There has been some discussion about a possible road trip to the Flinders Ranges in the beginning of May.
The thinking is that we would pivot off a May 5 starting point at either Carrieton or Hawker. This date is based on the fact that Stanley, vk3bot, will be exiting Adelaide on May 4 as he works his way north on his trip to central Australia.
At this stage, I would be interested to hear if there are any interested parties, and from here we can flash out some ideas (how long to get to rendezvous point with Stanley?, what do you want to include in the trip?, and of course the maximum time you want to be away from home). I have done the Simpson Desert crossing in 11 days, but this involved a lot of long driving days. My preference is to maybe take 2 days to get to Hawker, 5-6 days in the FR and then a further 2 days driving home.
Others may wish to reduce the up and back time to 1 day each way.
At this stage the only thing set in stone is May 5, everything else is up for discussion, so please post your thoughts. I see this to be an evolving plan, run through the Forum, and then onsite discussions at club rooms.
Cheers
Phillip
Nothing in there about when/how to pay. But good to see the booking confirmed.
Updated reply from Almerta Station Stay regarding payment.
Reply from:
Hi Craig
Thank you for booking a stay with Almerta Station. We look forward to hosting your stay.
As it gets closer let us know if you require linen (towels & sheets) if your guests require single or queen size beds.
If your numbers change to easy we can work iot out :)
Happy for you to pay when you get here.
Regards Shane
Here are your booking details:
Booking number:26098
Name:Company or c/o:Craig Shine-Address:, Somerville V, VIC , AustraliaPhone number:Email address:+61412674194theshinesmail@gmail.com
Additional comments:
Shearers Quarters Booking & Camping Option Morning Craig, I have booked the Shearers Quarters for you.
Please let us know if you require linen (sheets and towels extra $20 per person one off fee) as your booking date approaches.
If your friend would like to camp next to the Shearers Quarters, there is a $20 fee per night for a campsite. Let me know if you have any questions.
Regards, Shane
Check-in:Check-out: 05/05/202509/05/2025
Nights:Number of guests:45
PriceTotal
Shearers Quarters (5 guests) $280.00/night $1,120.00
Total (AUD)$1,120.00
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Cheers.
Craig
vk3ncr
Do you know if it has a tone?
Stan
Hi Gents,
There is a Flinders Ranges 2M Repeater located North of Quorn.
No DStar or AllStar from what I can see..
Mt Arden - VK5RAE
Quorn, Australia
Repeater ID: AU-576
Downlink:146.975000
Uplink:146.375000
Offset:-0.6 MHz
Sub Geo:South Australia
Call:VK5RAE
Use:OPEN
Status: On-Air
Coverage:FM:Yes; analog capable.
Do I need a 4wd for this trip?
The Flinders Rangers have quite an extensive range of roads that don't require a 4wd to tour around the park. I'm taking my Subaru Outback (AWD) as it is a lot more comfortable to drive on a long trip and has a/c, than my '96 Land Rover Defender.
Hi Craig,
good one. I'd be in. Will have finished my portable endfed by then.
Cheers
Phillip
For those wanting to activate a POTA / WWFF Park in the Flinders Ranges..
There are a handful of parks..
See yellow Dots on the screen shot below fro. the PTA Website.
I'm keen... Cheers... Craig vk3ncr
From POTA Website Map Flinders Ranges.
Here is the place I stayed at Carrieton Caravan Park.
Cheers.
Craig
Looking at the possibility of a central base camp, with power, here is a map of Wilpena Pound. As you can see it is quite a good base.
Just had a look at the map Phil. Incredible is the word I would use!
From what I've seen in my research today, we need 2 days there and back to get to the Flinders Ranges, and about 4-5 days to cover the various sites of interest. This works well from a timing perspective as it involves 9 days, so workable for Terry on his A/L.
Looking good guys..
Been to most of those places but not all..
As for the Pie.. yep I think I have been to all of them.
I have added the dates to the clubs Calendar as well as the Flinders Trip.
Here's an interesting link with some travel suggestions. Seems that 4-5 days is what is needed to see the Flinders Rangers attractions.
In the above Craig will be pleased there's even a favourite pie shop.
Here is a link to a very good, and detailed map of the central parts of Flinders Ranges. As I mentioned earlier, if we find a suitable location, with 240v, day trips may be a viable option. Here is the map link:
https://flindersandoutback.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Central-Northern-Flinders-Ranges-MAP.jpg
My thinking after discussion at club this morning is to drive Day 1 (Melb to Red Cliffs, 590 km and about 6hrs 15min) and next day (Red Cliffs to Carrieton, 508km and about 5hrs 30min). This just a rough plan I've put together. I'm not interested in long drives, so the above is manageable for me.
Next I'll do some research into what there is to do within the Flinders Ranges Park. I'm conscious of the fact an ideal situation is to have 240v for Craig.
It maybe that we find a central point, with 240v, and do some of the tracks/sites as day trips. Again, I'm just putting it out there. I have a map for for Outback-Central and South Australia, which I'll go through and see what options are available.
Look forward to others suggestions.
At this point in time:
Depart Melbourne Friday 2nd May.
Depart Adelaide Sunday 4th May.
Arrive Craig and company Sunday 4th/Monday 5th May.
Depart Craig and company to be arranged.
Just to wet peoples appetite, once I leave Craig and company I'm off to Alice Springs, Docker River, Marla, Odnadatta, Birdsvile, Inaminks, Cameron Corner, Lightening Ridge home. All subject to change without notice depending on weather and so on.
Arrive Melbourne Thursday 29th May.
Hey Phillip and the team,
All sounds good to me.. I was thinking around 10 days or so.
One thing I do want to make clear for all is that for each person the trip is to be flexible, in other words, each person can do what they want without pressure from others on the trip.
Chat soon.
Craig