Flinders Ranges 5-Day Small Group 4WD Eco Tour from Adelaide

My husband & I recently returned from the 5 Day Flinders Ranges & Arkaroola Tour, led by Mick. We saw some amazing sights, met interesting locals, & learnt much about the history, landscape & fauna from Mick. There were a few unexpected surprises, eg Wilpena Pound being closed for our 1st nights accommodation due to expected bad weather, however Mick was quickly able to source alternate accommodation in the town of Quorn, that turned out to be a delightful place to stay. I can highly recommend SA Ecotours if you want to see the Flinders Ranges.

We had 4 on our tour - 2 couples - so there was plenty of room on the vehicle. Im not a person for outback adventures but seeing the mountains was on my bucket list. I really reviewed the various tour operators and came to Mick and he is a fantastic communicator, always ready to answer questions and is not the least bit pushy - so I felt very good about booking with him. Our driver/guide was Steve who is a very happy person, tells you lots of detail, answers numerous questions and entertained us with stories. He is also an excellent driver and we all felt very safe with him up front. He knows where all the great cake shops are, the nicer toilets and good coffee and sandwich/pie shops along the way. We were in very safe hands. We were given a list of additional activities and did a flight over wilpena and then a second one over arkaroola. Its a once in a lifetime tour for me and I am so very happy that I spent the money for these flights. They were (costly but) fabulous. Accommodation at Arkaroola was not as good as Wilpena but both had good food and coffee, a good wine list (by glass or bottle) and lovely staff. There was an included ridge top ride in Arkaroola - four hours in the back bumping around on a gravel track. It was good but I much preferred the flights! Along the way up and back, Steve took us on extra little adventures and it was a great way for us to learn about the outback and the people who pioneered the area and those that live there still.

We, eight experienced Australian friends, wanted to explore the Ikara-Flinders Ranges NP in the outback of South Australia. To make this part of the trip a success, we put the organisation in the hands of Mick's "Sa Eco Tours", which turned out to be a very good choice. Mick himself picks us up from the hotel in a small bus with a trailer for our luggage. We set off from Adelaide and travelled a long way through wheat and bean fields, olive plantations, rapeseed fields and vineyards. Here, on the outskirts of Adelaide, there is still plenty of water and we can see why Australia is one of the world's biggest grain exporters. It's a long way to the outback, so we choose the Clare Valley for a cosy overnight stop. Here we taste delicious wine, visit Sevenhill Cellars and cycle through the beautiful wine region on a disused railway line. Now we enter South Australia's driest region. The road becomes increasingly isolated. We pass a few mini-villages (former mining towns or places along the former Ghan railway line), now supply points for adventurous outback visitors. We meet perhaps only 7 cars on the whole route. Wilpena Pound Resort is our home for the next three days. From here we explore the Flinders Ranges with Mick. We walk to Wilpena Pound - an elevated natural basin of ancient quartz rock. From the lookout, Mick explains the stratification and folding of the range - geology at its best. The big highlight of this part of the trip: Nilpena Ediacara NP - here we are allowed to visit the site of the first animal life on earth on a former sheep farm. Ross Fargher (farm owner and now boss of the whole thing) takes us on a personal tour of the site, explaining the circumstances of the finds and showing us the locations and excavations of the first fossils. A multimedia presentation at the end of the tour illustrates all the connections very well. Afterwards there is more geological history in Brachina Gorge. Mick guides us through the 20 kilometre long gorge, where we can experience the history of the Earth from 350 million years ago to almost 1 billion years ago - even without studying geology! On the way back to civilisation we walk to Arkaroo Rock, stop in Quorn (almost a town with 1300 inhabitants) and Melrose and walk along the salty beach of beautiful pink Lake Bumbunga. We would like to thank Mick for this great part of the trip. Everything was well organised and our wishes were fulfilled. We felt well looked after at all times. Mick drove us everywhere safely and his careful driving saved the lives of several kangaroos at night. We had a wonderful time! Falk Group