The Flinders Ranges

The Easter weekend usually sees many Australians heading off of a long weekend break travelling to various parts of the state or even interstate. The traffic on such weekends can be quite busy, not to mention dangerous. Added to the long weekend are the school holidays which started this weekend in South Australia. This just adds more reason for potential chaos on our roads.

Flinders Ranges

This year we are not venturing forth anywhere. Not being tied to a job now we can choose when we travel and try to avoid the school holidays and long weekends if we can. In years gone by we would use long weekends or school holidays to set off to the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia. We often packed up all our camping gear in the trailer on in the 4WD and race off for some tranquility in these beautiful ranges – along with thousands of others seeking the same tranquility.

Good therapy
Despite its crowdedness these days it is still possible to find quiet spots in some of the gorges and valleys in the ranges. There are plenty of gullies and gorges to investigate. The creeks running through these gorges contain waterholes and fabulous rock formations. Sitting quietly on a fallen tree trunk watching the water trickling over the rocks is very therapeutic – I can thorougly recommend it. Sitting still also enables one to appreciate the rich birdlife of the area.

Artist’s paradise

The Flinders Ranges exhibit picture perfect scenes at almost every turn. Magnificent towering gums line the creek beds, their branches twisting and turning trying to embrace the azure sky overhead. Fiery red rock faces light up the morning – or evening – skyline. Delicate flowers adorn the ground and stately native pines go marching up the slopes. Artists and photographers could spend years recording the many gowns dressing the mountains in splendour.

Oh dear – I think I’ll go and pack the tent in the 4WD and head off right now.