The vegetation and wildlife of the Flinders Ranges is quite varied. South Australia's floral emblem the Sturt Desert Pea is commonly found as are magnificent River Red Gum tees. Much of the area is national park, and the extensive area of rolling hills of the Flinders Ranges National Park is home to numerous Red Kangaroo, Emus and Galahs.

Wilpena Pound, 430 km north of Adelaide was formed by rugged mountains. It's inner walls and cliffs are clothed in vegetation and the area has an abundance of wildlife and bushwalking tracks.

There are three major deserts in SA's northern Outback area - Sturt's Stony Desert, the Simpson Desert and the Great Victorian Desert. Scattered throughout the Outback are vast dry salt lakes of enormous size, the largest being Lake Eyre.Unprecedented rains have now transformed this dry bed into a massive inland sea.

The discovery of opal in the Outback resulted in the establishment of mining towns; most notably Coober Pedy, the largest opal mining town in Australia. Situated on the Sturt Range, Coober Pedy is known to the world for the unusual underground lifestyle its inhabitants have adopted. Visitors can stay in a choice of underground accommodation and eat in underground restaurants.

Fact Summary

Due to the fact the region is so large there is a variety of climates. Generally the further north is warmer and more arid, however winter nnights can fall below freezing point.

Rainfall is low and extremely variable but when it occurs can bring floods.

The area code prefix for telephone numbers is 086.

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