8 Days Arkaroola & Lake Eyre Trek

We depart Adelaide and travel north, arriving at Jamestown for morning tea and a tour briefing at a local coffee shop.

We then continue to Wilpena Pound and our first walk starts at the visitor centre and follows the creek. The trail is quite a wide flat. Much of the walk is cool in the shade of beautiful big gum trees and pines. It’s a lovely atmosphere and there is a pretty waterhole.

Before long we cross the creek and head up to a flat plateau area where we come across the Hill Homestead. There are information boards here that detail its fascinating history which your guides will also discuss. 

The lookout track continues on up the hill behind the homestead. This is where the track gets harder and steeper. The track is uneven with lots of rocks and rock steps to climb over. After 300 metres or so we come to the first lookout platform. The views here are spectacular!

From here we continue up to the next lookout spot. It’s a little bit further than the first and slightly harder. The view here is also fantastic. After this lovely walk we hop back in the van and travel a little further to either Gum Creek Station or Rawnsley Park Station for an overnight stay.

Walking Duration: Approx 8kms, 3.5 hours

Accommodation: Gum Creek Station Shearers rooms or  Rawnsley Park Station holiday units or similar

After breakfast, we depart Gum Creek Station and make our way further north to the start of the Mt Chambers Gorge Walk.
We arrive mid-morning and enjoy a short walk to an extensive Aboriginal petroglyph site here set amongst towering rock walls and a spring fed river bed. The path is rocky slate and is quite skinny as it runs along the side of a rocky cliff. It levels out before long and remains quite flat from there on.

The terrain is sandy and rocky with lots of rock obstacles. You will start to see the engravings become more common as you move along the trail. Before long we come out into a small natural amphitheater and see a wall full of engravings. It’s quite a spectacular site and must have been a very important place for the  local indigenous people.
Eventually the creek bed flattens out and we retrace our steps back. There is the option of walking along the creek of the main gorge depending on time and group willingness. We find a nice spot in the shade to have lunch and then continue on. We finish the day in the remote village of Arkaroola.
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is run by the Sprigg family as private wilderness retreat and an important conservation reserve. This is a truly beautiful place with so much to offer avid bushwalkers.

Walking Distance: Approx 5kms, 2.5 hours

Accommodation: Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

There is no mobile phone coverage here however you can purchase wifi for around $10 for your whole stay. There is a licenced bar onsite.

After breakfast and lunch making we head out of Arkaroola to the beginning of our days walk.

From the trailhead, the walk heads towards the creek. We follow the creek up the valley. It’s a mixture of sandy soil and the rocky creek bed. Although the path is uneven its relatively flat. The trail crosses some water but its low enough so you can easily find some rocks to get across and stay dry. There are some larger rocks and boulders to step over through this section and then we arrive at the track junction.

Depending on the fitness and willingness of the group we may turn left and head along Balcanoona creek or right onto the Monarch Mine trail. Regardless which route we take, both take us to Grindells Hut.

The Monarch mine trail feels very untrodden and the track is a bit rough as you clamber over rocks and what seems to be the path leading alongside a rocky outcrop. The Weetootla Spring is here along the creek bed. The terrain is still flat though uneven with some rocky slabs to step up and down. We continue along to a gentle ascent with switchbacks to ease the climb. After weaving our way up you can see exactly where the track is leading and start to see some pretty awesome views of the surrounding ranges and the valley.

It’s a narrow track and the sides of the mountain are steep but its surprisingly easy to walk these paths. You get a spectacular view of the trail in the distance on the side of the mountain opposite.

Hiking along the mountain sides is a very unique experience. The views are truly endless. There are a few sections where you will need to climb up and along larger rocks on the steep sides but in general this trail is pretty easy to walk on.

Eventually you spot Grindells Hut in the distance and the trail starts heading down from the mountains. Like the ascent, the descent is also quite gentle. At Grindells Hut there are toilets. We have a rest and look around before making out way back to the junction and through the Balcanoona Creek trail towards the Weetootla campground.

