Arkaroola, South Australia

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Arkaroola Village (30°18′S 139°20′E) is the settlement and resort at the hub of a wilderness sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia, adjacent to Gammon Ranges National Park and the Mawson Plateau.

The Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary is located 700 km north of Adelaide in South Australia. The most common way to get there is by car, but a plane can be chartered from Parafield Airport in northern Adelaide. It was established by geologist Reg Sprigg in 1967. He had been involved in surveys in the area before that. It was established on condition by the state government that the feral rabbits, goats and camels would be controlled in the rough terrain. Available accommodation ranges from motel-style rooms to budget accommodation, caravan park and camp sites.

4WD Touring on the Echo Camp Backtrack- Arkaroola
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4WD Touring on the Echo Camp Backtrack- Arkaroola

There are many self drive tracks for 2-wheel drives and 4-wheel drives, ranging from beginner to advanced in difficulty.

The main attraction of Arkaroola is the Ridge Top Tour, which is a four-hour trip along the ridge top track with three lookouts that end at Siller's Lookout, providing a panoramic view across the plains towards Lake Frome and the Beverly Uranium Mine.

Another tour at Arkaroola is the observatory tour where you can look deep into the skies for an hour through one of Arkaroola's two 14-inch telescopes, which are some of the largest privately owned telescopes in the Southern hemisphere. Since the weather is usually fine and there is little light pollution, observers can see literally millions of stars with the telescopes.

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