Wilpena Pound - Night 127

At 8:30 our show hit the gravel road for a

leisurely drive through the Flinders Range National Park. The Flinders are very old, weather mountains that would merely pass for hills in the Western U.S. The desert landscape and red rocks give them an Arizona-esque feel, though on a smaller scale. We arrived at the Wilpena Pound site around the noon hour. Wilpena Pound is a large valley enclosed on all four sides by mountains. Its unique shape allows it to retain much of the precious little rainfall that happens here in Central Australia. Historically the site was a large sheep ranch, but has been returned to the state for use as a park.

On Top of Wilpena Pound

Our itinerary called for a hike to the rim of the Pound. Scooter advertised the walk as strenuous, which was enough to scare away four of the girls from attempting it. Forty-five minutes later Kristin (the other American and an active marathoner) and I were standing on top seriously questioning the Australian definition of strenuous. Over the next 30 minutes the rest of the group tricked in to the summit viewing grounds. About half of the bus are habitual smokers (mostly the Europeans), so upon reaching the peak there was a massive lighting of cigarettes. This is the one thing I don’t get about Europe; why the normally healthy continent (in terms of exercise and food intake) continues to smoke amidst all the certified health consequences.

The Nothingness of the Outback

We ate a small late lunch after the hike and took off for Rawley Park for the night. A caravan park/hostel, Rawley also offered a pool and a shop with ice cream and wine, the two staples foods of Outback travel. While the young European girls frolicked in the pool, I talked politics and life with the old Irish pensioner, Peter. We both enjoyed the view.

What I Learned Today: Playing the role of translator, no matter how slight, is a truly rewarding activity.

written by

exumenius on February 14, 2008 from Hawker, Australia

from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos

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