Imagination runs wild in Alligator Gorge

SOARING peaks, plunging ravines, pristine bushland – Alligator Gorge sure is a place of enchantment, writes David Nankervis.

Alligator Gorge / Lonely Planet Images

SOARING peaks, plunging ravines, pristine bushland ... no wonder they call it Mt Remarkable.

Even more amazingly, among the native pine woods of the Mt Remarkable National Park live grandma, the big bad wolf and a little girl wearing a red riding hood.

At least they do in the imagination of my four-year-old daughter, who promised not to leave the path as she scanned the woods for the fella with the big eyes and even bigger teeth.

Luckily, Dad - a.k.a. the woodcutter of fairytale fame - was on hand and before long the little lass was off the beaten track and jumping with squeals of delight in the stream which winds its way through Alligator Gorge.

It's not difficult to let your imagination run wild in such an enchanting place.

Alligator Gorge is one of the most spectacular natural attractions in the southern Flinders Ranges.

The gorge is in 16,000ha of national park bushland between Spencer Gulf, Wilmington in the north and Melrose in the south.

The gorge was cut through ancient quartzite by Alligator Creek. Millennia of water movement have exposed the ancient rock, which changes colours as it is struck by sunlight and shade from different angles during the day.

The floor of the gorge is an ancient sea bed with myriad marvellous rock formations.

In some places the towering red rock walls are within a few metres of each other.

Ferns and slender gum trees fight for the light in this constricted and mesmerising location.

The best time to visit the region is spring, when native orchids and other wildflowers abound.

Native pines and moss add to the fairytale forest feel and the babbling brook is alive with tadpoles, to the delight of youngsters. The park is also home to a variety of other natives, including wedge-tailed eagles, rare yellow-foot rock wallabies, western grey kangaroos and flocks of native birds.

A great thing about Alligator Gorge - apart from having no alligators - is its accessibility.

Toilet, picnic area and barbecues are provided for visitors, who can spend an hour or a full day on the network of walking trails.

We made the gorge the feature of a day-trip from Clare, which was an easy four-hour round trip in the car.

Along the way we stopped for an early lunch at Stone Hut, a tiny village just 8km north of Laura.

The settlement was built up around the little stone hut in the days of stagecoaches, on the banks of the Rocky River.

These days the settlement's claim to fame is its bakery, which does a beaut pasty.

After building up a healthy appetite with a few hours of bushwalking, it was time to head back to our B&B and enjoy some of the local produce of Clare. A nightcap by the fireplace and then early to bed for a full day of activities.

One of those you can't miss is the Riesling Trail, which runs for 27km past many cellar doors along the old Riverton to Spalding railway line.

The trail runs between the towns of Clare and Auburn and is suitable for recreational walkers, off-road bicycles (which can be easily hired in Clare), wheelchairs and pushers.

And if you have a youngster or two in tow then a visit to the town's new playground is a must.

Sunday Mail (QLD)