Starstruck in the Flinders Ranges

From Arkaroola, we took a less corrugated road to Leigh Creek and Copley. Leigh Creek closed down the mine in 2015, so the government owned entity is looking for a buyer and currently looks like half the population has departed.

Basing ourselves in Rawnsley Park Station again, we got the drone out for some more aerial shots plus a heart tremor when instead of coming home, the drone shot upwards and sat high in the sky looking at us.

Taking advantage of a drop in temperature to the mid 30Cs, we drove the spectacular Bunyeroo Gorge, weaving in and out of the stunning ranges, all the way to Koolamon Campsite in the Aroona Valley.

Our site nestled in a delightful spot, full of pine trees and perfect to spot a surprising variety of birds, such as brilliant, Red-capped Robin, Southern Whiteface, Hall's Babbler, and more.

The local roos like a decent spot of shade, so had found their way into the bush dunnies and left plenty of evidence in a desirable residence known by us as the roo loo.

At night, we drove close by to an isolated, huge, dead tree which made a perfect backdrop for night photography. Waving a tiny torch to paint light on the tree seemed an effort doomed to fail, but just as we started lightpainting, out of nowhere two cars rolled up to provide just what we needed in the way of light. Strangely, in this waterless landscape, one of the cars was carrying a tinnie, perhaps in a search to find a hidden lake.

The whole of the Flinders Ranges are perfect for dark sky gazing, unpolluted by light after dark. The splendour of the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, and hundreds of thousands of twinkling stars, plus the occasional meteor, was breathtaking.

Next day, we drove into Brachina Gorge along a rough, dry riverbed flanked by the most amazing geological cliffs with rock patterns folded in and out in beautiful patterns. A local wag had artfully embellished the roo roodsign with definitely male attributes.

Massive eucalypts lined the road with intricately marked trunks and gleaming limbs. Gen spotted a group of four goat skeletons which had died in a heap at the foot of an escarpment - a mystery whether they got trapped in floodwaters, fell in a rockfall, or got shot.

Although the famous Prairie Hotel at Parachilna was closed for holidays, so no chance of the epic feral platter advertised, we parked outside and took a look at the quirky station artworks celebrating Parachilna's role on the Old Ghan Railway route.