Saturday 30 June

After four enjoyable days at Angorichina, this morning we set out for Arkoroola, a wilderness sanctuary some 160 ks to the north east.

Having travelled the road to Blinman several times this week we thought it would be a bit of a work out for the troopie, in fact we had no problem most of the climb being completed in third gear.   Some of the remaining 140 ks were on fast dirt, others were in and out of dry creek beds and floodways, which slow you down.   However, if you take it easy you often get the good pictures….

We turn north toward Arkoroola and the northern Flinders Range. which appear to be a bit steeper and starker than the south Flinders, we shall see.

We had expected a 3.5 hour trip but in fact it was only 2.5 and we had plenty of time to talk to our neighbours at the camp site before starting to unhook the van and set up.  

It is one of the really interesting aspects of this kind of travelling, you get to talk to all sorts of people because it seems to be ‘part of the deal’, ie; that you go and talk to people as a matter of course, whether it be at the bbqs or the shower block or just standing around.   With some, you get a potted life history in minutes!

Arkoroola was set up an eco–resort (before the term had been invented), in the 70 s by Ray and Griselda Spriggs, he was geological surveyor and had many potentially profitable mineral discoveries but decided that the area should be protected due to it’s value in ecological terms.   The miners (in particular uranium miners), wanted to exploit the areas mineral wealth but earlier this year the area was legally protected from any mining development in perpetuity.

Sunday 1 July

We had a late breakfast this morning and by the time I had finished chatting with ‘next door’ it was late morning before we left for a tour round the area in the troopie.   We followed a recommended route which took us up into the range, with a couple of old mines to explore, one called ‘Lively’s Find, which we initially thought must have alluvial gold but late discovered underground workings higher up the hill.

Strangely, in this ‘safety gone mad’ country, these workings are unprotected, could there be a ‘responsibility of the individual’ thought process in operation here?

Once again the scenery was fantastic, I’m sure you’re getting fed up with it by now but we continue to be enthralled.   This feature is called Welcome Pound and is a smaller version of Wilpena Pound, which we visited 3 days ago.

After a walk up a gorge and a bit of bird watching, we had lunch by the ‘pool’ before taking what was called the Mt Jacobs Backtrack.   We knew it was designated ‘4WD only’ and ‘one-way’ but it wasn’t ’til we got a few ks into it that we realised why!    This was a really good 4WD track, with just about everything except wet creek crossings.   There were some very steep climbs, with the corresponding descents, rock piles and deep wheel ruts, washouts and crests where you just have no idea what’s on the other side until you get there.   At one point we found ourselves literally ‘perched’ on the top of a very small (in area) hill with very steep drops all round!

It was a great track, low range all the way and very testing of the driver –  the vehicle taking it all in it’s stride.   Of course and you’re going to moan,……………………

….the scenery was breathtaking!

Monday 2 July

Decided to stay another day in this beautiful place and visit a few more interesting places.   This time we head up into the hills, the first stop being a 19^th century copper smelter, the incredible point being, that we’ve been driving for several days from the nearest 19th c conurbation, so, a) how the hell did they find this place, b) how did they get all the gear up here (there were steam boilers to drive the machinery), c) how did they survive?    Another 18 ks up into the hills and we find another mine Wheal (as in Cornwall), Turner.   Many Cornish miners came to Australia in the mid’ 19^th  and early 20th  centuries, their skills, particularly with wet mines was extensive and their experience underpinned a significant number of mining areas across the country.

This mine is even further up into the hills than the smelter at Balcoona Creek but is surrounded by many more exploration diggings.

There must have been people all over the place in the boom times, when there was water in the creeks for the engines, etc.   We pondered these things over a sandwich!

On the way back down the track we stopped at a place called Nooldoonooldoona Springs, well you just had to go there to say you’d been, with a name like that!

With a name lie that you could bet on meeting a couple of inhabitants that mactched the name and these two were it!

 They were like Abbott and Costello, they couldn’t decide whether to run away or stand and stare and every time one of them started off the other one didn’t so they kept falling over each other, it was hilarious, unfortunately not enough time to get the camera on video.