Arkaba’s picturesque high ranges, plateaus, gorges, valleys and creek lines provide a huge variety of habitat for wildlife and on any given day a game drive will reveal Arkaba’s hidden treasures.
Afternoon guided experiences are usually capped off with a sundowner drink on top of the ranges with the scale and grandeur of outback Australia laid out for miles around.
Arkaba’s signature experience will take you on a 2 to 4-hour loop drive traversing the hills of Arkaba with views across the region and beyond the vast property boundaries. This drive will take you through some of the beautiful rolling hill country that was historically used for sheep grazing but now keeps mobs of ‘roos and emus happy.
From scenic ridge-tops you’ll have views to the North of Wilpena Pound, east to the Chace Range, west to the Elder and Red Range and south to Yappala and Yourambulla Ranges. On a clear day you may even spot Lake Torrens to the west – the second largest salt lake in Australia. This safari drive features plenty of great aspects for photography as the sun sets with a glass of South Australian wine in hand!
This safari drive takes you to a high lookout point between the Elder Range and Wilpena Pound. It gives great aspects of both and is a favourite for photo shoots, sun downers or morning tea. You’ll also pass through historical sheep grazing rolling hill country where the ‘roos and emus are now extremely happy. 2 1/2 to 3 1/2hr round trip
This scenic drive takes you to an epic lookout atop the Ulowdna Range, which runs parallel to the southern rim of Wilpena Pound. On a clear day you can see Lake Torrens to the west – the 2nd largest salt lake in Australia, as a white strip on the horizon; sometimes easily mistaken for an actual body of water. The drive to this spot traverses some of the foothills of ‘The Pound’. 3 to 4-hour trip.
This is a very different drive to those above in that it follows the Arkaba Creek to some of its reliable spring spots where you’ll see big River Red Gums and potentially lots of wildlife. This area is a very spiritual area for Adnyamathanha Elders and also provides great views of the Elder Range. 1 to 2 hours but potentially a lot longer if guests wish to sit and watch waterholes to see what comes to drink.
This is an adventurous extension of the Grave Creek Loop and continues to the south of the property – a little traversed, remote region, and follows our southern boundary fence in one section. Travelling through some interesting native shrubbery that due to its lack of proximity to water is seeing some great chenopod (saltbush family) recovery, amongst other varieties. A fabulous view of the southern end of the Elder and Red Ranges appears as we climb a rocky rise to a large clearing, most suitable for morning tea. 4 to 5 hours.
This loop track takes us through astonishing habitat changes as we leave the Homestead via Arkaba Creek to rumble over the rolling grazing hills. This rocky adventure traverses up and over the Red Range, taking us to the valley between that and the Elder Range. Here the huge Red Gums are nowhere to be seen, replaced by a vast sea of Mallee and Cypress forests.
Geological changes can be mapped through the vegetation changes that are clearly seen throughout this drive. The loop back through the Red Range takes a small creek line that has cut through the Range over many years. During the course of this drive we pass three of our vegetation transect study sites chosen for their unique diversity and potential evidence of change since grazing ceased. At least 4 1/2 hours – often 5 to 6 with a morning tea break.
