HAWKER BILLS ITSELF AS THE “Hub of the Flinders Ranges” and Windana Cottages is the perfect base for exploring the area. It actually rained on our way from Leigh Creek, not enough to measure but I did have to use the wipers—low intermittent but in SA, rain's rain! Weather aside, we around noon on Monday, stopped off at Windana and were told Cottage 2 would be ready in an hour and the keys would be on the table.
Windana Cottages; Right Place. Wong Day
We filled the tank and headed out on Flinders Ranges Way to get a feel for Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. After the desert brown of the last few days the red rocks and Australian pines was a welcome sight. It seemed to be a different world, cooler and greener, with scenic views around every turn in the road.
Scenic Flinders Ranges
At the Wilpena Pound Visitor Center the Ranger gave us more information than we needed plus a map—which we greatly needed. He also told us about an obscure pond near by that’s sure to attract a lot of birds. We sampled a mile of the Wilpena Pound Trail among towering eucalyptus trees hundreds of years old just to stretch our legs then headed back to the Cottage.
Aussies call them Gum Trees, Wilpena Pound Trail
About four-thirty a guy showed up at our door, saying that he was supposed to stay in Cottage #2. John checked our reservations and, sure ‘nuff, John upgefuct our booking—it was for Tuesday. He scrambled to find a room in “nearby” Quorn, 65 kilometers down the road. Kangaroos, always a hazard to drivers, are especially dangerous at dawn and dusk. It’s best to slow down and drive in the middle of the road since you are ten times as likely to see a ‘roo as an approaching car—in the 65KM to Quorn we counted twenty-two ‘roos and two cars!
Hit one and it will 'roo-en your day
Kangaroos on the road outnumber cars 10:1
BTW, Flinders Range Hotel was fantastic with many amenities that newer (and pricier) urban lodging neglect. Two Thumbs Up!
