Adelaide & South Australia - Australia 2004 - page 520

winter, and has nice clean rooms (dorms sleep six). There's also a nice TV room,
a laundry, a computer for e-mailing, and a kitchen area. The hostel offers trans-
fers from Port Augusta for A$10 (US$6.50) each way and runs a range of trips
with an emphasis on Aboriginal culture and ecotourism. Guests can also rent
mountain bikes. Quorn (pop. 1,300) was where the old Ghan railway used to
start and finish from, and where part of the movie Gallipoli was filmed. The
town has four friendly pubs, all serving meals from A$6.50 to A$7.50 (US$4.20-
US$4.90). The lodge also offers 1-, 2-, and 3-day tours of the Ranges.
12 First St., Quorn, SA 5043. & 1800/639 933 in Australia, or 08/8648 6655. Fax [phone]. www.
headingbush.com. 64 units. A$50 (US$33) double; A$82 (US$53) family room (sleeps 4); A$24 (US$16) dorm
bed; A$29 (US$19) twin. Discounts for YHA members. MC, V. Free parking. Bus: 3 per week, pickup from Port
Augusta for A$6 (US$3.90). Amenities: Shared lounge with VCR; push-bike rental; tour desk; coin-op
laundry; nonsmoking rooms. In room:No phone.
Prairie Hotel If you are going to stay anywhere near the Flinders
Ranges, stay here. This tiny, tin-roofed, stonewalled pub offers a memorable
experience and is well worth the dusty 89km (55-mile) drive north alongside the
Ranges from Hawker on the A83. A new addition to the pub contains nice
rooms, each with a queen-size bed and a shower. The older-style rooms are
smaller and quaint. Three units have Jacuzzis. The bar out front is a great place
to meet the locals and other travelers (who all shake their heads in wonder that
this magnificent place is still so undiscovered). Meals here, prepared by “Flinders
Feral Food,” are top-notch—very nearly the best I've had in Australia. Among
their specialties are kangaroo tail soup to start and a mixed grill of emu sausages,
camel steak, and kangaroo as a main course. The owner's brother runs remark-
able scenic flights over Wilpena Pound and out to the salt lakes. From here you
could head to the township of William Creek for a side trip to see the giant salt
lake, Lake Eyre, and then onwards west to Coober Pedy.
Corner of High St. and West Terrace, Parachilna, SA 5730. & 08/8648 4844. Fax [phone]. www.prairie
hotel.com.au. 12 units. A$125-A$170 (US$81-US$111) double; A$225 (US$146) double with Jacuzzi. Extra
person A$35-A$45 (US$23-US$29). Rates include light breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities: Restaurant; bar.
In room:A/C, minibar, coffeemaker.
Wilpena Pound Resort The nearest place to the Wilpena Pound itself, this
partly refurbished resort almost monopolizes the overnight tourist market
around here. Standard rooms are adequate and offer respite from the summer
heat. The self-contained units come with a stove top, a microwave, a basin, and
cooking utensils. The resort also operates a campground. Campsites cost A$22
(US$14) per night for two people with power and A$18 (US$12) without
power, and A$4 (US$2.60) for each extra person. There are some good walks
around the area. Also on offer are half-hour scenic flights over the Ranges for
A$95 (US$62) per person for two people, or A$80 (US$52) per person for
20 minutes. They also operate four-wheel-drive tours of the area.
Wilpena Pound, SA 5434. & 1800/805 802 in Australia, or 08/8648 0004. Fax [phone]. www.wilpena
pound.com.au. 60 units. A$115-A$145 (US$75-US$94) motel double; A$160-A$170 (US$104-US$111) self-
contained units. Extra adult A$22 (US$6.50), extra child 2-14 A$6.50 (US$4.25). AE, DC, MC, V. Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; bistro; general store; pool; game room; tour desk; laundry service; 4-wheel-drive tours; sce-
nic flights; nonsmoking rooms. In room:A/C, TV, kitchenette (some rooms), fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer
(available at reception), iron (some rooms).
WHERE TO DINE
The Old Ghan Restaurant on Leigh Creek Road, Hawker ( & 08/8648 4176 ),
is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday; the restaurant used to
be a railway station on the Ghan railway line to Alice Springs before the line was

Finds