Bushwalks & Boutique Beers in the Southern Flinders Ranges
Hey there, friend!
We headed southbound a few times to explore this wonderful section of the Southern Flinders Ranges. It didn’t have anything to do with Jacka Brothers Brewery or anything, wink wink.
Before diving into this journal entry, I thought I’d firstly share two previous journal entries that also cover parts of the stunning Flinders Ranges region:
- Outback Adventures in the Flinders Ranges: Travel with your Dog to Quorn! – Quorn is also within the Southern Flinders Ranges and surprisingly has lots of fun things; including a gin distillery, an epic dog-friendly hike, bushwalking at a place called Devil’s Peak and so much more.
- Dog-friendly Travel to the Flinders Ranges: Amazing Scenic Lookouts & Drives, Plus Surprisingly Trendy Eats & Drinks – we did a dog-friendly day trip near the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, and saw the stunning mountain ranges from several viewing spots!
Flinders Ranges Map
- Orange pins: Central Flinders Ranges
- Blue pins: Quorn and Surrounds
- Yellow pins: Lower Flinders Ranges
If you’re planning a trip to the Flinders Ranges, I’ve got a small collection of journal entries, here, that you might like. We visited quite a few attractions, eats & drinks in the region with a lot being dog-friendly!
Explore the Southern Flinders Ranges with me
In this journal entry, I’ll be sharing some of the lovely attractions, eats & drinks we came across in the small towns of Wilmington, Melrose, Wirrabara and Stone Hut.
If you’re planning a visit to the Flinders Ranges, I hope you enjoy reading about these places and what they have to offer!
Fun things to do in the Southern Flinders Ranges
- Go bushwalking at Alligator Gorge in Wilmington
- Enjoy a beer and a feed at the historic Jacka Brothers Brewery in Melrose
- Explore Melrose, go mountain biking or bushwalking!
- Go even further south and pop into Stone Hut Bakery for a delicious pie
- On the way, stop to view the beautiful silo art at Wirrabara.
Go bushwalking at Alligator Gorge, Wilmington
Not dog-friendly, dog-sitter available in Quorn
It’s funny because we decided to combine two non dog-friendly walks in one day to make the most out of the dog-sitting we had organised.
Funny or insane, I’m not sure.
Luckily for us, Alligator Gorge had a shorter option!
Are you travelling with a dog?
Unfortunately, Alligator Gorge in Wilmington, South Australia is not dog-friendly because it’s part of the Mount Remarkable National Park.
Dog-sitting and dog-boarding suggestions
- I found the details of a local dog-sitter in Quorn, South Australia, through the local caravan park, see Katie’s details here. She is an older lady but seemed friendly and capable enough to take care of Charlie for the day; it was $25 for the day.
- Redgum Vets in Port Augusta, South Australia offer pet boarding as a service (this is where I took Charlie for his vaccination).
- If you’re staying in Wilmington or Melrose, you could contact the Wilmington Visitor Information Centre or the Melrose Visitor Information Centre.
- Also, if you’re staying at a caravan park, it pays to ask the office folks if they know of anyone!
About Alligator Gorge
Alligator Gorge is located within the picturesque Mount Remarkable National Park, near the small country town of Wilmington in the Southern Flinders Ranges, South Australia.
When we went, it felt like quite a popular trail with plenty of walkers, both young and old, families and individuals.
If you’re worried about the name Alligator Gorge, don’t be!
There’s no alligators in the gorge as it might suggest. There’s information boards at the “Ali Lookout” saying how Alligator Gorge was perhaps named after a local aboriginal shepherd called Ally.
The highlight of the walking trail is definitely the towering red craggy walls of the gorge; the colours, textures, and formations are amazing. But I mean, you also can’t beat being surrounded by a forest of tall trees, greenery, and pretty wildflowers.
Trails & Lookouts available at Alligator Gorge
- Gorge Circuit Hike: this is about a 2-3 kilometre loop. This is the most popular and most family-friendly. Don’t forget about the offshoot path to see The Terraces, we totally forgot about it!
- Alligator Gorge Hike: this is about a 9 kilometre loop and encompasses the shorter loop.
- You could also walk to a couple of lookouts from the Alligator Gorge car park: Ali Lookout (about 250 metres) and Gorge Lookout (350m).
Road Warning
From Main North Road/Horrocks Highway, you turn onto the access road, Alligator Gorge Road.
As you get closer to the national park, this road becomes crazy to drive on, I would say the last 8 kilometres towards the car park.
The national park is a very mountainous area, and the road starts to get windy with fairly steep ascents and descents. On top of that, there’s also numerous speed dips along the road (as opposed to speed bumps, I’m not sure what to call them) or water channels that are very deep.
