28th Feb to 2nd Mar - Wilpena Pound

We headed off from Port Augusta, thankful that the rain had held off, avoiding any drama with flood corner.   We went via Pichi Richi (the railway to become the original Ghan line in later years).  A few rail bridges like this one as the rail line winds through the hills.   The landscape is also dotted with old cottage ruins.   We head through Quorn again, still like this town.   It was a main rail transport point for soldiers back in the 1940's, there was 1 million meals served to soldiers in Quorn over the war period.

Another of those lovely signs that amuse us, Don't Drive Like a Dumbell!   

Mmmm, the weather is looking a bit ominous Darl...  The clouds are low, thick and dark and this is the way we are heading, out through Hawker to Wilpena Pound.    There are two camping areas available for the Pound, Wilpena Resort and camp ground and Rawnsley Park (20kms south of Wilpena).   Also quite a few other camp sites throughout the Ranges but these are dirt roads to get there, not that that has stopped us before.  We want to stay at Wilpena where we are close to some great walking trails.

We have had an interesting time here at Wilpena.  We set up camp in a light shower of rain, which wasn't so bad, but the rain got heavier and continued for two days.   The tent was soaked through and we spent the best part of the first couple nights here, mopping and wiping up the water.   Meet Roger the Roo, he decided to hop in to our tent for brekky, I was safe up on the bed, he's licking the bake bean can, I was worried about my Stanley - Darl to the rescue and he pushed him outside with his chair. 

There's my Darl out there in the rain, feverishly digging trenches to get the water away from our tent.   And we thought we averted the floods back in Augusta.  Roger had a go at my Darl later on that day when he was taking rubbish to the bin,   Darl gave him a left hook to his jaw and Roger just shook it off and kept on at my Darl, he threw some rubbish at him to deter further attack!   Ruby Roo was around too, she had a go at me, when I was trying to show her the bisket that I threw out at Darl's persistance cause the poor roos are starved, well the Roo's can go and get .... hunting for their own selves, sorry!  

I was really really praying now that the rain would ease off, just to dry out the tent and sheets and towels etc.    And it did on the 3rd day, was still very overcast, so we decided to take a walk to Wangarra Lookout (via Hill's Homestead).  The landscape is swampy in areas, lots of huge red gum trees, lots of which also fallen in water ways and dry creek beds.  Now it's a good thing it is so overcast as it makes for a pleasant walk.  Not too hot and sweaty. 

This is an easy walk to Hill's Homestead 3.3km then 0.6km up the hill to Wangara Lookout.  All up the round trip 7.8km. These two friendly chaps showed us the way.  Over the few days we have been at Wilpena, we have seen some camps come and go, can't quite work out why people book in late then leave early in the morning, no time to look around and "smell the roses".  Well we smelt a funny smell on setting up, it took a couple days to work out that it was the roos marking their territory. 

The view into the pound, it is an amazing circular mountain range.  The early settler's, Hill family used the Pound to corral their livestock, initially it was sheep back in the late 1800's.   Even way back then they struggled with drought and floods.  The sheep ate out all the food, the drought come and the stock died.   Later on they tried wheat crops, there is only one way out, the Hill's had 5 sons they built a road out, but there was a tight bend in the road which was impassable for the horse and cart. 

They carted the wheat as far as they could then re loaded onto a cart on the other side of the bend to get the wheat out, the floods came again and washed the road away, along with many years of hard toil it took to build.  They gave up in the early 1900's and headed back to Glenallen.    Here's me heading back down into the pound, to Hill's Homestead.   The sun even come out from time to time, while we were up the lookout, no rain - fantastic!

We enjoyed lunch back at the Homestead, they have picnic tables here and loos out the back.  Believe it or not this homestead was home to mum, dad and 10 kids (5 girls, 5 boys).  It seems they had plans for extensions but they never eventuated.  Some old farm relics in the foreground.

Obvious a fire has been through in recent times, you can still smell the burnt timbers.  We sussed it out with Martin, the friendly barman - he said the fire come through about a month ago.  The fire around the resort is from the firies back burning, at one stage the back burn looked like it could get out of control.  Happens so quickly with a change of wind.

Wilpena Pound resort - we have a couple drinks here at Poddy Dodgers bar, it was nice to get out today after being hold up in the camp with the rain the last couple days.  This place is nice and peaceful, not too many campers really, everyone has heaps of space.  But they say the busy period is about the start in a few weeks time, then the place will be packed with campers and resort booked out this place holds a few thousand people, yeah apparently it's that big.  We are so glad we are here in the quiet time.

Friday we decide to take another walk to Mount Ohlssen Bagge.  Well it was a bit of a hike really, up a  mountain, 6km return trip - 2.6 km up a mountain side!    Lucky we took the walking sticks today, actually I took the brolly as the weather forecast was for clearing shower.  It didn't rain and the brolly worked a treat.

Darl!  Are we there yet??  Just when you think you are making good progress, there is a sign to say 1.8 kms to go, gees we have to go all the way to the top of that ridge and a ways past that.

This walk is classed as hard, no children allowed to walk it, lucky we don't have any of them to worry about.    So glad for the walk sticks as some parts of this climb is steep and rocky.  We could have taken another easier, more relaxed option of a scenic flight, but where's the challenge in that......  Would be handy to be a mountain goat!

We made it, this view the other side of the pound.  My Darl as usual likes to take it to the edge.   He tries to coerce me out there, I will only go if I feel safe and this little black duck is not going out there this time..... Speaking of goats we saw a few not far down on a ridge from up here.

We were the only ones up here for 1/2 hour or so, just taking in the views.   A elderly pommy gent joined us and took this pic of us with St Mary's Peak in the background, the highest peak of the pound.   The walk there is about 8-9 kms, we are not doing that one this time.

We are up a lot higher, 923 metres above see level and the views of the pound are fantastic, we see so much more of the ranges behind the pound walls, than we saw yesterday at Wangara Lookout.

On the way back down and we saw quite a few little lizards.   Lucky we reckon we have not come across any big joe blakes on our travels and bush walks so far.

Lots of bird life around here too, kookas, crows, maggies and one of my favorites the 28 nesting in a gum tree.   All in all a great day out, we got back to camp 5 hours later, thirsty and hungry.  We missed lunch so went up to Poddy's for a beef burger and chips.   The best burger!