Flinders Range

Flinders Ranges National Park
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Nearest town/city:	Hawker
Coordinates:	31°25′20″S 138°42′18″E / 31.42222°S 138.705°E / -31.42222; 138.705
Area:	912 km²
Established:	1945
Managing authorities:	Department for Environment and Heritage
Official site:	Flinders Ranges National Park

The Flinders Ranges are South Australia's largest mountain range, and is situated approximately 400 km north of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over 430 km from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna. Its most characteristic landmark is Wilpena Pound, a large, sickle-shaped, natural amphitheatre covering nearly 80 square kilometres, containing the range's and South Australia's highest peak, St Mary Peak (1170m).

The Flinders Ranges National Park is located in the northern part of the Flinders Ranges. The park covers an area of 912 square kilometres, northeast of the small town of Hawker. The park includes the Wilpena Pound and St Mary Peak.

The Heysen Trail and Mawson Trail pass through the park.

There are many lookouts, scenic vistas, small canyons and unusual rock formations located in the park. These include Wilpena Pound, Wilkawillina Gorge, Hucks Lookout, Brachina Gorge, Bunyeru Gorge and Arkaroo Rock . An amazing rock formation called the Great Wall of China is located just outside the park. The park centre at Wilpena Pound is accessible by sealed road from Hawker. Other areas in the park can be reached by un-sealed roads, which are mostly accessible by two-wheel drive vehicles except in exceptionally bad weather. Camping is permitted at many locations in the park.

Geology

The Flinders Ranges are largely composed of folded and faulted sediments of the Adelaide Geosyncline. This very thick sequence of sediments were deposited in a large basin during the Neoproterozoic on the passive margin of the ancient continent of Rodinia. During the Cambrian, approximately 540 million years ago, the area underwent the Delamerian orogeny where the geosynclinal sequence was folded and faulted into a large mountain range. Since this time the area has undergone erosion resulting in the relatively low ranges today.

Most of the high ground and ridgetops in the Flinders are sequences of quartzites that outcrop along strike. The high walls of Wilpena Pound are formed by the outcropping beds of the eponymous Pound Quartzite in a synclinal structure. The same formation forms many of the other high parts of the Flinders, including the high plateau of the Gammon Ranges and the Heysen Range. Cuesta forms are also very common in the Flinders.

Flora and Fauna

The flora of the Flinders Ranges is composed largely of species adapted to a semi-arid environment such as cypress-pine, mallee, and black oak. Moister areas near Wilpena Pound support grevilleas, Guinea flowers, lilies and ferns. Reeds and sedges grow near permanent water sources such as springs and waterholes.

Since the eradication of dingos and the establishment of permanent waterholes for stock, the numbers of red kangaroos, western grey kangaroos and euros in the Flinders Ranges have increased. The yellow-footed rock-wallaby, which neared extinction after the arrival of Europeans due to hunting and predation by foxes, has now stabilized. Other endemic marsupials include dunnarts, planigales and echidnas. Insectivorous bats make up significant proportion of mammals in the area. There are a large number of bird species including parrots, galahs, emus, the wedge-tailed eagle and small numbers of water birds. Reptiles include goannas, snakes, dragon lizards, skinks and geckos. The streambank froglet is an endemic amphibian.

The Flinders Ranges as seen from the Stuart Highway.

Flinders Ranges from space.

External links

• SouthAustralia.com Flinders Rangers & Outback - Travel Guides, Accommodation, Maps, Events etc

References

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Flinders Ranges

• Wilpena Pound
• Protected areas of South Australia
• Ediacara
• Arkaroola
• Gammon Ranges
• Mawson Plateau
• Mount Chambers