Pet-friendly accommodation in the Flinders Ranges is an increasingly common topic as more of us hit the road with our pets.
There are lots of options for pet-friendly stays, so let’s get right to it.
As usual, I’ve picked what I believe are some of the best options for the Southern, Central and Northern Flinders Ranges.
Southern Flinders
Catninga Station & Accommodation
Catninga is a great option in the Southern Flinders Ranges for bush camping with pets.
Most 2WD sites are adjacent to the river red-lined Catninga Creek, while wilderness sites up the back are 4WD access only.
There is also the option to camp on a powered site if you want access to flush toilets and hot showers.
The hosts Heather and Brian are great to deal with and the sites are spacious and secluded. In fact, you’re only 20 minutes or so from Port Augusta, but it feels like you could be anywhere.
Dogs are welcome here provided they are on the lead at all times and booked in before you arrive. You can even bring your horse and ride the surrounding high country in style.
If Catninga is booked out, try the very nearby Speak Creek Caravan Park which also allows pets.
Stony Creek Bush Camp Caravan Park
Stony Creek Bush Camp Caravan Park is a superb choice if you’re looking to stay with pets in the Wilmington area.
Hosts Kellie and Wayne offer a spacious bush camp just three kilometres east of the town with a licensed restaurant (available upon request), outdoor cinema, and a decent camp kitchen on site.
Guests love the clean amenities, hot showers, large drive-through sites and also the ability to order pizza(s) from the kiosk!
Stony Creek is a pet-friendly caravan park that loves meeting the furry members of your family. Owners are advised to pick up after their pets, keep them under control, and not leave them alone during their day.
Note also that pets are not allowed inside the cabin accommodation.
Katz Retreat
Katz Retreat is an interactive farm stay located between Wilmington and Orroroo in the locality of Willowie.
The accommodation is located in an old Sunday school house that has been renovated and now sits amidst a petting farm. There are three bedrooms and five beds that can host up to eight people.
This is a decent option for kids because there’s the option to feed the animals in the morning with Kat, the owner. The adults, on the other hand, will appreciate the outdoor BBQ and pet-friendliness of a property that is peaceful and well off the beaten track.
Central Flinders
Rawnsley Park Station
Rawnsley Park has been mentioned countless times on this site before, and for good reason. The park is in a prime location with friendly staff, good facilities and a range of accommodation options to suit everyone.
For those travelling with pets who want a decent option just outside the national park, there are a few options:
• The pet-friendly caravan park (powered and unpowered sites).
• Two pet-friendly cabins (available for $10 per night per pet).
There is also an in-house kennel service. For $20 per dog, Rawnsley will mind your dog between the hours of 8am and 6pm if you want to visit the national park or somewhere else where pets are not allowed.
Willow Springs Station
45 minutes or so up the road from Rawnsley is Willow Springs Station – a Flinders Ranges station stay that allows pets. Like Rawnsley, Willow Springs lies just outside the national park boundary.
Pets are permitted in all Skytrek campsites and in the Jillaroo hut – a self-contained Jayco Park Cabin. However, all other self-contained accommodation on the property is pet-free.
Pets in permitted areas must be kept on a leash at all times because of the risk of baits being moved by birds from the adjacent national park.
Mount Little Station
Mount Little Station is a highly rated Flinders Ranges farm stay located about 10-15 minutes north of Hawker on the Leigh Creek road.
If you want to bring your pets, why not enjoy the private campsites along Hookina Creek? You’ll have access to the shared camp kitchen and ablution block, and firewood is available for purchase.
What’s more, kids under 12 can stay for free! And there are plenty of walks and natural attractions to keep them occupied.
Like Stony Creek, there is also pizza available from the Mount Little Tavern which is open on weekends and holidays. This is a great way to meet fellow travellers, make new friends or simply gaze up at the night sky in awe.
Northern Flinders
Alpana Station
Alpana Station, located near Blinman in the northern Flinders, is a working sheep station that offers powered sites (some with their own ensuites) as well as unpowered sites in two separate bush camp areas.
Pets are allowed for all three of the above scenarios in addition to Nungawurtina Hut, a pug and pine hut built in 2002 but in the traditional style of the 1880s.
Your furry friends are allowed to roam off the lead at Alpana, but please keep them under control and clean up after them. The only place on the station that does not allow pets is the Shearers’ Quarters.
Read more about Alpana Station here in my short interview with owner Sally Henery.
Moolooloo Station
To the north of Alpana is Moolooloo, a working sheep station of over 600 square kilometres with a typical range of accommodation.
If you’d like to bring your pets here, camping is your best bet. Here there are also plenty of options. Some sites are basic bush camps for fully self-contained people, while others have eco-toilets or are 4WD accessible only.
“Witchies” – a small campsite situated on the banks of a slate-line creek – might just be the pick of the bunch. Eco-toilet, room for only one or two set-ups, and close to the best attractions Moolooloo has to offer while still feeling private.
In truth, Moolooloo has quite a few different campsites and each has its own accessibility conditions and quirks. You can check out what the station has to offer here.
No matter where you stay, however, be sure to take the walk into Ferguson Gorge.
The walk through the stunning gorge is around 1.5 kilometres, and the 60-90 minute drive from the homestead to get to the trailhead will be no less an adventure. Look out for waterholes and the odd yellow-footed rock wallaby.
Moolooloo is a beautiful and rather remote part of the Flinders Ranges that few will see. It is a privilege to have access to the station and its various points of interest, 4WD tracks, and lookouts.
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary lies in the even more remote Gammon Ranges. It’s not part of the nearby Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park, so pets are permitted in certain circumstances.
There’s no official word on the sanctuary’s website about pets. But people have taken dogs there and, provided they are under control and do not disturb others, you will find that the sanctuary is fairly tolerant.
One particular traveller noted that staff had no problem with her dog being in outdoor dining areas, and even allowed the dog on a shuttle bus.
Having a dog limits what you can do, to some extent. You’ll be able to hike and drive some of the 4WD trails, but you probably won’t be able to visit the observatory, take a scenic flight, or visit any of the attractions in the national park.
It’s also crucial that you keep an eye on your dog at all times and ensure they don’t come across any 1080-laced bait. There are no baits in the vicinity of the sanctuary, but birds can pick them up and drop them anywhere.
Are pets permitted in Flinders Ranges national and conservation parks?
While pets are permitted in certain national parks around Adelaide, they are not permitted in national parks in the Flinders Ranges.
This includes:
• Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.
• The Dutchman’s Stern Conservation Park.
• Mount Remarkable National Park.
• Mount Brown Conservation Park.
• Vulkathunha Gammon Ranges National Park, and
• Wapma Thura-Southern Flinders Ranges National Park.
If you are transiting through a national park, then a pet is permitted provided you don’t stop or visit some attraction. For example, if you drove from Hawker to Blinman via Wilpena, you could take your pet and also avoid the national park permit.
To sum up
I hope this guide to the best pet-friendly stays in the Flinders has given you some ideas.
Let me know your favourite pet stay below! What have I missed?
