Arkaba Station

This is the Southern Flinders Ranges. About 15 minutes drive from Hawker. Although we tend to associate this part of South Australia with camping and bushwalking - it has a pastoral side. One of the better known sheep stations is called Arkaba. It began almost 150 years ago when the Brown Brothers took up a lease here - a property that included Wilpena and Aroona. All up the brothers had the equivalent of 100 square miles of country for their sheep and cattle. These days Arkaba is still a sheep station and they still use the old woolshed for shearing each August. The property has about 8000 merinos and about 150 Herefords. But the station owners Dena and Lizzie Rasheed are also involved with tourism. They welcome visitors to the property and have made a special section open for camping. They also have 4 wheel drive tours - if you have your own vehicle you can tag along behind - they will take up to six vehicles. However if you don't really want to rough it, then consider one of their gourmet dinners. It begins with nibbles at sunset and then the 19th century shearing shed becomes an outback restaurant. The evening begins with damper and Lizzie's own warragul soup and the good food and wine just keeps coming. Dean Rasheed has lived in this region all his life. His brother Keith runs Wilpena Pound 30 kms up the road. Lizzie came to Australia to visit her brother who was working at Government House in Adelaide. After touring a while she met Dena and has been at Arkaba ever since. Arkaba Station also has a two bedroom self contained cottage available and for information on the dinners, camping or tours then contact them on 8648 4217 or visit their web site at www.wilpenapound.on.net. Arkaba is about 4 1/2 hours drive from Adelaide.