Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
FLINDERS
RANGES
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
SLEEPING
&EATING
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
MT REMARKABLE
NATIONAL
PARK
has some pretty old buildings along Ellen St,
and is a good spot to stock up on supplies
before heading north. The Port ̈Pirie ̈Re-
gional ̈Tourism ̈& ̈Arts ̈Centre (%08-8633
8700, 1800 000 424; www �piriehasitall�com �au; 3
Mary Elie St; h9am-5pmMon-Fri,10am-4pmSat &
Sun) has local info.
You enter the Southern Ranges proper
near Laura (population 550), emerging from
the wheat fields like Superman’s Smallville
(all civic pride and 1950s prosperity). There’s
not a lot to do here, but the long, geranium-
adorned main street has a supermarket,
chemist, bakery, bank, post office...even a
shoe shop!
The oldest town in the Flinders (1853) is
Melrose (population 200), snug in the el-
bow of the 960m Mt Remarkable. It has the
perfect mix of well-preserved architecture, a
cracking-good pub, quality accommodation
and parks with actual grass. Don’t miss
the decaying multistorey ruins of Jacka’s ̈
Brewery (1878) on Mount St, which once
employed 40 staff.
Online, see http://www.southernflindersranges.
com.au.4 ̈Sleeping ̈& ̈Eating
North ̈Star ̈Hotel ̈ PUB $$
(%08-8666 2110; www �northstarhotel�com �au; 43
Nott St, Melrose;d$110-225,trucks$160;aW) As
welcome as summer rain, the North Star Ho-
tel in Melrose is a fabulous 1854 pub reno-
vated in city-meets-woolshed style. Sit under
the hessian-sack ceiling and spinning fans
for a fresh menu (mains $16 to $30, serving
noon to 2pm and 6pm to 8pm), great cof-
fee and cold beer. Accommodation ranges
from rooms in Bundaleer Cottage next door
(sleeps 16) to plush suites above the pub and
surprisingly cool metal-clad cabins built on
two old trucks out the back.Melrose ̈Caravan ̈Park ̈ CARAVANPARK$
(%08-8666 2060; www �members�westnet�com �
au/venhoek/~melrose;Joe’s Rd, Melrose;dm $20,
unpowered/poweredsites $20/25,cabins$60-120;
a) A small, tidy park with five acres of bush
campsites and self-contained cabins sal-
vaged from the 2000 Sydney Olympics (all
with TVs and cooking facilities − the cheaper
ones are sans bathrooms). The 12km return
hike up Mt Remarkable starts on the back
doorstep. Next door is a converted agricul-
tural shed with basic dorm facilities.Old ̈Bakery ̈ BAKERY$
(%08-86632165; www �oldbakerystonehut�com �au;
1Main NorthRd, StoneHut; items$4-10;h7am-6pm) About 10km north of Laura in Stone
Hut (population 290) is this amazing bakery,
which makes legendary chunky beef pies,
slices and quandong tart. There’s cabin-style
accommodation here too (doubles from
$150).Mt Remarkable
National Park
Bush boffins rave about the steep, jaggedy
Mt ̈ Remarkable ̈ National ̈ Park (www�envi
ronment�sa �gov �au; per person/car $4/10) strad-
dling the Southern Flinders. Wildlife and
bushwalking are the main lures, with vari-
ous tracks (including part of the Heysen ̈
Trail) meandering through isolated gorges.
From the car park at Alligator ̈ Gorge ̈
take the short, steep walk (2km, two hours)
down into the craggy gorge (no sign of any
’gators), the ring route (9km, four hours), or
walk to Hidden ̈Gorge (18km, seven hours)
or Mambray ̈ Creek (13km, seven hours).
From Mambray Creek the track to Davey’s ̈
Gully (2.5km, one hour) is (literally and met-
aphorically) a walk in the park. Peak baggers
sweat up the track to the 960m-high summit
of Mt ̈Remarkable (12km, five hours); the
trail starts behind Melrose Caravan Park.
Pay the park entry fee at the Park ̈Of-
fice (%08-8634 7068; www �environment�sa �gov �
au) at Mambray Creek, off Hwy 1 about
21km north of Port Germein. On the inland
route (Main North Rd between Melrose and
Wilmington), there’s an honesty box at Al-
ligator Gorge. Both stations have park info
brochures.
If you want to stay the night there’s plen-
ty of bush ̈camping (per person/car$6/18),
and two lodges: at Mambray ̈Creek (sleeps
4, per night from $55) and Alligator ̈ Gorge
(sleeps10, per night from $150). Both are solar
powered; Alligator Gorge has better cook-
ing facilities and showers. Book through the
Park Office.Quorn
POP 1210
Is Quorn a film set after the crew has gone
home? With more jeering crows than people,
it’s a cinematographic little outback town.
Wheat farming took off here in 1875, and
the town prospered with the arrival of the
Great Northern Railway from Port Augusta.
Quorn (pronounced ‘kworn’) remained an