I smelled rubber when we got to the car park; I think I was holding my brake down too much on the drive. Although, not as bad as the teenage girl who must’ve gone over a speed dip too fast because her front bumper looked like it came off.
Don’t even contemplate this road with a towing vehicle and lowered cars beware of the speed dips!
How to get there
The best way to get to Alligator Gorge is via car. From Adelaide, Alligator Gorge is about 297 kilometres north, just under a 4-hour drive.
We stayed in the sweet town of Quorn, so coming from Devil’s Peak, it took us just under one hour to drive to Alligator Gorge.
Best time to visit Alligator Gorge
The best time to visit the Southern Flinders Ranges is during the cooler months, especially if you’re planning on bushwalking. From May to around October, daytime temperatures generally stay below 30°C.
For wildflowers, the spring months of September and October are the way to go!
Vehicle Day Entry Fees
There is a vehicle entry fee of $13 per vehicle to enter the Mount Remarkable National Park for the day.
Access hours are from 6am – 11pm, and you can explore the walking trails, day visitor areas and picnic grounds.
Purchasing online
The easiest way to purchase a pass is via the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service website.
During the process, you enter your car registration number so there’s no printout required or need to display anything on your dashboard while you’re there.
A confirmation email gets sent out for your records.
No fee for Walkers and Cyclists
If you’re walking or cycling into the national park (no vehicle), you don’t need to worry about the vehicle day entry fee!
About the walking trail
From the Alligator Gorge car park, you come down a pretty hefty set of stairs. There are 1 or 2 picnic benches along the way from memory.
At the bottom, you can either turn left for the shorter Gorge Circuit Hike and head towards The Narrows, or turn right to walk the longer Alligator Gorge Hike.
With the trail, you’re either walking directly on the stones of the creek bed or on a dirt/rocky path alongside it.
If you go in winter or after rain, parts of the trail might be submerged in water! I’ve seen photos where the creek is filled with water and people hop across the few visible rocks to get across. Be mindful that it can get slippery!
It’s a moderately easy walking trail but it can get quite rocky, uneven, and there are some unstable surfaces when you’re walking along the creek bed. There weren’t really too many huge uphills and downhills aside from the stairs, and also on the way up to the car park near Blue Gum Flat.
The trail offers very interesting scenery; there are fascinating rock formations, large caverns, and gnarly trees. You’ll know when you’re at The Narrows, it’s a section of the trail where the gorge walls are at their closest.
Once you get to the car park area near Blue Gum Flat, the trail follows Alligator Gorge Road along the fire track and leads back to the Alligator Gorge car park.
Wildlife
We didn’t see many animals on our walk but according to the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service website, there’s a chance you’ll spot goannas, emus, echidnas, kookaburras, wrens, ringneck parrots and wedge-tailed eagles in this part of the Southern Flinders Ranges!
Other things of note
- There are plenty of other walking trails available at Mount Remarkable National Park, make sure to visit the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service website for a full list.
- Before you head off, make sure to pop onto the SA National Parks and Wildlife Service website to read about any park alerts. They will always show notifications for any current closures in the park.
- At the Alligator Gorge car park there is plenty of parking, plus toilets and picnic benches/shelter. The same goes for Blue Gum Flat, which also has BBQ facilities. You can find a PDF map of Alligator Gorge here.
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So before Alligator Gorge, we climbed up the epic Devil’s Peak Walking Trail in Quorn earlier in the morning. This was probably our most adventurous hike to date!
Check out this journal entry about Devil’s Peak Walking Trail if you’re interested in knowing more. It’s an awesome hike.
Enjoy a beer and a feed at the historic Jacka Brothers Brewery, Melrose
Dog-friendly brewery, outdoor seating
Jacka Brothers Brewery is a fabulous brewery located in one of the oldest country towns in South Australia, Melrose. Set in the foothills of the Mount Remarkable National Park, the brewery has the most beautiful views of the Southern Flinders Ranges.
From Adelaide, Melrose is about 260 kilometres north, just over a 3-hour drive. And from Wilmington, it’s only about an 18-minute drive south – the perfect spot to recoup after a walk at Alligator Gorge, I say!
History
The first thing that will catch your eye at the brewery is the gorgeous tall stone tower, which started life as a flour mill and was originally built in 1878.
According to the Melrose town website, the venue was purchased by J.H. Jacka in the early 1890s. He ran a successful brewing business for several years, supplying most of the Flinders Ranges region with beers, cordials, and aerated waters.
