Doug86
Forum Member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2013
- Messages
- 110
- Location
- Adelaide Hills, South Australia
- Car Year
- 2006
- Car Model
- Forester XT
- Transmission
- Manual
Trip Report for the trip to the Flinders Ranges, Easter 2015
Cars:
Doug's 2006 XT Forester - Relevant Mods: Raised King Springs, BFG 215/70/16s,
Mates 2012 Navara
Location: Flinders Ranges National Park and Surrounding Area
NOTE: Pics and Videos to come
Day 1: Left Adelaide and drove to Flinders Ranges. Refueled in Hawker. Note: Hawker is the only place in the area with 98 octane fuel. Camped at Merna Mora Station (42kms from Hawker). Bush camping here cost $10 for as long as you wanted and had long drop dunnys and a good view of the western Ranges.
Day 2: Packed up camp and followed the Moralana Scenic Drive through to the road to Wilpena Pound. Nice drive, dirt road, few river crossings. Drove north to Wilpena and grabbed some supplies and poked around the visitor centre for a bit (flushing loos were a win for the ladies). Headed north towards Blinman but took a right just before Blinman towards Arkaroola, few kms a left onto Narrina Rd, then onto the Public access Track that runs between here and Glass Gorge Rd. Great simple track, nothing too hard, any subie would manage easy. Great views and bush, epic section along a riverbed about 2/3rds along.
Headed back to Blinman via the tail end of Glass Gorge Rd and down to Brachina Gorge Rd to our overnight camp site in the National Park. We were looking to stay in Brachina East but it was packed so we headed to Koolamon which looks up at the ABC Ranges and ended up being heaps better!
Day 3: We left the tents set up and headed west out of Brachina Gorge back to the Outback Hwy. Great Drive through the Gorge. Shot back to Hawker to grab some more 98 octane and back up to Merna Morna Station for some proper 4x4ing. They have 4 tracks there varying from casual tracks to holy hell that's steep!
https://www.mernamora.com.au/tracks.htm
We did the historic track. It was AWESOME. Perfect level of challenge for the forester. Lots of steep drainage ruts, few steep climbs and descents, some cracking views. Was thankful for the additional clearance for both the large rocks we passed over with ease, but more so for the additional approach angles. Only got stuck once on a really steep, loose climb. My fiancee was behind the wheel at the time and came off the boost, lost power and stalled out. Quick tow from the Navara and a driver change (she felt a bit sheepish but hell she did well to get up as far as she did!) and we were on our way again. Could have backed down for another go but figured it would be easier to go for the tow. I have no doubt that with a bit of a better line and keeping the power up the forester would make it up. Would need either low range or the turbo though!
The track took about 5 hrs including a lunch stop and some fun photo antics at a few of the lookouts. heading back to the camp we went through the Brachina Gorge at dusk and there were heaps of Yellow Footed Rock Wallabys. Was really cool to see so many of them given how close to the brink they were. Once back at camp we settled in for some burgers and beer.
Day 4: Packed up camp and headed east out of Brachina Gorge back out onto the main drag. Shot up to Blinman and back out onto the the Glass Gorge Rd. This is a ripper little drive! quite twisty so you need to keep the pace down as some of the bends sneak up. The slide marks of several of the cars before us showed that this track probably claims a few bumpers a year! This drive ends on the Parachilna Gorge rd and we followed that west to the Outback Hwy. Dropped in at the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna for a quick ale (it was past midday somewhere in the world!).
Then the long drag home!
Tracks:
Public Access Track off Narrina Rd:
Difficulty 3/10
Scenery 7/10
highlights - ripper creek line drive
warnings - any subie could do it, just take it slow
Brachina Gorge
Difficulty 2/10
Scenery 6/10
highlights - At dusk there are yellow footed rock wallabies at the western end
warnings - none, 2WD possible.
Glass Gorge
Difficulty 2/10 (one lookout 6/10)
Scenery 6/10
highlights - great fun, twisty and tight
warnings - any subie could do it, just take it slow, real slow in the bends as they are tight
Historic Track at Merna Morna
Difficulty 8/10 (as described by the Navara driver, not me)
Scenery 9/10
highlights - Stunning views and being right on the limit of what the forester could do
warnings - either low range or turbo, lifted and good AT tyres needed. also costs $50...well worth it!!!