Walking Distance: Approx 12 kms, 7.5 hours

Accommodation: Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

Today’s walk is quite varied and allows us to discover the geological story of Arkaroola as we explore the  different rock surfaces and gorges with a magnificent hike through Bararanna Gorge.

The terrain starts off uphill on a rocky path, athough it’s not too strenuous. Once we reach the highest point you can see where the trail contours around the mountain side. There is a lot of slate which looks like perfectly made tiles, it’s quite fascinating.

The trail starts heading down hill and there are some incredible views of distant mountain ranges. We start to walk through some vegetation and soon head down a small creek and into the actual gorge.

We take care climbing down here as the path goes over some very awkward and large boulders. We continue following this creek bed. The path is rocky, sand and sometimes on slabs. Once you get down into the gorge the path weaves in and out through large boulders. The steep sides of the gorge come into view and it's spectacular.

We follow the gorge for a little while and come across Stubbs waterhole. This is a scenic area with huge walls of the gorge directly behind it make it a photographers dream. The track continues around through the creek bed and there are some large boulders to maneuver over and around. Near the end of the trail we walk up a steep hill and over the other side and can then see where we started.

There is such a variation in this walk, you get to see a lot and walk on all different types of terrain which is fascinating.

Optional extra: Tonight there is an opportunity to join on an astronomy tour. (Guest expense $40 approx.)

Walking Distance: Approx 7.5kms, 4 hours

Accommodation: Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

We have breakfast, pack up and depart Arkaroola to venture into the heart of Australia's outback.

We stop in Farina and enjoy a bun if the bakery is open, otherwise we will provide morning tea. We then have a short walk to visit the ruins. We wander through the streets looking at the old post office, police  station, pub and then head over to the railway lines and on toward the cemetery.

After a little bit of driving the road turns to dirt. Just before you come into Marree you will see a stone statue of a man. It’s a good opportunity to stop here and get a photo.

Walking Duration: Approx 2kms, 1.5 hours

Accommodation: Marree Oasis Holiday Park cabins

Today we head north and visit the iconic Lake Eyre. There is a small uphill walk of about 200 metres. Once we reach the top you will see a large expanse of white salt flat that continues into the distance - Lake Eyre.

We spend lots of time taking photos and after your visit here you can say that you’ve walked at Lake Eyre! A unique and rare experience.

We then return to Muloorina for a toilet stop and have lunch by a waterhole. The afternoon is open for flights or a town walk to take in the some historical sites.

Scenic flight – optional extra (guest expense) – 45min flight cost approx. $280pp. 

Walking Distance: 1km

Accommodation: Maree Oasis Holiday Park cabin

We pack up and begin our journey south to Almerta Station stopping at Prairie Hotel to explore this unique and interesting outback hotel. Once we reach Almerta Station we stretch our legs on one of the station walks.

The Bluff walk is a great one. We follow the ridgeline up the hill alongside the cliff edge until we reach the summit. We do a loop and walk back down enjoying more views on the other side. Keep you eyes out for wedge-tailed eagles on this walk.

There are more walks at Almerta that we can explore depending on time.

Walking Distance: Approx 3kms, 2 hours

Accommodation: Almerta Station or similar

We pack up and head south stopping for a circuit hike along the full length of Alligator Gorge, including the Narrows and the Terraces.

The trail starts as a steep downhill descent with rock slabs as stairs. There are handrails which will come in handy. After descending the stairs we follow the track to the terraces.

The trail follows the creek bed on a mixture of sand and dirt soil on uneven terrain. After reaching the terraces, care needs to be taken on the slippery rock surface. There are many obstacles to climb over and the track is undulating.

After approximately 2 kms the track starts ascending and contours around the mountain. The track is much more even here with no rocks or boulders to navigate. After reaching the top it winds around to a 4wd track and we follow this road back towards the carpark and Blue Gum track. At Blue Gum carpark there are toilets.

From here we head back down the gorge and into the narrows. The tall sides of the gorge are incredibly dramatic and it’s a lovely place to walk through. Finally we reach the terraces and the staircase we came down at the start. Luckily there are some seats along the way for a breather heading back up!

We aim to have you back in Adelaide around 5pm. 

Walking Distance: Approx 10kms, 4 hours