45 km south east of Port Augusta. Drive to the settlement of Wilmington, where an unpaved track leads 10 km to Alligator Gorge. There’s a walk through this spectacular gorge, whose walls rise sheer in places. Also worth seeing is Hancock’s Lookout, which is to the north of the park and has fine views out over the gulf. Mount Remarkable itself rises to 969 m and forms part of the southern section of the Flinders Range. To the south it overlooks the small and picturesque settlement of Melrose, once a copper-mining centre, which dates from the early 19thC and is one of the oldest settlements in the entire region.

Information on walks in the area is available from Wilmington Deli, also the Mount Remarkable District Visitor Directory. Camping is permitted in some places – for information see www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/Mount_Remarkable_National_ Park.

Winter sun: Mount Remarkable National Park and the Yorke Peninusla are where Australians go for sun in the Southern Hemisphere winter, September to March.