Think 4WD by day, fire-cooked feasts and native ingredients by night. This is the Flinders Ranges like you’ve never tasted it – rugged, remote and unexpectedly delicious. Words by Edwina Hart.
I’ll admit it – a 4WD outback adventure isn’t my usual territory.
I’m a city slicker. My pair of RM Williams boots, more accustomed to the polished pavements of Sydney’s Paddington, have yet to see a speck of red dirt. But who could say no to the chance to traverse some of the world’s most ancient landscapes—especially behind the wheel of a Defender?
The modern iteration of the iconic Defender, with its boxy silhouette and cutting-edge tech, epitomises rugged luxury. And I can’t think of a better way to experience the unfolding beauty of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges than on a four-day odyssey fuelled by spectacular scenery, native wildlife, gourmet bush tucker, premium South Australian wine—and glamping beneath a canopy of stars.
The Defender Experience program offers otherworldly, off-grid getaways to test the car’s capabilities in a one-of-a-kind bookable experience open to everyone from $5,500 per couple. Each multi-day drive is led by a team of expert instructors who guide you through challenging terrain, with carefully curated itineraries designed to showcase the Defender’s off-road prowess.
This year’s destination is South Australia’s Flinders Ranges—more specifically, Arkaba Conservancy, a former sheep station on the edge of Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. The vast 63,000-acre property is framed by the dramatic ramparts of the Elder and Chace Ranges and the cliffs of Rawnsley Bluff. Its boundary runs alongside the walls of Wilpena Pound—known locally as The Pound – a natural amphitheatre that spans an area nearly eight times the size of Uluru.
Checking in to Arkaba Homestead
After a five-hour drive from Adelaide, we’re greeted at Arkaba Homestead with ice-cold hand towels. Our luxury lodgings are remote; we lost mobile reception long before passing through the gates. The 1850s homestead has five en-suite guestrooms with interiors that nod to the property’s heritage: shearling bedheads, ostrich egg lamps, cowhide rugs. Whilst whirring ceiling fans, shady verandahs and a corrugated iron roof complete the picture. There’s no minibar, Wi-Fi, or television. Instead, fellow adventurers mingle in the library, lounge by the pool and share meals around a communal table.
Driving through dreamscapes
That afternoon, we set off in our fleet of Defenders – a safari-style convoy along the trail, walkie-talkies crackling to life. Our nature guide radios in wildlife sightings, whilst the Defender team offer tips on navigating the terrain. Five minutes in, we’ve already piled out of the vehicles to admire a massive python slithering across our path.
Back behind the wheels, we kick up plumes of red dust like a scene out of Mad Max. Through the hiss of radio we hear our drive guide exclaim, “Every corner and every crest are a reward”. He’s right: around each bend or over every fold, once the powder settles, we’re wowed with cinematic views. We stop for ridgetop sundowners to witness the ranges aglow at dusk — fiery red, pink, purple, and orange hues ripple across the horizon, layered like a mille-feuille. For the Adnyamathanha people, traditional custodians of the land, the area holds deep spiritual significance. According to their Dreaming, the unique topography was shaped by the bodies of two giant serpents.
Back at the historic homestead we linger over a dinner that elevates native ingredients and local produce, paired with South Australian wines. Tempura foraged saltbush is served alongside a tangy lemon myrtle marmalade, followed by a main of grilled barramundi, delicately infused with desert lime and karkalla.
The next morning, we’re met by khaki-clad Conservation Manager Bruce Lawson who hails from the wilds of Africa and has hiked from Cape Town to Cairo. He is the driving force of the mission to rewild the conservancy—restoring the land to its original state after more than a century of European settlement. We plant tree saplings along the driveway, a small but meaningful gesture.
Cutting-edge tech takes on ancient terrain
As our journey unfolds, we spend upwards of six hours a day driving through this magnificent, 600-million-year-old landscape — past sandstone bluffs, cypress forests, and sweeping plains. The wildlife is just as enthralling: mobs of kangaroos, clumsy emus race alongside the vehicles, flocks of pastel pink galahs, and wedge-tailed eagles soar majestically overhead.
We pause regularly to stretch our legs from bushwalking along dried riverbeds lined with towering red river gums to scaling ridgetops. We stop for lunch at Elder Camp, where a beautifully set table awaits—laden with cheeses, charcuterie and salads. On other days, it’s packed lunch sandwiches eaten perched on knotted tree trunks. Eucalyptus canopies offer shade from the searing outback heat, although we’re sure to avoid dead branches known as ‘widow makers’.
Sleeping under the stars
We pull into the eco-friendly Black’s Gap bush camp at the foot of Wilpena Pound. It’s as if I’ve stepped into a Tom Roberts painting: golden light filtering through gum leaves. The steady thrum of wildlife creates a natural symphony that’s unmistakably Australian. Our “rooms” are timber decks where deluxe canvas swags are laid out beneath arched corrugated roofs, open onto the bushland beyond. Creature comforts include composting toilets, open-air ‘bush shower’, and a rustic kitchen.
We sip gin and tonics as the sun begins its slow descent. Easels have been set up for us to paint the shifting scenery. I attempt to capture the swathes of golden spinifex, and the undulating, rust-tinged contours of the range. The blazing orb finally dips beneath the lip of the ridge, and we wrap ourselves in jackets as the autumnal chill creeps in. The timber table, softly lit by lanterns, is set with a feast prepared by our field guides. Afterwards, huddling around the campfire, our eyes turned skyward, gasping collectively as a shooting star streaks by.
When it’s time to retire to bed, my lantern guides me through the inky night and bravely drag my swag onto the open deck. How often does one doze directly under the bright, glittering cosmos? The pioneers had it right, swags are surprisingly cosy. I drift off to the sound of rustling in the bush, praying that it’s just a wallaroo.
An alarm clock is unnecessary, the trill of a pickwick will do the trick. As does the scent of frying bacon wafting across the camp. We scoff down a swag-side cook up with a cup of bush tea. The shower – a warm-water bucket poured into a hand-hoisted shower head – is an unexpected highlight, as the warmth of the sun on my soapsuds-slicked skin feels glorious.
The grand finale: Camp Defender
On our final day, we arrive at the long-awaited Camp Defender: an oasis sprung from the sand. This is where the cult of the Defender culminates. The distant ranges are a backdrop the gleaming cars, set up with tented rooftops, parked to encircle the campsite. At the centre: a fire pit, a long table draped in linen, and a teepee-shaped bar where campers recline on rattan seats drinking lilac-hued desert pea spritzes.
As the sun sinks, we’re served Coffin Bay oysters with caviar lime, kombu, and shiro shoyu, before everyone convenes around the table for a farewell dinner by Arkaba’s head chef Joel Cugley. This is star-lit alfresco dining at its finest: share plates of 17-hour slow-cooked Flinders lamb ribs, their sweet-and-salty combination of Meru miso and Wirrabara honey, alongside Wagyu beef cheek with campfire mash and Barossa shiraz jus. Soft clinks of glasses, the strum of a guitar and joyful chatter fill the camp. We swap stories around the fire pit until the wee hours, warmed by whisky and the flickering flames that dance across our faces.
Red dust, still settling
I might have returned to Sydney’s big smoke the next day, but a sprinkle of that outback magic followed me home. A delicate pile of ochre-coloured earth spills from my trusty RMs onto my inner-city apartment floor – tangible proof that the last four days weren’t just a dream.
Planning your trip
Stay updated and register your interest in future Defender Experiences at landrover.com.au
The writer travelled as a guest of Defender Experience.
Comments
Join the conversation
Log in Register