WW1 saw its decline, and the brewery finally closed its doors in 1934.
Revival of the Jacka Brothers Brewery
The historic tower and surrounding buildings have been given a new lease of life in recent years, I believe Jacka Brothers Brewery opened their doors in 2021.
The premises has been renovated and transformed into a stunning contemporary venue that includes a brewery/taphouse, accommodation, and unique spaces to host weddings, functions and other events.
It’s very popular with tourists and locals; it certainly gets busy towards the afternoons with cars filling the car park and spilling out onto the streets surrounding the venue. People tend to park on both the left and right sides of the roads, which can get squeezy to drive through!
Country Style & Vibe
Jacka Brothers has such a great vibe, I don’t know how anyone could resist its laid-back country atmosphere. The mountains of the Southern Flinders Ranges and majestic gum trees of the area provide an amazing backdrop as you sip on a tasty beverage.
I adored the historic buildings, the character and charm of the original construction is just beautiful. There’s plenty of seating outside, just be mindful that some of these don’t have much coverage from the sun!
While you’re there, check out inside all of the different buildings.
The original cellar is now an enchanting space for weddings and functions, it has a gorgeous rustic country feel to it, made extra magical with a thousand fairy lights.
The bottom of the tower houses the taphouse bar and a mish mash of beautiful vintage tables and chairs. They also have a small providore section where you can purchase fine quality produce and goods. You can create your own grazing platter to enjoy!
Food & Drinks
When we went, they had two of their own craft beers on tap: Remarkable Ale and Melrose Bitter. My hubby said they were quite nice. Along with their own beers, they also proudly provide South Australian produced drinks, from boutique beers, ciders, gins to wines.
In terms of food, they have local caterers come in and serve tasty treats. We had delicious pizzas from Nosh On Garden Goodies, the bases had great flavours and the toppings were yum.
Check out the Jacka Brothers Brewery Facebook page to see their current and future catering lineup, plus any events.
As mentioned, inside the tower, they also sell SA sourced gourmet grazing platter products. You could put together your own to enjoy while you’re there!
They also have a coffee machine on site. I had a mocha with oat milk one time, and it was delicious.
Opening Hours
Jacka Brothers Brewery is only open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
- Their providore & taphouse open from 11am – late on Fridays and Saturdays; 11am – 5pm on Sundays
- They serve lunch Friday, Saturday and Sundays 11am – 2.30pm
- Dinner only Fridays and Saturdays 5pm – 7.30pm.
Visit this page of their website if what I’ve written is confusing!
I highly recommend this amazing brewery in the Southern Flinders Ranges! It’s the perfect spot for a weekend arvo sesh and ticks all of the boxes – vibe, food, and drinks.
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If you’re exploring the Flinders Ranges, another microbrewery you might be interested in visiting is the Parachilna Brew Project, which is housed within the trendy Prairie Hotel in Parachilna, South Australia.
This is located more in the central Flinders Ranges area. From Melrose, the Prairie Hotel is about 219 kilometres north, just over a 2-hour drive.
Explore Melrose in the Southern Flinders Ranges
We had a quick walk around the small town of Melrose, which is apparently one of the oldest country towns in the region. We definitely saw a lot of charming old houses and buildings.
The town has a stunning location at the base of Mount Remarkable National Park.
Two attractions that we saw in Melrose
- Big Gum Tree or Brewery Tree: this was actually pretty cool. Standing steadfast in the middle of Brewery Street, near Jacka Brothers Brewery, is this incredibly old River Red Gum. It’s approximately 300 years old, has a height of 24 metres, and a diameter of 3 metres.
- Heritage Swing Bridge: a bit sad to find out that this was a replica, the original was badly damaged in a flood. Swing bridges were put in place along the Willochra Creek for times when water levels were high.
You can check out the Melrose town website for more travel inspiration for this area.
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If you like historical towns with heritage-listed buildings, you might also like to read more about the sweet town of Quorn, just north of Melrose. It’s where we chose to stay while we explored the Flinders Ranges.
Adventure in the Mount Remarkable National Park
One thing we noticed is how much of a mountain biking town Melrose is! There are plenty of mountain biking trails around the scenic area, and a bike shop in town called Over The Edge which seemed popular.
Another fun thing to do at this end of the Southern Flinders Ranges is explore the Mount Remarkable National Park through bushwalking. I think it would’ve been challenging but fun to go up to the summit of Mount Remarkable, the elevation is something like 961 metres. We didn’t have time to do it though.
There’s a shelter with information about the different trails at the Remarkable Trailhead. If you’re travelling with your puppers, unfortunately, these trails are within a national park and don’t allow dogs.
