Diary of an aviation nut: A day off in Arkaroola

Over the last couple of days we’ve done a lot of flying as we’ve crossed the middle of the Australian Continent so it was nice to have a day off in Arkaroola.

I like the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary a lot. This was my 3rd or 4th visit and I was looking forward to seeing Simon’s reaction to it. Arkaroola is at the north end of the Flinders Ranges and is a dry and dusty place. It boasts some of the oldest rocks in the world and you don’t have to look far to see evidence of massive geological lifting and tilting of the rock.

Arkaroola is owned by Doug Sprigg and we were honoured to be collected from the airstrip and driven the 10km or so to the village by Doug. There was another pilot landing at the strip and so Simon and I really enjoyed a conversation with Doug about the assistance he provided to Jon Johansen while we waited. Doug is a very clever guy and what he doesn’t know about aircraft engines doesn’t matter. He helped Jon get the most power out of his Vans RV-4 engine for his two flights around the world and attempt to reach the South Pole.

Our full day at Arkaroola began with an 8km walk on one of the trails with Shelley and Pete and then I had a nice lazy afternoon reading my book while Simon went on the Ridgetop Tour.

I’d deliberately not told Simon much about the Ridgetop Tour but encouraged him to do it. It’s a half day ride in a Landcruiser high up among the peaks of Arkaroola while learning about the geology, botany and wildlife of the place. Arkaroola has a fascinating history which you learn about on the tour but the highlight is the Landcruiser ride up slopes that have to be seen to be believed. As you climb these rough tracks you’d swear the vehicle will loose traction and/or the front wheels will lift and you’ll flip. It’s a wild ride and you have to hold on tight. Simon really enjoyed it - phew.

In the bar on the second night there was a big influx of people who’d arrived that day. They were members of the Harry Ferguson Tractor Club who were touring the Flinders Ranges in their tractors! 19 tractors and associated support vehicles were on a 28 day trip and they were great people to talk to. Most of the time they have been camping out at the Stations they were crossing so they were enjoying Arkaroola’s barb and restaurant when we met them. It’s interesting to note they were just as passionate about their tractors and travels as we are about our aircraft. Mind you I’d rather travel at 203km/hr at altitude and out of the dust rather than their sedentary 20km/hr.