Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
Flinders Ranges, South Australia
Sillers Lookout - Arkaroola's famous 4WD 'Ridgetop Tour'
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary:
South Australia's First Legally Protected Wilderness Sanctuary
Located 600km north of Adelaide and 130km east of Leigh Creek, and in the ruggedly spectacular northern Flinders Ranges, this 610sq km multi award-winning Wilderness Sanctuary, operated by the Sprigg family, contains some of Australia's most spectacular mountain views and offers numerous Advanced Ecotourism accredited guided tours.
Arkaroola features rugged mountains, towering granite peaks, magnificent gorges and mysterious waterholes, the home to over 160 species of birds and the shy and endangered Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby.
Arkaroola is a mecca for bushwalkers and four wheel drivers. The spectacular Advanced Ecotourism accredited rugged 4WD Ridgetop Tour is world famous; journey to the depths of ancient seabeds and across razor-back ridges and peaks of the Flinders Ranges most rugged mountains to the magnificent climax at Sillers Lookout.
Being the first Flinders Ranges tourist organisation to achieve the coveted Advanced Ecotourism accreditation, and with now a total of eleven such products available for you to enjoy, Arkaroola is truly unique. Our third successive S.A. Tourism Award win for Ecotourism (November 2007), saw Arkaroola awarded the coveted Hall of Fame, and is undoubtedly South Australia's premier ecotourism destination.
Where Are We?
These two maps indicate Arkaroola's location in the northern Flinders Ranges, 600 kilometres north of Adelaide in South Australia:
Most visitors tend to travel to Arkaroola via Leigh Creek and Copley, a trip that is about 130km in distance. The road from Copley is unsealed but generally in excellent condition. The average driving time from Leigh Creek via Nepabunna is approximately 2 hours - certainly not the 5 hours as often quoted by Google Earth!
Arkaroola's Facilities:
Even though we are quite remote from the nearest town, you won't miss much in the way of comfort when staying at Arkaroola. Our facilities include:
Native Pine Restaurant
- Formal Dining in the Native Pine licensed restaurant
- Relax in the Pick & Shovel lounge bar
- BBQ facilities in Caravan Park
- Bush Camp fires are permitted (except during Total Fire Ban periods)
- Basic shop, fuel supplies and mechanical repairs
- LPG available for gas bottle refills; sorry, not for motor vehicles
- In-ground swimming pool, including adjacent BBQ area and licensed bar facilities
- Ningana Information Centre - our staff are ready to assist with every question you may have about the area
- A wide variety of motel-style accommodation to suit most budgets, including back-packers
- And no bothersome mobile phones! - we do have normal telephone services (including facsimile), and an Internet Cafe and a WiFi service to help you maintain contact with home.
We have a number of specials and travel packages currently available (our rates and tariffs ae also available at this location).
How do I get to Arkaroola?
As of 2010, a new coach service is available from Adelaide to Arkaroola and return.
The service, provided by Genesis Tour & Charter, departing from the Central Bus Station in Adelaide, is available for guests wishing to travel to Arkaroola and return. The service travels through the mid-north of South Australia and is available for passenger and freight pick up and drop off at a large number of locations enroute - please contact Arkaroola reception on (08) 8648 4848 for details of this service and packages that are on offer.
Other means of travelling to Arkaroola include:
- private vehicle
- 4WD and 2WD hire companies
- charter aircraft - please phone Arkaroola (08) 8648 4848 for more details
- private aircraft
- oranised coach tours - see your local travel agent for details or contact Arkaroola
- see our packages and links pages for third-party tour providers
If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact res@arkaroola.com.au or phone (08) 8648 4848.
Tourism Awards:
2010: Australian Hotel's Association SA (AHA | SA)
Best Tourism Initiative - Winner
2007: SA Tourism Awards:
Ecotourism - Hall of Fame (third successive win in this category)
Major Tourist Attraction - Winner
Sustainable Tourism - Winner
Festivals and Events - for Arkaroola's Star Party DownUnder - Bronze Award
From the ARK Newsletter:
Also available from the Breaking News page, you can download the latest Edition of our E-Newsletter, From the ARK, and read the latest news and information about a range of interesting facts about Arkaroola, including the contentious mining proposed on the property. (Previous editions are also available for downloading).
Please email pwhellum@bigpond.com if you'd like your name added to our mail-out list (place 'Newsletter Subscription' in the subject line). If already on the list and you'd like to be removed, send 'Remove Newsletter' to the same email address.
Geological Wonderland:
Photograph by Peter MacDonald - Coulthard's Lookout Looking South-west
The magnificence of Arkaroola has been preserved for the world, thanks to one of Australia's greatest geologists and conservationists, the late Dr. Reg Sprigg, A.O D.Sc, h.c A.N.U. & Flinders Uni.
Reg's appreciation for the region dates back to 1940 when he studied the area as a student of the great Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson.
In 1967, Reg and Griselda Sprigg purchased what had become Arkaroola sheep station, re-establishing native flora and fauna, and transforming this special place into the spectacular private wilderness sanctuary that it is today.
Reg practiced ecotourism 30 years before the word was invented; he was truly a man of vision.
Astronomer's Heaven!
For professional, amateur or beginner, our three astronomical observatories, fitted with all manner of professional telescopes and other equipment, will keep you totally enthralled as the beauty of the Southern Hemisphere night skies open up for you.
Details of our Astronomical Observatories and equipment can be seen by clicking here; or information about our Astronomy Tours can be seen here. The same page also contains a monthly Star Chart for downloading.
Come and see this geological wonderland and astronomical heaven for yourself - we promise you won't be disappointed.
Photographic Workshops:
Renown outback photographer, Peter MacDonald, is offering Photographic Workshops for those interested in improving their skills - please click here for more details.
Arkaroola Email Contacts:
- Senior Management / Administration: res@arkaroola.com.au
- Reservations: res@arkaroola.com.au
- Marketing and advertising (Peter Whellum): pwhellum@bigpond.com
Mailing address: Private Bag 106, Port Augusta, SA 5701
Arkaroola Internet Site designed and maintained by Peter Whellum, Arkaroola Marketing - site hosted by Froling Enterprises
