The Flinders Ranges is a bucket-list location for any Australian photographer, thanks to its rugged mountains, gorgeous gorges, vibrant colours, and light. Luckily, there’s a stack of scenic drives and lookouts where you can get the shots.

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Adnyamathanha people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

 

If you’re a fan of road trips and photography, you’re in the right place, or at least you will be when you take on what is arguably South Australia’s best road trip to the Flinders Ranges.

Don’t be fooled by the red dirt and arid surroundings, there‘s plenty of the beautiful Adnyamathanha Country that can be seen with a 2WD, and a five-hour road trip from Adelaide will put you right in the thick of it, in the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

Read more: Red Dirt & a 2WD? It’s Possible on the Explorer’s Way in the Flinders Ranges

I’ve been visiting the Flinders Ranges annually since my first long weekend trip in 2020 and have taken both campervans and 4WDs. This time we loaded up the Jeep Compass which had plenty of room for our tent, esky, and other car camping essentials to pitch up at Wilpena Pound Resort – a great central location for a short trip to the Flinders Ranges. As we threw adaptive cruise control on, sunk into the comfy leather seats and blasted some road trip tunes through the Apple Car Play, it felt like no time at all before we were amongst red dirt, winding through the ranges.

Grab a guide book: Best Walks of the Flinders Ranges (Enter WAE15 at checkout for 15% off!)

While there are stunning hikes and 4WD tracks that’ll take you deeper into the Flinders Ranges, I want this list to be accessible to first-timers in the region, keeping it close to the beaten track, Flinders Ranges Way, and allowing you to maximise golden hour before settling into a roaring campfire for the night.

These are my top locations for photography in the Flinders Ranges.

Please note! If you’re like me and love capturing beautiful light, it can mean you’re driving at dawn at dusk. There’s lots of beautiful wildlife in the Flinders so it’s essential to keep your wits about you and drive cautiously at these times of low light and high animal activity! In our case the Jeep Compass’ headlights and wide fog lights allowed us to have great vision of the road and surrounding shrub.

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

1. Bunyeroo Gorge / Razorback Lookout

Best time of day: Sunrise

If you’ve seen any advertisement from the Flinders Ranges it’s likely included an image from Razorback Lookout. The winding road snakes through the rolling hills, perfectly leading the eye to the towering razorback of Ikara Wilpena Pound.

From the lookout you’ll be roughly facing north-west, allowing the rising sun in the east to shine onto the red of the mountains as first light hits.

Getting there early also means it’s quiet, as Bunyeroo Gorge Road is one of the more popular drives through the Flinders. On this particular sunrise we only had one other car pop through.

While you may not get a unique shot, it’s iconic for a reason. The drive through Bunyeroo Gorge is equally as gorgeous – pun maybe intended. It can be undertaken in a 2WD, like the Jeep Compass, although it’s best avoided after any rain. Pop into the visitor centre at Wilpena Pound Resort to find out more about the current road conditions.

2. Cazneaux Tree

Best time of day: Afternoon golden hour and sunset

Often when you’re surrounded by mountain beauty, good photography requires an anchoring point that provides scale to the surroundings and directs the viewer’s eye through the image, while they comprehend the entirety of the scene.

The 500-year-old River Red gum, titled the Cazneaux Tree, provides just that. And as I learnt for the first time on this road trip, it could just be one of the most famous photography locations in the Flinders.

 

 

Now situated on the corner of the Flinders Way and Hawker-Wilpena Road, it was Australian photographer Harold Cazneaux who brought the tree to stardom with his 1937 photograph, The Spirit of Endurance.

Standing at the northern base of the gum, where the footpath from the car park will guide you, you can see the scarring and brutality of the arid landscape the tree has had to face and the ability of its roots to cling to the washed-out creekbed.

While sunrise will light up the Ikara Wilpena Pound in the background, I recommend checking this out in the afternoon golden hour, where the sun will light up the face of the tree. While you’re here, wander around the area and take in the signs paying homage to Harold Cazneaux’s famous photograph.

3. Hucks Lookout

Best time of day: Sunrise or sunset

As you wind through the valley a sharp turn takes you to Stokes Lookout where you’ll be smacked in the face (even through your windscreen) as you pull up at this roadside lookout.

