Escape the winter in the Flinders Ranges and Outback with Keith Conlon

They stretch a long way into the arid continent, with breaking waves of jagged peaks that have inspired artists like Sir Hans Heysen. Our most loved landscape artist talked of the Flinders Ranges as "the bones of nature laid bare."

With winter turning the city gray and cold, it is a great time to head for the colour of the Flinders and the outback, and so this week we have gathered some of our stories from the far north, retracing the Old Ghan railway line, revisiting the majesty of Wilpena Pound, and calling again on the award winning Wadlata Outback Centre at Pt. Augusta.

We also headed as outback as you can go to the desert outpost at Innaminka, and along the legendary Cooper Creek with Lisa. As the resident characters reminded her, the Overlanders song was all about their backyard - "where the creeks run dry or ten feet high."

The locals know a thing or two about the weather, of course, and so the date of their Innaminka Annual Races and Gymkhana is a fair due as the best time of year. It's held late in AugustŠ..winter time.

It is a nice time of the year in the Flinders Ranges too, but you'll want to plan more than one trip. After all, they stretch about 400 kilometres northwards, and that's the equivalent of half the way between Adelaide and Melbourne.

The top half of the Flinders holds rich visual memories for me from previous Postcards trips - the old ghost town of Beltana on the Warioota Creek, the Blinman mine in the middle of the ranges, and the stunning Parachilna Gorge.

We went into the gap in the ridge in the dark. Freezing, waiting for the dawn, and then the gold tipped ridges and the light crept down the naked rocks. Our shot picked up the reflections in a crystal clear rock pool.

Those special experiences are all within an easy drive from one the definitive outback pubs, complete with gourmet bush tucker. It is the Prairie Hotel out on the plain at Parachilna. These days it boasts award-winning environmentally sensitive suites out the back.

People still talk about the way the rugged scenery slowly rolled by on the old Ghan rail journey. Within a year, we'll be encouraged to take the trip again - by car. The Old Ghan Railway Heritage Train will follow the route as closely as possible, interpreting the spectacular scenery and explaining the triumphs and tragedies of the pioneersŠ..Another good holiday suggestion for one of these winters.

The trail will begin at the gateway to the Finders and the outback, Pt. Augusta. That is also the home of the multi-award winning Wadlata Outback Centre, which we revisit in this program.

There is now a free call outback information number from anywhere in Australia. When you dial 1800 633 060, it will be answered where the experts are - at Wadlata.

The signature geological monument of the Flinders Ranges is Wilpena Pound, almost an encircling mountain formation above flat grassland inside. As you approach it from the south, Rawnsley's Bluff looms purple and high from way off.

The softer light of winter lures photographers to these sawtooth ranges and enduring red gums in dry creek beds. Some, like Berndt Stoecker and Stavros Pippos come back year after year. Luckily, they share their enchantment with us in superb coffee table books. Their lovingly crafted shots evoke the moods of the region. Author Colin Thiele called it all "the magic, poetry and drama" of the Flinders.

Wilpena Pound Resort has seem a major upgrade in the last year, as Lisa McCaskill discovered. The latest Secrets Guide Book for the far north of South Australia notes that this is a good time to plan an adventure - or a lazy communion with nature there. From April to October, the days are usually sunny and mild. Take a parka, however, for a stroll under the stars.

The RAA, your state automobile association, and the South Australian Travel Centre have the details of what's on and where to stay. And how to discover the best places to sense the awe that the ancient rugged ranges and the endless isolation of the outback inspires.

For more info email info@postcards.sa.com.au