Arkaba Station

Experience

For taking in the sheer size and scale of Australia’s outback, for wildlife watching, bush-walking, photography, indigenous heritage or just soaking up the sights and sounds of the bush, the Flinders Ranges is in a class of its own. Arkaba’s 60,000 acres of outback range country provides a setting that is exclusive and spectacular.

Sitting on top of one of Arkaba’s many hilltops at sunset while the last rays of sun set the western ramparts of the ‘Pound’ aglow with a rich red light, provides a perspective on the sheer space and scale of Australia’s outback.

Since it was first settled by Europeans in 1851, Arkaba has been a working station and the evidence of its past is everywhere. Stories of the station’s earlier residents and their efforts in the vagaries of Australia’s climatic extremes to carve a living from their harsh environment provide guests with an insight to the lives of those pioneering settlers. The Arkaba woolshed was built in 1856 and remains one of the finest in the country. The property is still a working sheep station.

Sculpted by millions of years of rain and sun into a fractured landscape of rugged gorges, furrowed valleys with cypress pines, dry creek beds lined with river red gums and vistas from the high ground across miles of outback plain, the station has endless opportunities for exploration.

Join one of Arkaba’s guides on a 4WD excursion into the foothills of the Elder Range on a precipitous ridge top drive with views to Wilpena Pound and the surrounding country. The station is home to an extraordinary variety of birdlife and wildlife. Red and Grey Kangaroos, Euros (Common Wallaroos) and Emus are regular sightings on the property and, for the more intrepid walkers, a couple of colonies of Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies reside in the Elder Range.

Spending some time on foot following the (for the most part) dry bed of the Arkaba Creek is a great way to soak up the sounds and smells of the bush. More active guests may take a mountain bike out on the station tracks.

A scenic flight provides an all encompassing view of the topology of the ranges, particularly Wilpena Pound, and is an easy way to experience the massive salt pans of Lake Torrens.

Activities are designed to take in the best of the morning and afternoon light, while the heat of the middle of the day is the perfect time to relax by the pool or on the homestead lawns.