Listen to history, culture and ancestor’s dreamtime stories and view archaic rock carvings. We are only 25 minutes away from Wilpena Pound Resort. 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)

Tour the Wilpena Pound region for a full day. Take part in the Wilpena Homestead Walk and to Wangara Lookout, travel along the Brachina Gorge and Bunyeroo Valley Scenic Drive, enjoy an optional Wilpena Pound Scenic Flight

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. 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. Mid-Morning join your guide on a 2.5-hour walk to Hills Homestead and for the good walkers a short incline up to Wangara Lookout. Discover the Hills family history of farming inside Wilpena Pound and we have plenty of photographic opportunities as we walk through the Pound Gap past Sliding Rock and indigenous artwork. Alternatively, stay back at the resort and take a leisurely walk along Wilpena Creek.

After lunch 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 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. 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 and enjoy a second night in the heart of the Flinders Ranges. (Day 6 Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner,Wilpena Pound Resort overnight)

Pichi Richi Train Experience in Quorn, see the Wirrabara Silo Art and visit Laura – final day on our Flinders Ranges Tours

Our last day has arrived, and we get up early to make our way to the historic railway town of Quorn. 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 end as we arrive back in Adelaide by 7pm. (Day 7 Breakfast, Lunch)