Flinders Ranges - Day Trip 2

The drivers view

Plan for the second day trip was to explore the eastern side of the park as, whilst this isn't gushing with gorges, it is interesting country and worth the visit.

Nice spot - pity the track ended here.

We took a detour off the main track into Wilkawillina Gorge - hoping to follow the track all the way to the North – but track was closed.  On the way in there is a fenced area with 4 small enclosures marked A,B, C and D. A is accessible by all the native and feral animals that roam the park, B is accessible by kangaroos but not rabbits, C is accessible by rabbits and not kangaroos, and D is not accessible by either. The diversity and lushness of vegetation the area’s not accessible by rabbits stood out like a sore thumb.

Interesting formations east of Flinders Ranges

Noting the evidence of rabbits through every area of the park we visited I could imagine how different  the park would be without these introduced pests. Let’s hope that CSIRO can find a permanent cure for this blight as Myxomatosis and Calici viruses have run their  course and it seems that the current plague of rabbits are immune to these.  While on the subject of feral pests it was during this day trip that we also saw hundreds of feral goats and the lone but big and healthy feral cat. The things you see when you don’t have a gun!

Once again we also spotted  mobs of roos, emus, wedgetails and hawks so not all is lost.

Old relics at Blinman

Near the end of our day trip we pulled back onto the blacktop and drove into Blinman – a lovely historic  mining town famous for its Cornish mining history and the Blinman Burger and Classic Steak Sandwich at the local tavern.  The barmaid was happy to see us - not because we are good looking grey nomads – but because we hailed from West Oz – turned out she was a Bunbury Lass and her and her partner were on an extending working trip around Oz.

Lots of  things to see

Once again a 160 klm round trip – but a great day out.