The Flinders Ranges start a few hundred kilometres above Adelaide and stretch for another 420 kilometres right into the arid north of South Australia.
It took many millions of years to form the mountains and many millions more to reduce them to the range we know today.
The area is known for its hauntingly beautiful blue-purple hills and mountains, for its spectacular, rocky and colorful gorges, its vivid sunsets and menacing storms.
The northern section is one of the oldest parts of the world. Further south, evidence of the first life on earth has been uncovered and is now a World Heritage area.
It has been forged by two ice ages, volcanic eruptions, the oceans as well as distortion from the very surface of the earth itself.
It is harsh, rugged and beautiful, with a character of its own. The sense of timelessness and connection to the traditional stories of the Adnyamathanha people is evident everywhere in the ranges.
Their story is a tragic one but early settlers, pastoralists, miners and explorers all faced the uncompromising conditions with mixed success.
The Flinders ranges and the surrounding Strzelecki Desert may not be known to many, but those that do know it mostly return time and time again.
The following pages are not just about landscapes but each image captures something of the essence of this unique part of our world.
Peter Mac Donald
Click below to go to Peter's Blog "The Sentimental Bloke"...
