Adel Aide & South AuStr Ali AFLINDERSRANGESAdel Aide & South AuStr Ali AINFORMATIONAdel Aide & South AuStr Ali ABLINMAN&PARACHILNAh8am-5pm)Info on the park and district,
internetaccessand bike hire (per half-/fullday
$20/40)� Also does bookingsfor scenicflights
and 4WD tours,and issuesbushwalkingadvice�
You can pay park entryfees here (per car $9) �
Blinman & Parachilna
North of Wilpena Pound on a sealed road,
ubercute Blinman (population 30) owes its
existence to the copper ore discovered here
in 1859 and the smelter built in 1903. But the
boom went bust and 1500 folks left town. To-
day Blinman’s main claim to fame is as SA’s
highest town (610m above sea level).
Much of the old Heritage ̈Blinman ̈Mine ̈
(%08-8648 4782; www �heritageblinmanmine�
com �au; Main St, Blinman;tours adult/child/family
$25/10/60;h9�30am-5pm) has been redevel-
oped with lookouts, audio-visual interpre-
tation and information boards. One-hour
tours run at 10am, noon and 2pm (extra
tours in winter).
Slate floors, old photos and colonial-style
rooms collide at the renovated 1869 North ̈
Blinman ̈ Hotel (%08-8648 4867; www �blin
manhotel�com �au; Mine Rd, Blinman; unpowered/
powered sites $10/20, d motel/hotel $90/155;
aW), which has tent sites out the back
(...D’oh! They filled in the pool!). The bistro
(mains $14 to $30, serving noon to 2pm and
6pm to 8pm) plates up pubby delights.
In an 1883 school building, Wild ̈Lime ̈
Café ̈ & ̈ Gallery (%08-8648 4679; www �wild
limecafe�com; Main St, Old Schoolhouse,Blinman;
mains$8-20;h9am-4pmdaily Apr-Nov,closedTue
Dec-Mar) serves great coffee, soups, salads,
pies, pasties, cakes and bush-inspired dishes
such as red roo curry.
The road between Blinman and Parachilna
tracks through gorgeous Parachilna ̈Gorge,
where you’ll find free creek-side camping and
chill-out spots. The northern end of the Hey-
sen ̈Trail starts/finishes here.
‘Real people only, no Yuppies’ is the slo-
gan at Angorichina ̈Tourist ̈Village (%08-
8648 4842; www �angorichinavillage�com �au; Blin-
man–Parachilna Rd; unpowered/powered sites
$22/26,dm $42, cabinsfrom $120;ai), 17km
west of Blinman in Parachilna Gorge. It’s a
rambling joint with a mix of accommoda-
tion; the store sells fuel. The Blinman ̈Pools ̈
Walk (12km return, five hours) starts here,
following a creek past abandoned dugouts,
river red gums and cypress pines.
On the Hawker–Leigh Creek road, Para-
chilna (population somewhere between four
and seven) is an essential Flinders Ranges
destination. Aside from a few shacks, a
phone booth and some rusty wrecks, the
only thing here is the legendary Prairie ̈Ho-
tel (%08-86484895,1800 331 473; www �prairie
hotel �com �au; cnr High St &West Tce, Parachilna;
poweredsites $32, cabinsd/f from $80/180,hotel
d$195-345;aW). It’s a world-class stay with
slick suites, plus camping and workers’ cab-
ins across the street. Don’t miss a meal and
a cold beer (or five) in the pub (mains $22
to $35, serving 11.30am to 3pm and 6pm to
8.30pm). Try the feral mixed grill (camel sau-
sage, kangaroo fillet and emu). We arrived at
10.42am: ‘Too early for a beer!? Whose rules
are those?’ said the barman.Leigh Creek & Copley
In the early 1980s, the previously nonexist-
ent town of Leigh Creek (population 700)
was built by the state government: blooming
out of the desert, it’s an odd, Canberra-like
oasis of leafy landscaping and cul-de-sacs.
It’s a coal-mining town, supplying the Port
Augusta power stations. The Leigh ̈Creek ̈
Visitor ̈ Information ̈ Centre (%08-8675
2315; www �loccleighcreek�com �au; Shop 2, Black
Oak Dr, Leigh Creek;h8�30am-5�30pm Mon-Fri,
8�30am-2pmSat) is at Liz’s Open Cut Cafe.
The hub of town life, the Leigh ̈Creek ̈
Tavern (%08-86752025;leighcreektavern@alin
taenergy�com �au; Black Oak Dr, Leigh Creek;motel
s/d $110/150,cabinss/d/f $90/100/130;a) of-
fers jaunty ’90s-style motel rooms, basic
cabins a few hundred metres from the pub,
and miner-sized bistro meals (mains $12 to
$24, serving noon to 2pm and 6pm to 8pm).
About 6km north of Leigh Creek is the
sweet meaninglessness of little Copley
(population 80). Copley ̈Cabin ̈& ̈Caravan ̈
Park (%08-86752288;www �copleycaravan�com �
au; RailwayTce W, Copley;unpowered/poweredsites
$25/28,cabinsd$80-150;a) is a going con-
cern: a small, immaculate park. Down the
street is Copley ̈Bush ̈Bakery ̈& ̈Quandong ̈
Cafe (www�copleybushbakery�com �au; RailwayTce,
Copley;items$4-6; h8am-4pm), serving decent
coffee and delicious quandong pies.
Iga ̈ Warta (%08-8648 3737; www �igawarta�
com; ArkaroolaRd; unpoweredsites $36, dm &tents
per person $36, cabins/safari tents d $104/150),
57km east of Copley on the way into Vulk-
athunha-Gammon Ranges National Park, is
an indigenous-run establishment offering
Adnyamathanha cultural experiences ($25
to $75) as well as 4WD and bushwalking
tours ($52 to $228). The various onsite ac-
commodation is open to all comers.