Australia > The Wilpena Pound in Flinders Ranges N.P.

When I wake up, I notice I feel much better. The fever is gone. I even have a little appetite again to eat something. I have my yogurt and coffee. By seven o’clock, I’m back at the bus. The seat at the front of the bus is reserved for me. Although I feel reasonably well again, I take that seat. Kim is the driver for the coming days. He drives the bus out of Adelaide. It’s still quiet on the streets at this hour. Today we are heading into the outback, Australia’s dry desert. Because of the heat, hardly anyone lives here. Nearly all Australians live along the coasts. Just outside Adelaide, the buildings thin out and the grain and vineyards increase. This wine region is said to produce Australia’s best wines. The endless plain also has something dull about it. There’s practically no traffic on the road. I close my eyes. At the town of Clare, we take a break. I order coffee in a small restaurant. So far, everything I ate this morning feels good. Yesterday’s off day seems over. We continue towards Flinders Ranges National Park, a mountain range in the state of South Australia. After a short stop in Hawker, we arrive around 1:30 PM at the Wilpena Pound resort.

Australia - On the way to the Australian Outback

The rooms are already available. At the complex is a small pool. The water is cold and not very clean either. Still, I take a dip in the pool. A nice refreshment. The temperature in the shade is already above thirty degrees. It will get even warmer in the coming days. Several wasps fly low over the water. I think they are looking for relief. Some are floating in the water—they seem to have had bad luck. Because of the buzzing wasps, the water is not very inviting. I get out of the water and dry off on the shore. At the end of the afternoon, I take a walk through the Flinders Ranges to the Wangara lookout. The route passes through an old eucalyptus forest.

Australia - The pool at the Wilpena Pound resort

Huge eucalyptus trees hang over the path. Some are damaged by recent bushfires. Two black mountain goats watch us from a distance. A wallaby also jumps through the bushes. Whether this is the rare yellow-footed rock-wallaby, found only in this area, I can’t tell. It doesn’t seem like it to me. Around us, we hear many birds, but they hide among the leaves. We reach the Old Hill homestead cabin. From here, we can continue walking to the Wangara lookout. The viewpoint consists of two platforms. To reach the second platform, we have to climb quite steeply over rocks for about 400 meters. So far, the walk has gone well, but now I notice I’m not yet fully fit.

Australia - The Flinders Ranges mountain range

Good thing this part is at the end of the walk. The platform and the view are a bit disappointing. We look out over a large mountain ridge of Wilpena Pound shaped like an oval basin. According to the Aboriginal people, this is a kind of hand holding the area together. It covers about 90 square kilometers. The mountains surrounding Wilpena Pound reach up to 500 meters high and are said to be 800 million years old. From the lookout, we walk the four kilometers back to the resort. We order a beer at the bar. An hour later, we sit down to eat. Since there are no other dining options in Flinders Ranges National Park, we eat together in the restaurant. At the bar, I place my order: today I’m going for the kangaroo fillet. Serving the food goes awkwardly. Several dishes are brought out that nobody ordered—presumably for other guests. The waiter looks exhausted. My kangaroo fillet arrives correctly and tastes excellent. I ignore remarks from fellow travelers who think it’s cruel. When I finish my meal, some are still waiting for their orders. Eventually, everything works out. Around nine o’clock, I go to my room. Tomorrow is a long travel day and we leave early.