EXPLORE PORT AUGUSTA

Port Augusta

Local Attractions

Wadlata Outback Centre

Port Augusta, a City of approximately 14,000 people, is home to the Wadlata Outback Centre, a major tourism attraction and an accredited Visitor Information Centre for the City, the Flinders Ranges and Outback of South Australia. This award winning, popular attraction welcomes tens of thousands of visitors per year.

A self guided tour through Wadlata’s, “Tunnel of Time”, is the must before or after visiting the Flinders Ranges & Outback as it will give you a better understanding of how it evolved and make you want to get out there and enjoy it yourself.

You will be transported back to where the dinosaurs roamed the land, be introduced to the people who first owned, explored and settled the land and those who still live there today.

Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden

To the uninitiated, Australia’s arid heart might seem barren and lifeless. In fact the opposite is true.

Our arid lands are home to thousands of highly evolved plant communities that are specially adapted to thrive in an environment where temperatures are extreme and drought can last for decades. Australia’s arid zone ecosystems are fragile and complex and they are found nowhere else on earth.

We consider “Arid” to be areas of average rainfall of 300mm per year (or less). Our plant collection is formed around this average rainfall maximum and is shown on the attached map.

The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden (AALBG), in Port Augusta, was established in 1993, with the Garden officially opening in 1996, to research, conserve and promote the wider appreciation of Australia’s arid zone flora. Located on the shores of Upper Spencer Gulf with spectacular views to the ancient Flinders Ranges, the Garden showcases a diverse collection of arid zone habitats in a picturesque setting of more than 250 hectares.

But that’s not all. Because of its coastal location, the AALBG also features a biologically rich marine environment dominated by grey mangroves. This rare side-by-side combination of arid and marine environments, together with a fascinating regional and cultural history, makes this botanic garden very special.

Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout

Matthew Flinders Red Cliff Lookout in Port Augusta offers stunning panoramic views of the Flinders Ranges and the Spencer Gulf. The lookout provides a perfect vantage point to appreciate the rugged beauty of the Outback landscape and the contrast of the blue waters. Visitors can witness breathtaking sunrises and sunsets, with the changing colors painting a mesmerizing picture. The area is rich in biodiversity, with unique flora and fauna adding to the natural charm. The peaceful ambiance and vast expanse of the horizon make it a serene spot for reflection and relaxation.

Pichi Richi Railway

Heritage railway operating since 1878

In 1878, construction commenced on the Port Augusta and Government Gums (now known as Farina, which is north of the Flinders Ranges) Railway. The Port Augusta and Government Gums Railway Act of 1876 stipulated that the gauge of the railway “shall be 3 feet 6 inches (1067mm)” with iron rails “not less than 40 pounds to the yard.” The line was extended to Oodnadatta in 1891 and further to Alice Springs (771 miles or 1241 km) in 1929, establishing an important rail link to Central Australia. The famous Ghan passenger train travelled this way between 1923 to 1956, and on the northern part of this route until 1980.

You can enjoy a full-day or half-day trip aboard a restored steam or heritage diesel train on the original Ghan route between Port Augusta and Quorn on the Pichi Richi Railway.

Watch gum-lined creeks, bluebush-studded hills and ancient rocky outcrops roll past at the relaxed pace of years gone by. All trains use historic steam or diesel locomotives or railcars or immaculately restored timber carriages some more than 130 years old.

Since 1973, volunteers of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society continue to proudly restore and run the railway, one of the Flinders Ranges’ top attractions.