Flinders Ranges - Blinman to Arkaroola - Part 4

Another early start for us, as we had to pack all our gear today as we would be travelling to Arkaroola. Breakfast dispatched we loaded the bikes and took the Parachilna Gorge Rd, we would be riding the full road this morning but we had to stop for fuel first at Angorichina Village. There's not much there just fuel and a store from what I could see. A group of 6 adventure bikes pulled in just behind us. We would bump into these guys a couple more times.

Fuelled up, we then rode into Parachilna Gorge, it seems to be one of the shorter Gorge roads in the Flinders, it didn't take long to ride through.

We soon turned off this road and headed back up Glass Gorge Rd which we'd done yesterday. Dave said we would be turning off this road after a few kilometres and taking Moolooloo Rd.

Bulldust

Moolooloo Rd leads to Moolooloo Station, then the road continues as a Public Access Road(PAR4), not sure it has a name other than PAR4 but it follows Gap Creek. This bit was a bit more technical track through creek beds to Artimore Ruins then back to Blinman.

We stopped in one of the creek beds for a break and to have a muesli bar. We hadn't seen a vehicle on this road at all. It's fairly remote and a 4wd is recommended as clearance is required to get up/down some of the creeks beds and other bits of terrain.

We followed Gap Creek for quiet some time, Criss/crossing the creek multiple times. We had a herd of emu's running through at a couple of points. We didn't stop for many photo's along here. I think we both had photo fatigue and were just enjoying the ride instead.

We had been riding through forested hills for some time when it opened up to into a large clearing, this was the location of the Artimore Ruins. Built back in the 1800's, and abandoned in 1903.

Dave said we will follow the ridge line along for a while before we come back out onto the Northern Flinders Way, where we will head back into Blinman for lunch at the bakery. I can say the pie's at the bakery were exceptional.

After lunch we headed back out onto the Northern Flinders Way on our way to Arkaroola where we are going to stay for the next two nights.

This road was a gravel, super highway with a bit of everything thrown in, there was a section that they were grading for about 20kms which was a bit lose, but for the most part it was nice gravel, loose gravel, rocky sections, dry creek crossings, and one particularly nasty creek crossing that had some deep sand. I managed my best shithouse adv riding and stalled it in the sand, 2 gears too high with too little momentum. Well least I didn't crash it.

Arriving early around 3pm at Arkaroola we filled up, petrol isn't exactly cheap out here - $2.63 per litre, lucky we can fill up with 91, even that was expensive at $53 for both bikes. Its currently around $1.59 per litre in Sydney.

We checked into our room and unloaded our gear. The guys we met at Angorichina on the Adventure bikes were staying here tonight too.

We took a little  time to have a walk around and take a look at the place, Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is nestled in a natural basin of ranges, surrounded on each side by colourful rock formations. It is super spectacular and dusk and dawn with all the different colours gleaming off the rock faces.

Arkaroola boasts a reception/accommodation, Bar & Restaurant, Shop & Service station, caravan park & bush camping. There are various hiking trails, and self drive tours and guided 4wd tours. Arkaroola is only the second certified International Dark Sky Sanctuary in Australia. They have an observatory on the hill overlooking the locality that do tours.

It would have been cool to do a tour but we weren't here for that, Dave rushed the bar, which was staffed by a bunch of young ladies from Europe, out here working and seeing some of Australia.

We happened to meet Adam, a GS1200 rider from Tasmania, we got chatting to him he has retired and just riding around Australia as you do. Apparently he was waiting on a new helmet to arrive from Adelaide as the day before he trowelled his bike in some sand in a creek crossing at 80kmh. Yeah the same one I stalled in. 

He was on his way up the Oodnadatta track. We notice he had road tyres on, not 50/50 or dirt tyres. A brave man. We were chatting over a couple beers, watching Adam Riemann videos in the bar on the big TV. Funny enough I'd texted him a coupe of days later and he sent me this picture of himself.

Adam Reiman & Adam

Adam Riemann was riding through Oodnadatta on his way home during his KLR650 video which you can see here. Its a small world.

Were retired to the restaurant with a bottle of wine and two of the best steaks we've had in years. It was so good we just had to order a desert, which I don't normally do. The food in Arkaroola is exception at reasonable prices too.

Magnific!

Blinman to Arkaroola via Artimore Ruins