M&M Smith

MAY 2016 : Heysen Trail, Flinders Ranges, South Australia : Day 3 : St Mary Peak (1171m) : 14.5 kms

A mallee parrot in the morning light.

Our challenge for the day.

The St Mary Peak Dreamtime story.

Wild life along the base of Wilpena Pound.

Many groups of emus.

Big Red kangaroos on show.

We set off with St Mary Peak in view.

Gorgeous views of the surrounding ranges and hills.

Reaching the saddle.

Grasses decorating the path.

On our way up, skirting the mountain walls and ridges.

The Peak ahead. It was difficult to get the quintessential shot from the top as we climbed to a sloping slab, which was very precipitous and it was quite windy.

The saddle - some of us continued to climb us the rocky path to the Peak while others preferred to descend through the Pound.

Descending St Mary Peak and seeing Wilpena Pound in perspective.

Harold Cazneaux, a contemporary of Hans Heysen, photographed this tree in 1937, calling it The Spirit of Endurance. It has remained an iconic shot of the Australian outback.

Bogong moths - excellent bush tucker - taste just like peanut butter.

Another delicious meal prepared by our guides and eaten around a campfire.

M&M

MAY 2016 : Heysen Trail, Flinders Ranges, South Australia : Day 2 : Black Gap to Wilpena Pound : 13kms

Sunrise

Full cooked breakfast included. Beautifully prepared in The Woolshed restaurant on Rawnsley Park Station.

Our walk today was over the western wall of Wilpena Pound to Bridle Gap and then through the flat centre to the Visitor's Centre.

An artist's impression of Wilpena Pound. It was named 'Pound' for the natural amphitheatre shape. It dominates the landscape in the southern section of the Flinders Ranges.

At first it was thought the Pound was the result of an ancient volcano but it has now been revealed that it is sedimentary rock in the form of a large syncline, 17 kms by 8 kms.

The legend of Wilpena Pound from the local indigenous tribes.

We began the walk on the western side of the Pound through one of the many dry creek beds we were to encounter during the week. What must this country be like in flood and heavy rain!

Colours in the creek bed.

Up rocky outcrops.

The first kangaroo. There are many varieties in the Flinders, mainly the grey Euros and Big Reds.

Climbing to the top.

Reaching Bridle Gap as we climb into the Pound. This was so-called because it is the only section of the wall where a skilled horseman could ride over into the Pound.

The view westward to the Elder Range.

In the Pound. Mainly flat and scrubby with evidence of all the failed wheat farming ventures from the 1850s.

Massive river gums with signs of fire damage and regrowth, skilfully examined by Wes, our guide.

Other sections of the Pound are heavily wooded, mainly with mallee, a tree with long roots underground which were impossible for farmers to remove with their rudimentary equipment.

Walking out of the Pound

The excellent Wilpena Pound Visitor's Centre and cafe.

An Apostle bird.

Afternoon sun on Rawnsley Park Station.

M&M

MAY 2016 : Heysen Trail, Flinders Ranges, South Australia : Day 1: Adelaide to Rawnsley Park Station, Wilpena Pound

Day 1 : Adelaide to Rawnsley Park Station, Wilpena Pound. - 4 hours drive with stops for lunch in Quorn and a walk to Devil's Peak

Temperature : sunny, light breeze and 24o

Today we travelled from Adelaide north to Wilpena Pound.

We are in a small World Expeditions van with 6 other walkers and our 3 guides, Wes, Ben and Nicole.

The country from Adelaide was flat, the result of ancient glacial flows. Much of the vegetation was salt bush, ideal for sheep and cattle fodder. We saw the Sir Thomas Playford coal power station, which ceased operation this week after 50 years.

Our first stop was Quorn, established with the development of the Ghan in the 1870s as a rail head. More recently it has been the film set for movies such as The Sundowners and The Shiralee.