The Hotel: Wilpena Pound Resort

Groupies are taken off the beaten track and out into the wonder of nature with a stay at Wilpena Pound Resort. Taking up just a smidgen of space within the Flinders Ranges National Park, 430km north of Adelaide, the resort offers the chance to discover a landscape that is 800-million years old. Connect with its history as home to the Adnyamathanha people for tens of thousands of years and learn as much as possible about Australia’s Indigenous people and culture.

• Settle into one of 60 hotel rooms that blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape
• Sleep comfortably thanks to the reverse cycle air conditioning
• Go glamping in a Safari Tent that combines the spoils of nature with a few modern luxuries
• Grab a bite to eat in the restaurant or grab something light from the general store
• Cool off with a dip in the swimming pool
• See the resort from above on a scenic flight for two
• Fit in some last minute exploring on the final day with a late checkout
• Crack open the bottle of wine and enjoy it as the sun sets over one of the world’s oldest landscapes

Room Details

Standard Room (Brachina or Aroona)

• Bed size/type:
  
  • Brachina: One double bed or two single beds
  • Aroona: One double bed and one single bed
• Standard occupancy:
  
  • Brachina: Two people
  • Aroona: Two people
• Maximum occupancy: 
  
  • Brachina: Two people
  • Aroona: Four people

Deluxe Room (Heysen or Edeowie)

• Bed size/type:
  • Queen bed and two single beds or bunk bed
• Standard occupancy: Two people
• Maximum occupancy: Four people

Safari Tent

• Bed size/type: One king bed or two single beds

The Area: Flinders Ranges National Park

Encompassing some of South Australia’s most spectacular scenery, the Flinders Ranges National park is world-renowned for its geological history and impressive fossil remains. The Adnyamathanha people have lived in the region for tens of thousands of years and. In the mid-nineteenth century, European occupation brought about widespread changes to the environment. Despite that, the park supports a number of natural and semi-arid ecosystems and contains many plants and animals of conservation significance.Tourists may take a scenic walk up Wangarra Hill for panoramic views of Wilpena Pound. 

The Old Wilpena Station was operational for 135 years before its retirement in 1985 and serves as an important Aboriginal heritage site. It is also where Ikara - The Meeting Place lies - an award-winning interpretive display providing a fascinating insight into the Adnyamathanha way of life. The Brachina Gorge is one of the park’s most popular tourist attractions, being a refuge to the yellow-footed wallaby.

Weathered rock carvings can be found at the Sacred Canyon; find interpretive signs at the site which helps to explain the symbols you find. The Cazneaux tree, a magnificent River Red Gum which was made famous by Harold Cazneaux, a photographer who won first price at an International Photographic Exhibition in 1937 with his photograph of the tree which he entitled “The Spirit of Endurance”, can be found in the Flinders Ranges. The tree remains an important landmark of the park, having been photographed and painted by many visitors.