We drove from Adelaide to the Wilpena Pound Resort, at the HQ of the Flinders Ranges National Park, about 500 km north of Adelaide.

The Pound is a vast natural amphitheatre, some 6 km by 12 km, about 500 million years old, surrounded by rugged mountains up to 1160 metres above sea-level - the Pound itself is about 400 metres above sea-level. There is only one main *entrance* into the Pound, at the Wilpena *gap*, where the resort has been built. There is another way in - a rough track - at the western end, known as Bridal Gap. The sealed road from Adelaide ends at the resort, which consists of the motel (60 units, restaurant/bistro, National Parks Information Centre, ranger depot, store, and camping ground). The unsealed road continues north into the outback desert region and the Northern Flinders Ranges. There is a small airstrip nearby which has short tourist flights over the region.

There is no mobile telephone service in the area; the nearest GSM base station is at the town of Hawker, about 50 km to the south. Even some 1100 metres up, line-of-sight, at the top of the mountains, there was only a very weak base-station signal, which wasn/t good enough for communication.

Mick was the navigator, and I/m pleased to say that we didn/t get lost at all on the roads, but there were a couple of hairy moments on the tracks!!! (the Track markers fade and are sometimes hard to see). We climbed nearly to the top of Mt. St. Marys (1162 metres above sea level) - we couldn/t get right to the top as the track was closed at the Tandara Saddle for the final 800 metres due to remarking. We climbed the rocky, steep track to the top of the Mt. Ohlssen Bagge Range - 961 metres, and up to Bridal Gap. All of that was real hard work. We also visited Wangarra Lookout, which is some 3 km from Wilpena.

Ohlssen Bagge is the name of one of the early explorers; the range is named after him, originally titled the *Mt. St. John Range*.

The Pound was originally established for sheep grazing in the late 1800/s, as it was thought that the single entrance into the region at Wilpena would act as a very large *pound* for control and management of sheep movements. Overgrazing of the naturally-occurring sagebrush resulted in the area becoming arid and eroded, and caused the abandonment of the sheep industry. In the early 1900/s, attempts were made to work up a wheat-growing industry in the region, but long periods of drought up to World War 2, and difficulties with transport and delivery ended those ventures. A few fence posts are all that remain of the early farming and grazing ventures. Copper-mining was tried for several years, but ultimately failed.

A disastrous flood in 1915 washed out the only connecting road into the Pound. The old stone *Hill Homestead* has been restored, about 3 km from Wilpena, and it/s surrounded by rusting farm implements and water tanks.

The vegetation covering the vast flat pound plain is mainly regrowth, including large tracts of sheoak pines.

We stayed at the Wilpena Pound Resort Motel for the four nights. Evening meals were taken in the resort/s Bistro (there/s no other eating place for 50 km!). I also ALMOST lost my camera down a gorge, which fell out of a top pocket when we were descending a cliff: fortunately, I managed to recover it with a rescue mission down the rocks.

There is no connection to the national electric supply grid at Wilpena. Power is generated by a high-technology solar station about 1 km away, its output of 100 kW being supplemented by three diesel generators, and the facility can deliver enough power for 30 conventional domestic dwellings. There are many emus wandering around outside the power station!

There is much fauna and flora there; there are so many wallabies grazing along the tracks that they block your way (well almost...!)- red ones, white ones, brown ones, and black ones. Each evening there was a terrific commotion from hundreds of parrots (corinellas) invading the resort for their meal! Many bullants also, so be careful where you sit....

The weather was good - sunny most of the time, daytime maxima about 16C, and night-time down to around 1C. On top of the mountains, it was a bit chilly, particularly when the sun went behind the clouds. We were told that the top of Mt. St. Mary is covered in snow at certain times of the year.

Regrettably there are no lunch shops on top of the Ranges, so we made and took our own - bread rolls with salami and cheese, and Mick was the custodian of the drinks - boxes of orange juice. In between that, I ate large apples and apricot bars.

My favourite saying on the tracks: *are we near the end yet?* or *how much further?*... Mick/s favourite reply, high up in the mountain trails *...not far now...!*

All of those marvellous peaks seem to be covered in large rocks; they are not the smooth-looking tops seen from several km away! The tracks are generally over sharp stones, and there are some parts needing basic climbing skills. Don/t look back or down however if you go there and choose to do the ascents!

The tracks across the floor of the Pound cross very arid and parched land; there are some creeks, not all of which are flowing. Much of the terrain is very rocky, and it/s necessary to wear proper footwear and to carry plenty of drinking water. Ordinary shoes or runners will be cut to pieces very quickly. It is obligatory to record in the *Walks/ Book* of treks to be made, with estimated return time, and to sign the register on return. During summer, temperatures exceed 40C in the open.

The views were magnificent and I have a nice coloured Certificate, titled *WILPENA POUND CONQUERORS CLUB CERTIFICATE*, which Mick still has to witness and sign!

The only injury was to me - a ripped thigh muscle which happened half way up one of those mountains and it/s giving me hell. Oh, to be 20 once again!!! Dunno whether I would want to do any more 500 km drives in a single day again, as that was a bit too hard on me. Even travelling at 130 km/h for a lot of the time, in a rental car without cruise control is not ideal, taking more than six hours each way, with stops.

We completed the three major walks in the Pound, and we noted that the Park Rangers move around the region on small 4-wheeled *buggies*, with dart-guns, for assistance in wildlife management. The rangers also use rugged motor-bikes. Private vehicles are not permitted anywhere in the Pound.

This is only the second time I have been to the Pound: the first was about 30 years ago, and the rugged red rocks don/t change much - what/s 30 years out of 500 million years? !!

The photos were made with my Canon Sure-Shot 60 mm zoom camera: stock was Kodak 100 ASA Gold and Agfacolor 100 ASA.