Enjoy your scenic drive from Adelaide to Rawnsley Park Station.

Depart Adelaide and drive to Burra (2 hours drive).

Burra is one of the most beautifully preserved towns in South Australia. This former copper mining town is listed on the National Estate Register and also declared a State Heritage Area. Today, you can explore the town on Burra’s Heritage Passport Trail. Armed with a charming little guidebook and your own key, you’ll drive past 65 fascinating sites and learn why Burra was once South Australia’s copper centre.

After exploring Burra, depart for the Flinders Ranges National Park stopping at Rawnsley Park Station (3.5 hour drive). As you drive north you’ll notice the landscape change to a stunning flat red dirt desert spotted with a variety of low lying salt bushes, grasses and spinifex – Australia’s Outback. Along the way watch for kangaroos, emus and even blue tongue lizards that sometimes sun themselves on the road. See if you can spot some unique Australian wildflowers called the ‘Sturt Desert Pea’ which typically bloom from spring to summer, particularly after rain.

View Larger Map

Travel to your accommodation in Rawnsley Park Station at the entrance to Flinders Ranges National Park.

Flinders Ranges National Park is one of Australia’s premier national landscapes – it’s the real Australian Outback! The park encompasses mountain ranges, spectacular gorges, gentle flowing creeks lined with massive river red gums and an abundance of unique Aussie wildlife. Surrounding the Flinders Ranges are vast flat plains with stunning red dirt rippled deserts spotted with clumps of yellow spinifex, saltbushes & grasses. The sheer contrast between the Flinders Ranges and its surrounding desert plains is an amazing geological phenomenon, with the highlight being the natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound (Ikara) cradled amongst the park’s mountains. This area is world renowned for its geological sights and cultural aboriginal heritage.

Start your adventure at the Wilpena Pound Visitor Information Centre. From here, explore the park’s stunning landscape, Aboriginal rock art sites, fossil heritage and ruins of early European settlement. The park offers visitors a network of bushwalks and trails to explore the region at your own pace. See the breathtaking sunburned pallet of colors (especially when the sun is low) and dramatic scenery that has inspired generations of photographers, filmmakers and artists from all over the world.

For an in-depth look at the wonders of the region maybe join a guided tour or possibly take a scenic flight over Wilpena Pound (own expense).

Your vacation accommodation is nestled in the picturesque Rawnsley Park. Surrounded by many different types of wildlife. Each villa is equipped with a retractable ceiling offering night-sky viewing from the comfort of your bed, fully equipped kitchen, telephone and wireless internet, original artworks by local artists and reverse-cycle air conditioning. Holding Advanced Ecotourism accreditation, the villas have been designed to complement the natural environment. They feature a host of environmental design features, including rendered straw bale walls, polished timber floors over suspended concrete slabs and overhanging eaves and wide verandahs to shade walls.

Relax on your Lovely Drive from Rawnsley Park Station to Parachilna.

Depart Rawnsley Park Station for Parachilna (1.5 hour drive)

The morning has been left free for you to drive at your leisure between Rawnsley Park Station and The Prairie Hotel at Parachilna via Blinman (approximately 115km or 1 ½ hours, with no stops). We suggest you explore the following places along the way:

Bunyeroo Valley
The scenic Bunyeroo Valley road with its impressive razorback ridge and lookouts starts 4 km north of the Wilpena junction on the main Hawker-Blinman road. Visit the Yanyanna hut and stockyards before entering Bunyeroo Gorge where you follow the creekbed to pass through the gorge. Yanyanna was the central point in the Aroona pastoral run and is now the site of a ruined pug and pine shepherd’s hut from the 1850s and still standing iron shelter from 1937.

Brachina Gorge
Brachina Gorge is one of the park’s most popular and spectacular tourist attractions. The gorge is an important refuge for the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby as well as many species of birds and reptiles. The Brachina Gorge Geological Tour is a 20 km self-guided trail that passes through 130 million years of earth history. Trail signage provides an insight into past climates, the formation of the ranges and the evolution of early life forms. The trail is best travelled from east to west, commencing at the Brachina Gorge/Blinman Road junction. A geological map and more detailed information on the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail is available from the Wilpena Pound Visitor Centre.

Blinman
In the second half of the nineteenth century, the historic township of Blinman, 50 km north of Wilpena, was a thriving copper mining centre with some 1,000 residents. Some of the pug and pine huts and stone buildings erected close to the old mines remain today. The population dwindled when the cost of transporting copper ore by cart and dray to Port Augusta made the mining venture unprofitable. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the mine site all year round. Your destination for the day, Parachilna (Prairie Hotel), is situated on the plains adjacent to the Flinders Ranges and serves as a perfect base for exploring the region and offers access to gorges, creek beds, red sandhills, claypans, mountains & vast open areas.

View Larger Map

Travel to your accommodation in Parachilna, South Australia, where you will be staying while on vacation for two nights.

The Prairie is an oasis on the cusp of the rugged Flinders Ranges east-side, and desert plains west-side, sweeping toward Lake Torrens. Step Into a haven of character, charm, creature comforts, country hospitality and great food. A perfect base to explore the area.

Award-winning accommodation. Outback architecture featuring innovative, energy-efficient design. Spacious bedroom/lounge area, partially set into the earth.

Your room includes the following:
Ground level entrance lobby, ensuite bathroom and luggage area
Heating and cooling
Tea and coffee-making facilities, refrigerator, mini-bar
Luxurious towels and toiletries, hair dryer
Access to private guest lounge & indoor courtyard

Today you will continue your self-drive adventure from Parachilna onto Adelaide.

Depart Parachilna (the Prairie Hotel) in the morning to drive to Burra (3.5 hour drive).

Burra is one of the most beautifully preserved towns in South Australia. This former copper mining town is listed on the National Estate Register and also declared a State Heritage Area. Today, you can explore the town on Burra’s Heritage Passport Trail. Armed with a charming little guidebook and your own key, you’ll drive past 65 fascinating sites and learn why Burra was once South Australia’s copper centre. After exploring Burra, continue on your drive to Adelaide (2 hour drive).

View Larger Map

Remember, this road trip is fully customizable. Combine it with other destinations, add accommodation, sigthseeing tours and flights (international &/or domestic).

Just let us know what you want and our Travel Experts will design your complete itinerary with a ‘no-obligation’ quote.