arkaroola

water in creek beds will be very scarce.unless its been raining at the time you get there.

lots of camping spots in the gammons with tank water at the T junction before you get onto the track that goes round the park and at Grindels Hut. no other water except maybe some pools in creeks in the ranges....in any event dont expect drinking water to be found in creek beds in dry country like that.

Grindels Hut is available for hire....with 12 volt lighting and gas cooker and hotwater for shower and fridge!... basic but comfortable and still leaves you with that feeling of "roughing it".

I can highly recommend camping in Mt Chambers Gorge. We were there a few years ago and it was stunning. You need to drive a fair way in to get to good camping spots. The creek bed will probably be dry but has the most stunning coloured smooth pebbles. There are some fantastic aboriginal rock paintings in the gorge, if you drive to the end there is a sign pointing you to them (you'll hve to walk the rest of the way from the sign).

I actually proposed to my wife in the gorge....

Ando

We camped for a few nights at Italowie Gorge - close to Balcanoona - the road from Arkaroola to Copley runs through the gorge. Of the various places we camped in the region, that was the pick. The camping spots are a bit obscure but find the one on the western edge of the gorge proper. There is a creek line running up the side of the Copley road for a ways and it has a permanent spring running in it! You can do some really great walks from that camping base - make sure you have good maps etc. See the rangers at Balcanoona too if possible. If you got lost it could be costly ! Temps could be "getting up there" too. There won't be hoards of people in that region (well....bush camping anyway - should be plenty of space in between). Italowie is historic for me - Reg Williams (RM to many of us) started his leather goods business in the gorge during the depression - seems that "Dollar Mick (Smith) taught Reg most of what he knew about leathercraft, in that gorge ! I presume the spring allowed them to form a base there. Before that is the obvious indigenous history of the region, which is another story all together !

Had great time when I visited the Ark in October. I camped at Chambers Gorge and there was enough water running for us to have a dunk and find the holes in our air beds!

Get the book on the Grindel murder that outlines the names and locations of various Stations on which he and Snell lived - you can viist them too.

There was water in the springs and waterholes at Ark - do the flight with Mr Sprigg too it's worth every cent.

I was lucky to get permission to head from Arkaroola North through Yudmanutana to join with a road at Mt Freeling.

Call in at Warraweena (via Beltana) too if you are going that way.

I didn't go to Moro Gorge - I think you have to get the OK from the aboriginal community and every time I tried a number I was given it was engaged. Get the up to date info from the Ranger Station at Balcanoona.
Didn't do Mr Spriggs astronomy centre but some people that did were a little disappointed - make sure it's a clear night before booking.
Didn't go to Lake Frome - probably well worth it from what I've heard.
Go to Yankaninna - Uberatana from the Gammon Ranges National Park then on to Wheel Turner mine and Yudnamutana and into Arkaroola from there - or, of course, the reverse!

Watch the cold it can be freezing. Don't use airbeds they make you cold, get some bonded self inflating mats. Plus thermals. Do the tour out of Akaroola, it was amazing.

The Ridgetop tour to Siller's Lookout is great BUT - if you take the flight Doug Spriggs arranges to fly over the lookout just as the 4X4's arrive at Siller's with the terrorists - you can photograph thewm from 1000 ft up!