May 1 (22 km)                          MELROSE CP ($A18)   

Relocated to Melrose, just 22 km south of Wilmington: another historic little town, claiming to be the oldest settlement in the Flinders (1843). The caravan park here is right at the foot of the trail to the summit of Mt Remarkable, a hike we'd enjoyed in 2002 and now repeated. The walk of 13 km return took 5 hours (3 up and 2 down) with 2,000 ft of climbing.

Up through the woods (full of squawking corellas) to the WWI  Memorial, the trailhead for the National Park's footpath across the eastern face of Mt Remarkable. The many patches of scree made it slow going, but the wind was cool and we were rewarded with views over Melrose and the vast Willochra Plain, with its 2 sets of grain silos and arrow-straight gravel roads. A chilling sight, towards the top of the climb, was the wreckage of a light aircraft on the scree slope below us – crashed in 1980 on its way to Adelaide, with no survivors.

 Sandwiches at the summit (3,200 ft) were welcome, then a steady downhill trek back. Again, the solitude was wonderful – just 4 other walkers out today. We talked to a Hungarian couple, who had emigrated from Budapest to Adelaide 15 years ago.

Back at base, we photographed a very tame mother and baby wallaby grazing round the caravan park, while a kookaburra laughed loudly at any attempt to snap it.

May 2 (75 km)   PORT AUGUSTA, Shoreline CP ($A19.80) Top Tourist

To Port Augusta's Library and Shops

Drove back via Wilmington and the Horrocks Pass to Port Augusta, lunching by the bird reserve lake near the power station. The 'pink lake', across the highway, has turned into a salt pan – water shortage is very real.

Another hour in the Library, where we are on first name terms with the helpful staff! Read some welcome emails from friends, replied to MMM reader enquiries, checked our bank statements and booked a ferry to Tasmania through the internet (the best deal Apex fare has to be paid at least 14 days in advance).

Port Augusta is also excellent for shopping and we equipped ourselves for more serious hiking, buying a small rucksack and 2 walking sticks. (The latter from the pharmacy, the only ones we could find, but very sturdy!) Also got a CD dictionary/thesaurus for the laptop from Tandys, excellent value. Food supplies and fresh socks were bought at Woolworths, spending over $A30 to qualify for the petrol/diesel discount coupon.

A short walk along the river shoreline from the caravan park as dusk fell, opposite the disused port and old wooden bridge.

May 3/4  (170 km)                    WILPENA POUND, Resort Camping Area ($A22)

To Wilpena Pound to climb to Tanderra Saddle on the St Mary Peak Hike

Drove out to Wilpena Pound, in the heart of the Flinders Ranges, following the Richi Pichi scenic railway to QUORN, then on to HAWKER (both historic little outback towns, each with a store and a caravan park). After passing the turning for Rawnsley Park Station, the road enters the Flinders Ranges National Park, with a $A7 per vehicle entry fee. The land rises from flat scrub to the elevated basin of Wilpena Pound, its rim an abrupt escarpment of peaks and gorges. The sealed road ends at 'Wilpena Pound Resort', complete with visitor centre, scenic flights, 4WD tours, expensive motel, overpriced shop and – for the rest of us – an extensive bush camping area with hook-ups and well hidden ablutions.

A range of walks, from '30 minutes, easy' to '9 hours, hard' start from the trailhead here. In 2002, we had climbed Mt Ohlssen Bagge (4 hrs and 6.4 km return, height 940 m (3,100 ft)). Today, we followed the outside (direct) route of the St Mary Peak hike. At 1,171 m (3,860 ft), it is the highest peak in the Flinders. The first 5 km was a very easy undulating woodland path that gained no height, then the hard stuff began, up the outer rim of the Pound to the ridge of Tanderra Saddle. From a starting height of 1,636 ft we climbed to 3,176 ft on the ridge. This involved scaling 2 small rock faces, the second with the aid of our rope (also called a washing line!). We lunched on the Saddle and turned for home, leaving the option of the final short but difficult 500 ft climb to the summit to others (3 athletic young Germans, the only hikers to pass us, to be exact). Back to base in the late afternoon: total height gained 1,540 ft, distance walked 13 km, time taken 5½ hours. The views of the central Flinders had indeed been 'breathtaking'.

May 5 (30 km)                          RAWNSLEY STATION CP ($A22.50) – Top Tourist

To Rawnsley to climb the Bluff

Relocated to Rawnsley Park Station, about half way back towards Hawker, then 3 km along a gravel track. The large homestead outside the southern corner of Wilpena Pound offers a caravan park, holiday units, Woolshed Restaurant, scenic flights, 4-WD tours, horse-riding and cycle hire. Choice of 6 walking tracks, from '45 min, easy' to '5 hrs, difficult'- all well signed.

We chose the latter, the ascent to the surveyor's cairn on Rawnsley Bluff. The trail from the car park followed the creek bed for half a mile (a few emus and kangaroos at large), then climbed the red Bonney Sandstone foothills of Wilpena, steepening up the quartzite to the Lone Pine Lookout. Lunch with a view of (salt) Lake Torrens and a chat with a lone Swedish hiker on his descent. More scrambling, then along the ridge, past the fork for the Wilpena Lookout and on to the Bluff, surveyed by Parry in 1858 – there is even a visitors' book! It was easier, but not much faster, on the descent.

Start height in car park 1527 ft. Height of Bluff 3064 ft. Height gained 1540 ft. Distance walked 13 km. Time taken 4½hours. Weather still sunny, warm and 'dryzabone'.

Back at base, our Maui Mercedes was inspected by a couple from Sydney who are thinking of buying one. Most Australians tow caravans or trailer-tents, or squeeze into small campervans: motorhomes are relatively uncommon.

May 6 (160 km)    PORT AUGUSTA, Shoreline CP ($A19.80) Top Tourist

From Aboriginal Cave Drawings to Woolworths

Back to Port Augusta, turning off before Hawker for the Yourambulla Caves. A short walk from the car park to 3 rock overhangs, with some Aboriginal charcoal and ochre symbols representing initiation rites and animal tracks. The most exciting part was climbing the inspection ladder and talking to visiting Canadians.

In PA we enjoyed a Pizza Hut lunch, Woolworths for food and fuel and a free hour on the library internet. Caught up with our emails and researched NZ motorhome hire for the next leg of our journey.

The caravan park was full and we camped on the overflow area by the river (which is in no danger of overflowing – the 4-year drought is evident everywhere).

May 7 (71 km)                          MELROSE CP ($A18)

To Melrose for a Nature Walk

Drove via the Horrocks Pass and Wilmington, back to the delightful Melrose Caravan Park at the foot of Mt Remarkable.

An afternoon ramble (nearly 3 hrs) on the hillside below the National Park, partly following the Melrose Nature Trail under Cathedral Rock, in search of the scant relics of the Old Melrose Copper Mines (closed since 1851). Surprised a couple of kangaroos and a few sheep but no other walkers. Returned through the little town, all rustic charm with mid-19thC cottages, flour mill, brewery, butter factory, police station, etc. Crossed the dry creek on a swaying swingbridge as dusk approached.

A lone female cyclist had arrived with mountain bike and trailer, erected her little tent and gathered wood for a campfire. Margaret joined her in the gloaming and learnt that she was riding from Canberra to Port Augusta, then north up the Stuart Highway, soon to be joined by her husband in a support van. She is only the 4^th cyclist seen since Perth, in over a month!