The natural delights of the Flinders Ranges and the Outback

Orche Cliffs. Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission

Bush Tucker

The rugged environment nourished Aboriginal people for a millennia and many of those bush tucker ingredients – such as quandongs (native peaches), kutjera (bush tomato), wattle seed, saltbush and lemon myrtle - are making their way onto contemporary menus across the area, as well as native animals.

While you can easily get a more regular meal at restaurants, cafes and pubs, there’s also the option to get a lot more adventurous at the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna, who are famous for their Feral Mixed Grill, which includes camel sausage, emu filet mignon and kangaroo fillet.

An hour and a half drive from there is Quorn, a small town in the Southern Flinders Ranges establishing a reputation as Australia’s Bush Tucker Capital. The town's ‘Bush Tucker Walk’, a two-kilometre loop trail surrounded by bush food gardens empowers visitors to enjoy diverse local native plants.

A must-visit in the area is the Quandong Cafe in Quorn, where you can sample the famous Quandong cheesecake and other treats such as slice, pie, chutney and jam.

Iga Warta Tours. Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission

Outback

“One destination, three distinct regions” is how the Flinders Ranges, Southern Flinders Ranges and Outback are referred to.

The Outback area of South Australia is massive, spreading right the way to the borders of the Northern Territory, Queensland and NSW. In this part of the world, there’s endless open roads, vast desert plains and unrelenting sun.

While extraordinary experiences await, this is not an environment for the unprepared, so pack spares and back-ups because the sheer size of the place means there can be a day’s travel between the small, quirky towns scattered across the map.

Oodnadatta Track

The legendary Oodnadatta Track passes through some of the most remote towns in the Outback, as it covers more than 600 kilometres between Marree and Marla - you’ll need a 4WD to make the journey.

On the way, you’ll be in the ‘neighbourhood’ for Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre. The largest salt lake in Australia, it’s more like an inland sea given its size. Covering an area 144km x 77km, it is larger than islands such as Cyprus or Puerto Rico, however it is rarely full.

When the lake is full of water, it is alive with birdlife and when it’s dry, the salt crystals shimmer in the sunlight. Either way, this stunning panorama is best observed via the several charter flights on offer.

Further along the Track, there’s Cowards Springs, a wetland with date palms, butterflies, sunset views and a natural thermal spa. With rustic timber decking around it to create a pool setting, it’s an Insta-worthy oasis within the desert. With water around 30 degrees, a dip in it under the starry night sky is the stuff memories are made of.

Keep going and you’ll eventually reach the world-famous Coober Pedy, the subterranean opal mining town that has starred in many films. With such ridiculously hot desert temperatures, most of the town lives and works underground, so take a couple of days to really burrow in there to enjoy the eccentric tourist attractions, fossick for opals or marvel at the Mars-like saturated reds and oranges of nearby Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park or the 80 million year old Anna Creek Painted Hills.

Oodnadatta Track. Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission