Hey y'all...I have to be honest, you may not be able to follow me to Mount Chambers Gorge in real life; Not unless you have a four wheel drive anyway. However you're welcome to tag along by scrolling down and taking a look at a few snaps from one of the occasions I was there. It's a long way from anywhere, but offers great hiking, some ancient history and the ability to spend days without seeing another person. Well worth the effort just for that last benefit alone!
Here's a few snaps from the last time I went. We were blessed with awesome weather which is not surprising as winter tends to look like this around these parts. Yes folks, winter. We had days of about 20°C and nights of zero...Perfect for day time activities and for sitting around the camp fire at night.
Mount Chambers Gorge is in the Flinders Ranges, about 60 kilometres from a small town called Blinman (Population 35 people). Blinman is 510 kilometres north from Adelaide, South Australia so about 5-6 hours depending on how one drives. It is bitumen all the way however there are no other bitumen roads within many kilometres once in the Flinders Ranges so if one wants to explore one must hit the dirt.
This is why a four wheel drive vehicle is required. It's a remote area so not any old four wheel drive either, but one that has all the proper accessories and is piloted by an experienced driver. For this reason so many people will never make it out here unless possibly on a tour, or in convoy with someone like myself; A guy who has the required skills and vehicle.
The Flinders Ranges
The Flinders Ranges is a very ancient place, some 800 million years old in fact. It was a vast inland see for 300 million years and some of the oldest fossils in the world have been found here.
We do a lot of camping in and around the area, remote camping, and I have hunted in the area a lot also. It's sort of like my back yard I guess, only 510 kilometres away from home.
We also hike a lot which is what you can see my wife Faith doing above. Ok, she's actually posing here, but we were on a hike at the time. It's a great place to get lost for a while I think, and we go as often as possible.
The Flinders Ranges is a harsh environment, but has a beauty one can appreciate I think; The air is fresh, the sounds of nature abound and there's no people. A triple win!
This is one of our camping spots, some 60 kilometres south of Blinman. It's in the middle of nowhere, but is situated on a massive sheep station of some 70,000 acres (or 28,300 hectares or 283sq kilometres). It was created in 1924 and the same family still run it. They have some camp sites spread out around the huge property and we camp there from time to time. We've never seen anyone else in our time there, except for when we check in at the homestead on arrival. Perfect. Above you can see one of my favourite spots with my camper set up. There is a small creek that runs along the treeline there. It's nice.
Onward to Mount Chambers Gorge
Travelling in remote areas means preparation: Vehicle, equipment,food and water, maps and navigation, first aid and communications just to name a few. Out here services are very basic and few and far between. Help is often a long way away and that's if you even have the ability to contact them!
Above you can see one of the only service stations for many kilometres; It's at a place called the Angorichina Tourist Village about half way between Blinman and Parachilna. Don't let the word village fool you though as there isn't much there. They have some fuel pumps, a tyre repair/change bay, a small general store, a little camp ground and loads of flies. That's about it.
Here we fuelled up my truck with 140L of diesel and headed on to the access road to Mount Chambers Gorge.
Driving in remote areas is can always be dangerous. Lack of preparation and skills is often the catalyst for disaster. However even the roads themselves can catch you out.
Here's the sign board that must be heeded when remote travelling in these parts. You'll note the roads are open, but if closed...Well, closed means closed. These roads are usually closed in bad weather, after or during heavy rains and flooding. Getting bogged several hundred kilometres from help can be problematic and this is where preparation comes to the fore; And of course simple common sense in following the road restrictions.
Sometimes the roads are nicely graded and easily driven. This one was a nice road through a section of cliffs and hills. Going too fast around here is probably going to end in disaster though, despite the good road conditions; With common sense and some care anyone can drive these roads though.
The roads do get worse though, and fall into disrepair the further one gets. There's creek crossings, some dry and some with water, loads of rocks, fallen trees and a very loose-shale track which can offer very little traction. This is when experience starts to count however I've taken inexperienced four wheel drivers here and with some coaching over the two-way radio vehicle to vehicle they have all made it there and back.
This area has been farmed a little over the years beginning around 1870. It's tough land, brutal and unforgiving, and so wasn't very successfully farmed. Some tried sheep and others crops however the extremes of the Flinders Rangers brought them all to their knees anf they either moved on or perished.
Along the way there's often a reminder of those days, of the people who struck out to carve themselves a life here, and failed. Here above you see a small hut, what is left of it. I love ruins, but here I felt sad. It didn't feel like a happy place and I suspect that those folk who tried to settle here learned the hard way about life in the Australian outback. I hope they didn't suffer too badly.
Mount Chambers Gorge
This is the access track to get into the gorge itself. As I said earlier, all the roads out here are dirt however this one is a little rocky. I passed a two wheel drive vehicle out here once, a standard car; They rolled a tyre off the rim on this road and were in a spot of bother. I helped them out but really they should not have been here with that particular vehicle as it wasn't designed to do what they asked of it. Common sense, remember?
Here you see my truck. I'd stopped to see if I cold stalk some wild goats just for a bit of fun. I got pretty close. We headed into the gorge after this quick stop, parked and geared-up for a hike.
Mount Chambers Gorge creek usually contains water however I've only ever seen it running once. We generally hike in the creek bed only getting out when the water blocks our way which isn't that often. We like to hike into the gorge itself and to the chasm. It is only about three metres wide and two metres at the north western end; Pretty cool, although I have no good pictures of it.
One of the other cool features along the way is some rock carvings. These have been done by pounding small rocks on the gorge wall repeatedly to form the shapes. I'm not sure what they mean, but they are very old (ancient actually) which is pretty cool. Above you can see Faith posing against the rock offering some scale-perspective.
We often hike around for a few hours then stop for some lunch which I carry in with a backpack. It's nice to sit around and think, chat and to listen to natures sounds and it's almost a guarantee that we will not see or hear another human being. Perfect.
So, that's about it for this pictorial tour. It's been nice scrolling through some pictures to locate a few suitable ones for this post...Although it's also made me want to go camping!
I hope you've enjoyed the images and words, if you took the time to read them. Let me know what you think in the comments and feel free to ask any questions if you like.
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
510 km your local back yard, that's longer than the length of Scotland!
Looks awesome though, nice and rugged and beautiful. Keep on truckin!
Lol, yeah that's Australia for you. That's still in my own State even, Blinman.
See just above the A on the word Adelaide? That's my house right there. Lol. If you zoom the map you will be able to see the dotted line showing how big the State of South Australia is in comparison to this little Adelaide-Blinman trip.
No one really goes that secondary route as it is too slow...Way slower than it says on Google maps.
Come down mate, I'll take you camping in my back yard.
!ENGAGE 25
Hehe, totally massive. Here, I whine when I have to drive for 90 minutes up north! Thats like popping out to the shops for you!
Amma coming!
Australia is pretty big and there's loads of not very much in between some of the places. 95% of the population lives on 5% of the land. Amazing really, but so much of it is not habitable. You'll see when I take you out and
leave youshow you the country. Lol.Lol, I will remember to bring survival supplies and a sat phone! :OD
Yep...And sunblock and a hat. Some water too. ✅
Nah, all good mate...I'll look after you.
Sounds good, I am all set! Someone cure COVID!
ENGAGEtokens.I would like to visit the area someday looks very interesting, do they allow camping in Mount Chambers gorge area?
Yep it's worth a squiz. You can camp in the gorge area. One needs to bring firewood though, no collecting it as it ruins the habitat of the little critters as you probably know. My suggestion would be a mid-morning arrival from Blinman, Wilpena Pound or Rawnsley Park (depending on where you're camped the night before). My suggestion would be Willow Springs though. It's cool.
Set up camp, poke around and have a look. Spend that night then the next day do a big hike around. Spend that night then leave in the morning. Of course, many will stay around for a bit longer.
That would be enough for Mount Chambers Gorge...But the Flinders is big so you'll need longer to see other parts. Way longer.
Awesome thanks for the information mate👍
I'm telling you what, you would fit in the Western US. I don't have to go 500 km to get to no place, though. It actually looks like much of Arizona and Utah with the red rock. Big spaces!
I just love the look of that country. It's my kind of place. I'm way better suited to alone than most-I can tell you are too.
Petroglyphs. That's what those rock carvings are called here, and I have maybe 20 places I know of where there are good to great examples. Most of the ones here in AZ are 1500 to 1800 years old. There are a few buildings left from about that time. Amazing places. There is a place up on the Hopi reservation that has been continuously occupied for over 700 years.
I could go on. This post just got me going! But I'm going to close by saying that I looked at the Olympus mirrorless cameras yesterday (the price is a LOT less than Nikon or Cannon or Sony) and your photos make me think it's a pretty damn good choice.
Yep, petroglyphs. These ones are several thousand years old apparently. There's a sign nearby, I just never get around to taking a photo of it. The sign translates the meaning of the carvings.
It's a pretty nice spot all around though, and one that draws me back every so often. It's nice and peaceful, sort of spooky at night though. Maybe spirits of people now long gone?
I'm happy with my camera however do your research as it may not be right for your needs. (That's a disclaimer.)
You just have no idea how deliberate I can be when it comes to parting with filthy lucre. Research hardly covers the subject. I buy stuff to KEEP.
There are places I don't stay. Is it spirits? I've no real idea, but there is a soft little voice inside of me that I generally pay attention to. Particularly the farther I get from civilization.
I have one favored camping spot that I tend to go to whenever I'm in the area (say 200 miles-it's that good) that gave me quite a fright one night. I heard the forest service gate squeak open during the really dark part of the night. I laid there on full awareness and I heard it again. I made sure my pistola was at hand and slid my boots on.
It was a yearling elk that didn't know how or when to bugle for a female in the rut. It was a pretty pathetic noise. But he was practicing up for next year, I think.
Forest Service land around here is generally open to camp on, and depending on fire restrictions, you can gather dead fall wood for a campfire. Wood supply is one of the requirements for really good camping for me.
There is a forest (scrubland of around 120x80km) in outback New South Wales, a place called The Pilliga, that is reputed to have a ghost that people see at night...This bag lady used to live in the scrub. One night she was hit by a truck and killed. Now people swear they see her at night sometimes, her ghost. I've driven through a few times, day time and night, and it's a bit spooky. Day time is ok night time just leaves me with a weird feeling.
I don't know if it's because I know the story or because there's something odd there. All I know is that I would not want to get a flat tyre or break down there at night.
When I first started coming here there was an old Mexican crone called 'the Goat Lady' living up the big wash here. She was a pretty mystical person that raised goats and apparently her entire living came from them.
In '80 an F-5 crashed very near her place. The do gooders got involved and got her placed in a nursing home where she died shortly after. There's a funny spot in the wash to this day (it's surrounded by a golf course now). It just feels funky when Sam and I walk through. I can tell you for a fact that he stays closer than normal for a ways...
We bought a house where the owner was born and died 92 years later. We had a friend that swore that she saw her. I know that we shared our plans with her and used what we thought would be her wishes as we renovated. I had no problem with her.
I have a few supernatural stories I could tell also, although I'm not sure hive is the right place. Maybe someday. It all makes me feel pretty uncomfortable, but it's something I live with so I sort of used to it. Not sure it's something I'll share though.
This looks like an amazing place to disconnect from society, and just have a wild adventure into the unknown. Sounds like a pretty treacherous trek to get about, but I guess the stunning views more than make up for it. This does make sense of all those pricey mods on your Land Cruiser. When I first saw those rock carvings, the first thought that came to my head, was...