This is a cracking spot to park up and watch the sunset, with the valley dropping towards Ikara Wilpena Pound. Accessible from the car park, it was perfect for my wife to stay in the comfort of the Jeep Compass, tilt back the leather seats and keep out of the flies as I wandered around searching for a composition.

Facing west, the sun dips behind Ikara, but not before splashing golden light across the arid red landscape and slowly silhouetting the rugged mountains.

If you head at sunrise, like Razorback Lookout, you’ll see the sun spill onto the ranges, making them glow amongst the surrounding landscape and bringing your photo to life.

4. Stokes Hill Lookout

Best time of day: Sunrise or sunset

Just up the road from Hucks Lookout is the 360-degree view at Stokes Hill, which showcases how vast the Flinders Ranges are as the rolling hills and arid landscape stretch to the horizon.

From the lookout, panoramic views of Ikara Wilpena Pound glow in the morning sun, making it a great photography option for sunrise. In the evening, the sun silhouettes these ranges and the harsh setting sun creates interesting shadows across the red rolling hills, which stretch as far as the eye can see in the opposite direction.

I love that you can walk around the lookout at Stokes Hill finding various compositions. You can focus on the picturesque road that you came in on, the rugged ranges, or the vastness of the hills. Give yourself time to make the most of golden hour and let your curious photographic mind run wild.

 

 

Be cautious of the drive up, while you can access the lookout with a 2WD like we did, there’s rough and loose gravel in some areas.

5. Plane from Rawnsley Park Station

Best time of day: Morning or afternoon golden hour

Okay, this one isn’t exactly accessible by 2WD, you need an aircraft. That’s where Rawnsley Park Station comes in. While it can be a great camping or accommodation option, it’s also home to an airfield that takes scenic flights over Ikara Wilpena Pound.

From the air, you can truly appreciate the natural amphitheatre of Ikara Wilpena Pound while capturing unique angles and textures. It also shows how vast the region is, as the red dirt stretches to the horizon.

Read more: Learning to Fly Over the Ikara-Flinders Ranges

We opted for evening golden hour which saw harsh golden light create exquisite shadows across the ranges, while a clear morning will colour the ranges with a pink and golden glow.

6. Elder Range Lookout

Best time of day: Sunrise

This is a bonus, quick and easy spot that’s directly on the side of the highway. It’s not the best on the list, but the reward to effort ratio is worth it. Elder Range Lookout gives you a great panoramic view of the Elder Range south of Ikara Wilpena Pound and is worth a quick stop on your way to or from Ikara Wilpena Pound.

Those who’ve visited the Flinders Ranges will know the list doesn’t end there and I’ve chosen to focus on the eastern side of the ranges, close to Ikara Wilpena Pound. They’re spots that we were able to venture to over a long weekend from Adelaide in the comfort and stability of the Jeep Compass while squeezing in some hiking too.

If you’re heading to the Flinders and snapping some photos we’d love to see them, tag us on the ‘gram @we_are_explorers.

Flinders Ranges FAQs

Do I need a 4WD to get to the Flinders Ranges?

No, you can access some stunning parts of the Flinders Ranges by 2WD, which allows you to camp in incredible locations and take on some epic hikes. If you want to venture further and deeper into the Flinders Ranges, there are incredible 4WD tracks that’ll have seasoned 4WDers grinning from ear to ear.

When is the best time to visit the Flinders Ranges?

The cooler months between April and October are your best bet. You’ll experience clear sunny days while avoiding the extreme heat. In winter, you’ll have perfect days for hiking but the temperature can still drop to 0℃ overnight.

In spring the wildflowers bloom adding extra delight to an already tantalising landscape.

Where can I stay in the Flinders Ranges?

There’s a bunch of camping for any level in the Flinders Ranges from camping in the national park or on a station, to more luxurious outback experiences. Within the Flinders Ranges National Park is the popular Wilpena Pound Resort, which is centrally located and has a bunch of accommodation options from unpowered bush camping to eco huts. You’ll find similar options on stations like Rawnsley Park Station or you can forgo the luxuries and bush camp at other national park sites.

More Adventure in the Flinders Ranges

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