Dog-friendly options
If you’re looking for a dog-friendly bush walk within the Flinders Ranges region you might like the Warren Gorge Loop Walking Trail in Quorn, South Australia.
I highly recommend this dog-friendly walking trail! It’s as interesting as any you might find at a national park!
Pop into Stone Hut Bakery for a delicious pie
Dog-friendly bakery, outdoor seating
So, we were told the Stone Hut Bakery pies were the best in the Universe and people travel miles just to have them.
It did feel like we travelled miles! From Quorn Caravan Park, we drove 100 kilometres south! With such big praise, we wanted to taste these pies.
We were combining it with yet another visit to Jacka Brothers Brewery, so we didn’t mind the distance so much!
Stone Hut Bakery in the Southern Flinders Ranges is about 227 kilometres north of Adelaide, South Australia, just over a two and half-hour drive.
Were the pies the best in the Universe?
I feel like it’s a pretty big claim but the Stone Hut Bakery pies were some of the best I’ve tasted no doubt!
I’m not sure if you would drive 100 kilometres specifically for them but if you’re in the near vicinity or passing through the Southern Flinders Ranges, the pies are delicious and worth dropping by for!
They have your regular pie flavours like chunky steak, beef and pepper, steak and kidney etc. but what interested me were the gourmet flavours to choose from:
- Venison and stout
- Chicken, wine and camembert
- Garlic seafood
- Kangaroo and chilli plum.
I had the Chicken, Wine and Camembert and it was really tasty. It was bursting with flavour, you could taste the camembert, and the sauce was rich and creamy.
The pastry was great, it wasn’t soggy or flopsy, it was actually crisp. The top is more of a puffy pastry and the base is more of a shortcrust pastry.
They have a fridge filled with cold pies, pasties, sausage rolls etc. I would highly recommend stocking up on some to enjoy at home at a later time! I love my air fryer for this reason.
Other bakery goods
Stone Hut Bakery didn’t really have much in the way of sweet treats and desserts. I grabbed us a custard tart and vanilla slice from their cabinet. They were both decent but didn’t grab us, as much as the gourmet pies.
Outdoor garden and seating
They have several small tables underneath a patio area at the side of the building. There’s more seating on the grass with long picnic benches, but there’s not much shade. I really loved the gorgeous vines wrapping around posts and providing shade for the patio.
Walk-in Aviary and Petting Zoo
If you’ve got kiddos, Stone Hut Bakery is one to take them to because they’ve got a walk-in aviary, plus petting zoo. I walked into the aviary but I didn’t check out the petting zoo, I was too traumatised from my short time at the aviary, lol.
I’m not sure why, but one cockatoo had beef with me.
As soon as I walked in, he got hold of the heel of my shoe and would not let go. I tried to gently shake him off but he just wouldn’t budge and totally munched on my shoe.
RIP shoe. I’ve had to get a new pair!
Stop to view the silo art at Wirrabara
Dog-friendly attraction
We met a random dude while we were walking one evening around Quorn and he showed us stunning photos he took of the Wirrabara Silos at night. It just happened that the town was on the way down to Stone Hut, so we made a pit stop to look at the gorgeous silo art.
Explore Quorn and Surrounds
DOG-FRIENDLY TRAVEL (DOG-SITTER USED FOR SOME ATTRACTIONS)
Don’t forget to check out my journal entry on Quorn in the southern Flinders Ranges, you’ll be surprised at the adventures you can have there!
Explore the Central Flinders Ranges
DOG-FRIENDLY TRAVEL
We did a day trip out towards the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, and we did it with Charlie in tow! I can hear you now, “But dogs aren’t allowed in national parks!” You’re right; they aren’t. We technically did not go into the national park!
But we still saw epic views of the mountain ranges, so if you’re interested in knowing how, please check out my journal entry all about our dog-friendly travel to the Flinders Ranges. It was an awesome day trip filled with amazing scenic lookouts, sights & drives, plus fabulous eats & drinks.
And that’s a wrap!
I hope you’ve enjoyed exploring some of the smaller towns of the Southern Flinders Ranges through this read. I’ve only touched upon a small slice of the fun things you can do in this part of South Australia!
Have you been to any of these places before? Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments or pop in any questions you might have; I’d love to hear from you.
Safe travels and happy exploring! Thanks for joining me, hope to see you again!
Sheryl
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Other Flinders Ranges entries
Hey Pawrents,
Planning your dog-friendly Aussie Adventure?
Check out my interactive map full of amazing dog-friendly breweries, cafes, restaurants, pubs, walking trails, beaches and more.