Nah you're right...It was probably aliens. Lol.
It's a good spot, for sure. Never seen any aliens but would ask them to take me to their planet. Lol.
Lol, tell them Zack said "Hi". I wonder how they'll perceive this very loud, and boisterous human called G-Dog.
I will tell them. Don't be surprised if you hear a space ship hovering overhead and then get beamed up then probed by said aliens. 👽🛸
I had a doctor's finger stuck up my arsehole at one point, so I guess getting probed isn't entirely a new or terrifying prospect to look forward to. Hopefully you have some nice hot alien food there... I'm starving.
What was that quack doing, checking your temperature? Lol.
There's always alien food...It's good too.
Lol, I can't remember, but it was a while ago when I came down with some sickness. Some of that alien food would make getting probed all the more worth it!
On the road of wilderness with a truck,that's I call the real adventure...It looks wonderful and also dangerous. I really like it. Have a great day my friend...
I love getting out there...It's so relaxing and I love the solitude. Yes, it could be dangerous but I'm careful and know what I'm doing. My vehicles are well prepared and I've got some skills. I never take it for granted though, that's when the Aussie outback bites back.
Thanks for commenting.
There are many places to see in the world! But now I can only see them from my desk computer. I guess camouflage crocs were at work here :p Nice photos btw :)
Lol...Yeah I had my camo Crocs on the whole time I was on this trip, and to help write the post better I put them on. You know, I might do a Camo Crocs post one of these days. 😂
I'm in bed now...Yep, camo Crocs are on. Lol.
That cool old school gas station though! :) <3
Yeah I know right? Old-school but the only fuel for many kilometres! We're a modern county but places like this can still be found. I love it out there man, in the wilderness, out back, scrub, forest etc. Love it.
I can only imagine bro! Australia has a very diverse climate. <3 :)
Hopefully I too will get to travel around after a week or so.
Incredibly diverse yes. Interesting country. You got any dates for military service yet? A friend of mine ships out to the Navy in a couple weeks. Boot camp.
Nothing is sure yet bro. still waiting on their message. Plus my family is not gonna let me have the boot camp anywhere but the near home complex. So, hopefully when I get the message, I'd be stationed there.
Plus, love life is starting to pick up a bit for me as well. lol
Future will tell about what's gonna happen for me.
The love life huh Romeo? Nice to hear mate...Any lady would be blessed to have a big unit like you around...Brains and brawn mate...And a pretty good heart if I'm a good judge of things...And I am. Good work.
Those rock paintings were done by South African Hottentots when Australia was still attached to the African continent lol.
Then you guys decided to go your own way by breaking off a piece of our country and you gave that piece the grand name of Australia hahaha.
That countryside looks identical to ours in the North West provence which is only 1617.8 kilometers away from our house. Not exactly in our backyard, but they have fantastic hunting opportunities there.
We went there in 2018 as my cousin asked me to do their wedding.
So yeah, I can figure why you love it in its stark isolation, as that is certainly true nature!
Btw. You brother said that your wife would like this!
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In one of my recent posts!
Blessings to you guys!
Lol an egret! (She calls every bird an egret no matter what it is...Bless)
Ah, so that's why he said that she would like it.
Well now she has a real Egret as a gift from us.
Blessings!
Hiya, @ItchyfeetDonica here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #938.
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While it's obviously not as good as being there in person, being able to tag along on a photo trip is much better than nothing ;D
I agree...I've had many vicarious vacations in my day...The real ones are good, but if not possible then a virtual one is better than none at all. Thanks for you company. Keep an eye out for my next one. You're invited.
Very nice tour, thanks for sharing.
You're welcome. I've discovered the @pinmapple thing and I reckon it's cool. They give a personal map with all of my pins on it which I like too. So, I'll do a few more from time to time.
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