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The lamb platter is the main attraction at the
Woolshed and features lamb done six different
ways: lamb cutlets dressed with basil pesto,
lamb shank arancini balls, sugar-cured lamb
backstrap, lamb sausage with caramelised
onion, curried lamb pie, and finally, sticky
Asian lamb ribs. Considering we’re really
in the middle of nowhere, it’s the type of
gourmet meal that rivals anything that
Melbourne or Sydney could offer.
Of course, good food needs good
wine, and we’re served several from the
Clare Valley, which is best known for
being a hotbed of riesling production.
I’m currently into sauvignon blancs, but
the riesling – just a bit sweeter – provides
a fine contrast to the dry, arid backdrop
of the desert.
While the nights are for feasting, the days
are for exploring. The next day we hop back
into our Mercedes Benz to visit Wilpena Pound,
an extraordinary natural amphitheatre of mountains
that is the heart of the Flinders Ranges for many visitors.
It’s home to more than a dozen natural attractions and
experiences including expansive walking trails, the
Moralana scenic drive and the extraordinary Sacred
Canyon. This culturally important spot features rock
carvings from thousands of years ago. Little is known
about them, or who carved them, and the mystery
heightens the experience of seeing them up close.Back at Rawnsley Park Station, we swap vehicles for
a seriously equipped Toyota Landcruiser 4WD – we’re
hitting the hills. This isn’t your everyday offroading ;
this is the type of driving that rivals a rollercoaster as we
f ly up a steep and rocky hill and back down again. And
again. This is a wild, natural landscape and it’s thrilling.
We stop at the top of a hill just as the sun is starting to
lower for the night, the sky a watercolour of soft pink,
purple and blue. As we take it in, a champagne picnic
is prepared, with local cheeses and fresh fruit – the
strawberries are especially sweet. There’s something about
the fresh air and views that makes the food taste better.
This mountain range is not only the largest in South
Australia, but it’s one of the country’s oldest, too, at 800
million years – a number that’s hard to wrap your head
around. From up in the air, a Chinta Air scenic f light
over Wilpena Pound helps put this huge space into
perspective, allowing you to see the rich browns, reds
and greens of the landscape, the mountains and gorges
and creeks seamlessly merging together in a spectacular
view. It gives you a full appreciation of not just the size,
but also just how many different types of landscape
make up the whole of the Flinders Ranges.
Back on the ground, there are plenty of activitiesJULY/AUGUST 2019 businesstraveller.comTHIS PAGE FROM
TOP: The Flinders
Ranges mountain
ranges are among
some of the oldest
in the world; and
colourful crystals
and minerals can
be found in both
the earth and
shopsThere’s something
about the fresh
air and views that
makes the food
taste better