MILPENA POUND
Milpena Pound is a must visit for our
travelers. Go and visit, and a flight will probably deliver the best
appreciation of the iconic Flinders Ranges.
The
name for the Pound, Wilpena, is reported to be Aboriginal, meaning
"place of bent fingers"; this might either be a reference to the
mountains resembling the shape of a gently cupped hand, or the
freezing cold of the ranges in winter. The traditional owners, the
Adnyamathanah, however, have no such word in their language.
The Pound also represents a captured space that could empound.
Wilpena Pound is a natural amphitheatre of mountains located 429 in
the heart of the Flinders Ranges National Park. The Pound is the most
northern point with access via a sealed road in this part of the
Flinders Ranges. The closest town to the north is Blinman and to the
south, Hawker.
The
first European to see the mountains of the Pound was almost certainly
Edward Eyre from the western plains on his first 1839 expedition to
the vicinity of Lake Torrens; although Robert Brown climbed one of the
highest peaks of the southern Flinders in March 1802, Wilpena would
have been just over the horizon.       
Wilpena Pound is one of the most popular sites in the Flinders Ranges
for international tourists to visit the outback because of the large
development that has occurred at the Wilpena Pound Resort on the
eastern side of Wilpena Pound.
Flora and fauna
abound.  
The
Wilpena Resort is modern and has all essentials at hand, but there is
no TV or phone access.  
Being
a National Park includes a modest cost, and a long walk and cup of
coffee will be welcome before heading back to a town.
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