Best luxury accommodation in the Flinders Ranges

By Samuel Smith
Published: Monday, September 7, 2020

Tucked behind otherworldly peaks, perched upon ochre plains and nestled between secluded gorges, some of SA’s most stunning accommodation lies waiting to be discovered in the Flinders Ranges.

While traditional camping sites will always be the region’s bread and butter, gone are the days when a trip to the Flinders meant you had to rough it.

From Bunyeroo Gorge to Wilpena Pound, today you’ll find breathtaking accommodation options all around the region. Here are a few of our favourite spots, guaranteed to add another dimension to your next outback escape.

1. Wilpena Pound Resort: Ikara Safari Tents

According to the Adnyamathanha people – traditional owners of the Northern Flinders Ranges – Ikara (Wilpena Pound) was formed hundreds of thousands of years ago, when a pair of vengeful serpents snaked their way across the land in pursuit of lost travellers.

Tired from the journey and unable to catch any prey, they eventually collapsed, exhausted. Over hundreds of thousands of years, their bodies turned to stone. Today, they make up the walls of Wilpena Pound.

Arkaroo Rock, Wilpena Pound. Image: SATC

On the western side, stretching south, lies the male. Many of us know him as Arkaroo Rock. The female rests on the eastern side, stretching north. We now call her Ngarri Mudlanha or St Mary Peak – the highest point in the Flinders Ranges.

Wilpena Pound Resort is the only accommodation within Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park – a sacred, 800-million-year-old landscape. The epic peaks, canyons and gorges of this land are home to the Adnyamathanha people, and tell their stories.

Nestled between river red gums, native pines and abundant wildlife lies Wilpena Pound Resort’s Ikara Safari Camp – an undeniably special place.

Ikara Safari Tents. Image: SATC

The camp consists of 15 premium tents, each with a king-size bed, huge, modern ensuite bathroom, fridge, plush chairs (perfect for relaxing with a good book), private deck, fire pit and excellent heating/cooling.

But what makes the safari tents so special is their location, right in the heart of one of SA’s most sacred sites.

By day, explore the awe-inspiring peaks and troughs of Wilpena Pound, immersing yourself in Indigenous history. By night, tuck yourself into bed while giant serpents watch on from thousands of metres above and the night sky glistens.

Find out more and book. RAA members get up to 10% off.

Inside an Ikara Safari Tent. Image: Anthology Travel, SATC

2. Rawnsley Park Station: Eco-villas

Just a 20-minute drive from Wilpena Pound Resort lies Rawnsley Park Station – a working sheep station turned resort, surrounded by a seemingly endless expanse of stunning outback scenery.

Initially devoted to sheep shearing (as one would expect), the station ventured into tourism in 1968, opening its first cabins. Today, the property is an iconic, multi-award-winning tourism destination attracting a whopping 20,000+ visitors each year. The resort caters for all kinds of travellers, from grey nomads looking for a place to park the Winnebago to families and couples in search of the ultimate luxury escape.

Rawnsley Park Station Eco-villas. Image: SATC, Rawnsley Park Station

Flinders accommodation doesn’t get much more impressive than Rawnsley Park Station’s Eco-villas. Perched on a private, secluded site, the one and two-bedroom villas boast jaw-dropping panoramic views of Wilpena Pound and wrap-around decks, making it seem as if they’re hovering above the region’s Mars-red earth.

Inside, décor is exceedingly slick, with polished timber floors, high, vaulted ceilings, beautiful stained-glass skylights and every modern amenity known to man. Nothing, however, is as impressive as the retractable ceilings, transforming your humble bedroom roof into an outback planetarium with the flick of a switch.

Then there’s the swimming pool. Available exclusively for Eco-villa guests, it appears like a desert mirage, offering travellers a private oasis surrounded by native saltbush and rugged mountain ranges.

The exclusive Eco-villa pool. Image: SATC, Rawnsley Park Station

As well as being ridiculously good-looking, the Eco-villas mean business, and are Advanced Ecotourism accredited. What does this mean? Essentially, they’re designed to complement the natural environment and are energy neutral.

Each villa features a stack of sustainable design features such as rendered straw-bale walls (which you can actually see thanks to small windows built into each villa’s perfectly plastered walls), natural exhaust venting and overhanging eaves to provide natural cooling. Of course, there’s reverse-cycle air conditioning too.

While no one could blame you for wanting to spend your holiday tucked away in the lap of luxury, there’s a huge amount to discover right on Rawnsley Park Station’s doorstep.

The Station offers its guests guided walks, 4WD safaris, mountain biking facilities and scenic flights over Wilpena Pound. There’s also the Woolshed restaurant, plating up some of the most delicious meals in the region using an incredible range of native ingredients.

Find out more and book. RAA members get up to 10% off.

Inside a Rawnsley Park Station Eco-villa. Image: Tyrone Ormsby, SATC

3. Flinders Bush Retreats

The Flinders Ranges are beautiful but unforgiving, stretching over 430km with extreme summer temperatures and a lack of vegetation and water.

Angus McInnes, a 6^th generation Flinders Ranges grazier knows this well. Facing drought and market lows, he and his family used their ancestors’ knowledge of the land, transforming 11,000 acres of their property into a boutique farm stay in an attempt to supplement their income.

Flinders Bush Retreats. Image: Flinders Bush Retreats, SATC

To say the venture was a success would be an understatement. The multi-faceted property has won countless awards since its conception. Just last year, it took home gold at the South Australian Tourism Awards and was a finalist for self-contained accommodation at the prestigious Australian Tourism Awards.

For anyone wondering what all the fuss is about, the Bush Retreats are hidden away in an almost untouched corner of the Flinders Ranges, where native birds flock to feed and kangaroos and emus share a water trough with sheep and cattle.

Flinders Bush Retreats. Image: Flinders Bush Retreats, SATC

Guests can take their pick from 2 private, luxurious self-contained houses, combining 1900s character with all the creature comforts including fully equipped kitchens, plush bedding, French doors opening out onto large verandas and stunning wooden fireplaces.

There’s also a glamping tent, perfectly positioned on a small rise and surrounded by some of the oldest hills in the Flinders Ranges. Spend the day bush walking, before sinking into a bespoke queen size bed dressed in quality linens.

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