Outback Odyssey: South Australian destinations of majesty and solitude
BY night, the stars explode in the sky. By day, the landscape reveals its natural wonders. From fine dining to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, welcome to Outback South Australia.
THE stars come out as darkness falls. Billions of them shining their light into the night, twinkling and flickering above. There are no streetlights here giving off artificial light, no smog polluting the air. This is nature in all its glory. This is Kangaluna Camp.
Nestled in South Australia’s Gawler Ranges National Park, about 400km from Adelaide on the state’s Eyre Peninsula, Kangaluna Camp is something special. It takes its lead from its surroundings — the Gawler Ranges is a place of wonder, not just for its breathtaking night skies but also its unique geology, its abundance of wildlife, its flora and fauna. It’s 1.6 billion years in the making, so it’s fair to say there’s no place on Earth like this.
And the camp’s owners, Geoff and Rene Scholz, intend to keep it that way. There is no vehicle access — guests are picked up from a number of local airports and chauffeured to the camp. For those arriving by car, it will be stored at a secure location 30km away for the duration of their stay.
“It’s a very delicate environment. It’s in the middle of the bush so it’s not a place you can walk into and have a night there,” says Geoff. “Most of it is 1.6 billion-year-old geology — the Flinders Ranges is only 600,000 years old. The evolution of the plants is far, far richer. And it’s a very, very big volcanic region. The natural history story is amazing.”
The story is shared with guests during their two or three-night, fully catered stay which includes day and evening trips exploring the depth of the local landscape. “Our focus is wildlife — we have so much that you wouldn’t believe,” says Geoff. “We do a wildlife drive the first evening, seeing three species of kangaroo, all mixed up. There’s plenty of room — big wide open plains between the ranges, a lot like you see in the African movies. It’s very similar country. We are on two-wheeled tracks with vast veldts and with lots of animals.
“On the second day, we do a run up to Lake Gairdner and then back on a different route, taking in some gorge walking. Lake Gairdner is just absolutely something else.
“The third day, we focus on the lake system near the camp and some gorges on the western side of the national park where we have yellow-footed rock wallabies, hexagonal column rocks and the Pildappa Rock, which is very like Wave Rock in WA.”
Back at camp, the accommodation includes three luxury two-room safari tents featuring curved roofs to keep the air flowing and the inside temperature cool, and a swagon, a reconditioned covered wagon with a swag bed inside. Roll back the wagon’s cover when the sun goes down and you’re back to that amazing starry, starry sky.
Avid stargazers can use the camp’s eight-inch computer-controlled telescope to bring the planets and the moon into closer view. Further proof, if needed, that Kangaluna Camp is truly out of this world.
ECO LUXURY
The landscape unfurls before you as the helicopter flies you high up over the Chace Range, one of SA’s highest points. As it alights on a mountain peak before flying off, leaving you there to drink in the sunset over dinner and a glass of wine, one thing becomes clear: al fresco dining has never been this good. And it only gets better as you climb into your swag and are lulled gently to sleep watching the evening show as the stars come out above.
On rising the next morning and following a hearty breakfast, the helicopter returns to take you back to your base at Rawnsley Park Station, an eco-luxury holiday destination that overlooks the southern side of Wilpena Pound in the Flinders Ranges.
In addition to its two-bedroom Homestead, the Advanced Ecotourism-accredited station boasts eight eco-villas that reflect the experience of the Flinders, with external straw bale construction and internal modern furnishings.
“It’s that sense of space, sense of almost the frontier,” says owner/manager Tony Smith. “For anyone living a busy life in the city with limited time, they’re looking for something where they get a really memorable experience that doesn’t take all day to find the perfect spot. With the villas, you don’t really have to leave your balcony to have that view of the Flinders. The outlook is pretty amazing from where you put your head down.”
Still a working sheep station, much of the fine dining on offer comes from the farm itself or local providers. For Smith, protecting the beauty of their natural environment is paramount.
“We’ve really tried to develop the resort in harmony with the location and tried to minimise any impact,” he says. “My family have had the property since 1953. We started off as sheep farmers, we’ve evolved into tourism people. Having the sheep keeps you really focused on the climate and any changes to the land.”
A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Since it was built back in 1856, Kingsford Homestead has been a number of things. Sheep farm, cattle station, agriculture site, stopover point for intrepid explorers: the Homestead is steeped in South Australian history. Little surprise, then, that it is State Heritage listed.
But it’s perhaps as the setting for one of Australia’s best-loved TV series, McLeod’s Daughters, that Kingsford Homestead is most famous. Fans of the show, which ran from 2001-09, would marvel at not just the storylines and characters but also the stunning South Australian Outback setting, with its rolling pastures, endless skies and rustic beauty.
So it may come as something of a surprise to learn that, rather than being in the middle of the Outback, the Homestead sits on 225 acres of land in the Barossa Valley, just one hour’s drive from Adelaide’s CBD. But step out of the car onto the Homestead driveway and you immediately feel a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Breathe deep of the fresh air and drink in the beauty of the landscape around you. This may not technically be Outback but it sure is luxury.
And the luxury continues inside. The Homestead has recently been transformed into an exclusive experience. No shared accommodation here: guests hire the whole property — buildings and lands — for just them and their guests.
With seven luxury suites to choose from, including one with disabled access and an external cottage, the Homestead can accommodate up to 14 guests whose almost every wish can be accommodated by property managers Cassie and Kyran Gardner.
From wedding parties and fine dining to poker nights and barbecues on the lawn, nothing is too much for this dedicated young couple.
“We’re here to help guests with everything they need,” Cassie says. “We’ll give them space if they want space. If they want us to be around to attend to their every need, that’s what we’re here for.”
“Kyran and I both come from the Barossa wine industry so we can assist with premium experiences such as wine tasting, cooking classes locally or if they want to meet a winemaker … it’s those money-can’t-buy experiences.”
Husband Kyran agrees: “It’s nice to be able to provide something that nobody else can provide. Winemakers come out here, sit down with guests and do a full tasting. They don’t have cellar doors, you can’t get hold of their wine. It’s very special things like that. It’s doing something you’ve never had before and may never have again.”