Wilpena SA 5434 (Pop 50)

Wilpena is a Flinders Ranges settlement consisting of a resort and camping/caravan park 450 km north of Adelaide. Wilpena exists to service the nearby world famous Wilpena Pound, a natural amphitheatre over 17 km long, 8 km wide and almost 9 000 ha in area. The Pound comprises a vast flat plain of scrubs and trees bounded by rugged hills that form a rim around it. Explorer Matthew Flinders sighted and named the area in 1802 and a century later, a local Hawker family, the Hills, leased the entire pound, planted wheat and built a small homestead, the remains of which, together with various farming implements can still be seen. Wilpena Under the Stars (Feb) (black-tie charity fundraising dinner), Taste of the Outback (Apr).

Tourist Attractions & Info:
Wilpena Pound Walks (SA National Parks & Wildlife) booklet at resort with details of over a dozen scenic walks within the Pound including St Marys Peak (highest point in Pound 1 200 m).

Nearby:
Sacred Canyon (19 km east) Aboriginal rock carvings and paintings. Gorges -  Brachina, Wilkawillana and Bunyeroo. Ruins – Aroona, Appealinna. Lookout – Wangarra. Cazneaux Tree (off Blinman Rd) made famous by photographer Harold Cazneaux (1937) as ‘The Spirit of Endurance’.

Accommodation:
Wilpena has a resort, holiday apartments, cottage and caravan parks. Visitor Information Centre: Tel (08) 8648 0048.

Airport:
Port Augusta Airport (PUG), off Eyre Hwy. (166 km s-w).

Hospital:
Hawker Memorial Hospital, Barndioota Rd. Tel (08) 8648 4007. (55 km s-w).