Pics to come later
Cars:
Doug's 2006 XT Forester - Relevant Mods: Raised King Springs, BFG 215/70/16s,
Mates 2012 Navara
Location: Flinders Ranges National Park and Surrounding Area
NOTE: Pics and Videos to come
Day 1: Left Adelaide and drove to Flinders Ranges. Refueled in Hawker. Note: Hawker is the only place in the area with 98 octane fuel. Camped at Merna Mora Station (42kms from Hawker). Bush camping here cost $10 for as long as you wanted and had long drop dunnys and a good view of the western Ranges.
Day 2: Packed up camp and followed the Moralana Scenic Drive through to the road to Wilpena Pound. Nice drive, dirt road, few river crossings. Drove north to Wilpena and grabbed some supplies and poked around the visitor centre for a bit (flushing loos were a win for the ladies). Headed north towards Blinman but took a right just before Blinman towards Arkaroola, few kms a left onto Narrina Rd, then onto the Public access Track that runs between here and Glass Gorge Rd. Great simple track, nothing too hard, any subie would manage easy. Great views and bush, epic section along a riverbed about 2/3rds along.
Headed back to Blinman via the tail end of Glass Gorge Rd and down to Brachina Gorge Rd to our overnight camp site in the National Park. We were looking to stay in Brachina East but it was packed so we headed to Koolamon which looks up at the ABC Ranges and ended up being heaps better!
Day 3: We left the tents set up and headed west out of Brachina Gorge back to the Outback Hwy. Great Drive through the Gorge. Shot back to Hawker to grab some more 98 octane and back up to Merna Morna Station for some proper 4x4ing. They have 4 tracks there varying from casual tracks to holy hell that's steep!
https://www.mernamora.com.au/tracks.htm
We did the historic track. It was AWESOME. Perfect level of challenge for the forester. Lots of steep drainage ruts, few steep climbs and descents, some cracking views. Was thankful for the additional clearance for both the large rocks we passed over with ease, but more so for the additional approach angles. Only got stuck once on a really steep, loose climb. My fiancee was behind the wheel at the time and came off the boost, lost power and stalled out. Quick tow from the Navara and a driver change (she felt a bit sheepish but hell she did well to get up as far as she did!) and we were on our way again. Could have backed down for another go but figured it would be easier to go for the tow. I have no doubt that with a bit of a better line and keeping the power up the forester would make it up. Would need either low range or the turbo though!
The track took about 5 hrs including a lunch stop and some fun photo antics at a few of the lookouts. heading back to the camp we went through the Brachina Gorge at dusk and there were heaps of Yellow Footed Rock Wallabys. Was really cool to see so many of them given how close to the brink they were. Once back at camp we settled in for some burgers and beer.
Day 4: Packed up camp and headed east out of Brachina Gorge back out onto the main drag. Shot up to Blinman and back out onto the the Glass Gorge Rd. This is a ripper little drive! quite twisty so you need to keep the pace down as some of the bends sneak up. The slide marks of several of the cars before us showed that this track probably claims a few bumpers a year! This drive ends on the Parachilna Gorge rd and we followed that west to the Outback Hwy. Dropped in at the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna for a quick ale (it was past midday somewhere in the world!).
Then the long drag home!
Tracks:
Public Access Track off Narrina Rd:
Difficulty 3/10
Scenery 7/10
highlights - ripper creek line drive
warnings - any subie could do it, just take it slow
Brachina Gorge
Difficulty 2/10
Scenery 6/10
highlights - At dusk there are yellow footed rock wallabies at the western end
warnings - none, 2WD possible.
Glass Gorge
Difficulty 2/10 (one lookout 6/10)
Scenery 6/10
highlights - great fun, twisty and tight
warnings - any subie could do it, just take it slow, real slow in the bends as they are tight
Historic Track at Merna Morna
Difficulty 8/10 (as described by the Navara driver, not me)
Scenery 9/10
highlights - Stunning views and being right on the limit of what the forester could do
warnings - either low range or turbo, lifted and good AT tyres needed. also costs $50...well worth it!!!
Pics to come later
