Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
communities. This remarkable trip, which focuses on Aboriginal culture, costs
A$1,200 (US$780) (or A$995/US$647 with a YHA card), and includes meals
and bush camping.
Another good operator is
Banksia Adventures
(
&
08/8236 9141;
www.
banksia-adventures.com.au), which has 1-, 2-, or 4-day trips to the Flinders,
either in hotels or camping. The 1-day trip, including a hotel, costs A$225
(US$146), the 2-day trip A$585 (US$380), and the 3-day trip A$925 (US$601).
Camping is about 25% cheaper. This company also offers camping trips to salty
Lake Eyre when it floods (it flooded in 2000 and was due to flood again at the
time of writing), as well as the Great Aussie Pub Crawl. On this trip you fly by
light plane from Adelaide and visit remote Outback pubs. You stay overnight at
good hotels including The Prairie Hotel in the Flinders and underground at
Coober Pedy. The trip costs A$3,795 (US$2,466) and is all inclusive (with as
much beer as you can drink).
Covering a huge slice of the Outback from Adelaide is another great operator,
South Australian Scenic Tours
(
&
08/8289 3970;
www.oztourism.com.au/
sascenictours), which hits the dirt roads and heads off on 10-day trips up the
Birdsville Track to remote townships and historic sites. You continue along the
Strezelecki Track to Innamincka (where the explorers Burke and Wills came to
a tragic end), cruise on Cooper Creek, and also take in the Sturt Stony Desert
and the Flinders Ranges. Expect to see plenty of wildlife, including kangaroos,
emus, and possibly even the very rare yellow-footed rock wallaby. The trip costs
A$2,167 (US$1,408). A 3-day Flinders Ranges trip with this company costs
A$682 (US$443), and a 4-day Kangaroo Island tour is A$946 (US$615).
Most operators will also make up personalized tours on request.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Before setting off, contact the
Flinders Ranges
and Outback of South Australia Regional Tourism Association (FROSATA),
at P.O. Box 2083, Port Augusta (
&
1800/633 060
in Australia), for advice on
roads and conditions. I strongly recommend a visit to the
Wadlata Outback
Centre
at 41 Flinders Terrace, Port Augusta (
&
08/8642 4511
), an award-
winning interactive museum and information center. The museum costs A$7
(US$4.55) for adults and A$4.50 (US$2.90) for children and is open Monday
through Friday from 9am to 5:30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm.
In Hawker, both the Mobil service station and the post office also act as infor-
mation outlets.
GETTING AROUND By Car
If you decide to explore on your own using
a rental car, I recommend renting one in Adelaide before setting out.
By Camel Kev's Kamel Kapers
(
&
08/8648 4299,
or 0419/839 288 mobile
phone onboard camel) offers remarkable 2-hour sunset camel safaris for A$25
(US$16); half-day excursions for A$50 (US$33); and full-day safaris including
a champagne lunch for A$80 (US$52) for adults and A$60 (US$39) for chil-
dren under 16. Overnight camel treks are available, and on weekends and pub-
lic holidays 15-minute rides cost just A$5 (US$3.25). The tours only run from
March to the end of October and leave from Hawker (call beforehand for exact
pickup spot). Kev is often unreachable, so check with the tourist association for
his whereabouts.
WHERE TO STAY
Andu Lodge
This fabulous backpackers' lodge is one of the best in Aus-
tralia. Situated in Quorn, in the central Flinders Ranges (42km/26 miles from
Port Augusta), this upscale former hotel is air-conditioned in summer, heated in
