Breaking News
December 12, 2008:
Recent Rainfall Totals:
Great news! Since 14 November, a total of 100.8mm (about 4 inches or 400 points) of rain has fallen over Arkaroola. As at today (12 December), the Arkaroola Creek is still running 0.5 metre deep and young seedlings are coming up everywhere - Marg reports that if you concentrate, you can even see a slight tinge of green!
December 10, 2008:
Seasons Greetings:
Marg and Doug Sprigg and all Arkaroola Staff would like to wish all our customers, friends and associates a wonderful Christmas and a safe, happy and healthy New Year.
November 24, 2008:
SA Tourism Awards:
It is with great pleasure that we announce our success in winning a Silver Award for Sustainable Tourism in the 2008 South Austrlian Tourism Awards.
Our hearty congratulations go to Sinclair's Gully Wines for their fine win in this category and to all the other category winners and medal recipients.
These awards would not be possible without the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and their sponsors, and the SA Tourism Industry as a whole. Our thanks also go to all who submitted entries - without you all there Awards would not exist.
Our sincere thanks also go to our wonderful staff, without whom Arkaroola could not exist.
Please click here for further information regarding current uranium mining Vs Arkaroola's Tourism Awards (immediately below Media Release on that page).
November 19, 2008:
Kristin Weidenbach's 'Rock Star' Now Available:
The biography of Reg Sprigg, founder of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, is now available for all to read. Written by Kristin Weidenbach, author of the best-selling Mailman of the Birdsville Track, this book can be obtained direct from the publishers, East Street Publications at: http://www.eaststreet.com.au/viewitem.php?b=46
Some sample reviews:
"Reg Sprigg's sharp eye changed the course of time. Literally. Sprigg's spying of a jellyfish-like impression on a piece of ancient sandstone in 1946 resulted in a Golden Spike being hammered six decades later into the 635-million-year-old rocks of the Flinders Ranges, with the name Ediacara rising to lead Earth's geological timeline" - The Advertiser (Samela Harris - Review Section)
"Reg Sprigg's passion for geology and the Australian landscape deposited him at the forefront of his field...A wonderful story about a pioneering Australian." Australian Geographic
September 16, 2008:
Latest From the ARK Newsletter now available
Marg and Doug Sprigg are pleased to advised that Arkaroola's latest E-newsletter, From the ARK, Autumn/Winter Edition 2008 (ninth edition), is now available for uploading by clicking here (1.5MB)
Past editions can also be downloaded - please move further down this page for details.
September 9, 2008:
Arkaroola's 40th Birthday!
October 2008 marks the 40th Birthday of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, representing a milestone of which we are all extremely proud.
A photo display of Arkaroola, marking this anniversary, is currently on display at the Fossil Gallery on the third floor of the S.A. Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide for those who are interested.
August 26, 2008:
Exciting Remote Astronomical Imaging for Arkaroola:
The Southern and Northern Galactic International group, renowned remote astronomical observatory based in Victoria, is pleased to announce the establishment of its proposed remote location at the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. This new location will be run as part of the Australian Southern Galatic operations in partnership with the Directors of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary.
The Southern and Northern Galactic International group enables research in the areas of optical / radio astronomy, planetary studies, and space atmospheric sciences by providing specific telescope hosting services and remote control accessability together with logistical support to private and commercial international users and research scientists.
We are thrilled to make this joint announcement with Southern and Northern Galactic. Arkaroola has some of the best astronomical seeing conditions in the Southern Hemisphere and we look forward to a long and jointly beneficial relationship with this group.
For more information about this exciting joint venture please click on the Southern Galactic logo below:
August 2, 2008:
New Aboriginal Cultural Tour on Offer:
Local Adnyamathanha man, Sharpy Coulthard, has recently returned to Arkaroola to present an Aboriginal Cultural Tour, Yata Nukuntha ('looking at the ground'). With a duration of 3 to 4 hours, Sharpy's easy walking tours aim to provide guests with an overview of Arkaroola's native vegetation with respect to traditional uses for food and medicine, listen to traditional bush lore and Adnyamathanha creation stories.
This new tour is in keeping with Arkaroola's aims to "Preserve its geological, biological and ecological features, to support research and promote education, and to deliver practical conservation through controlled tourism".
More details of Sharpy's tour will be available shortly under the menu item 'Activities' of this Internet site. Bookings for his tours can be made from Reception.
Arkaroola Management and Staff extend a warm welcome to Sharpy.
June 13, 2008:
Yes, it Does Rain at Arkaroola!
A total of 39mm of good, steady soaking rain has fallen on Arkaroola during the past week (since 5 June).
Marg Sprigg reports that while this amount of rain is great for the country, it really is at the wrong time of the year to be of lasting benefit; however, having soaked into the ground without causing any creeks to flood will be of benefit to flora and did replenish Arkaroola's nearly depleted rainwater tanks.
At this normally cool time of the year trees and shrubs have generally slowed their growth for winter but the greatly reduced evaporation is quite beneficial. Coupled with our unseasonablly warm weather, this recent rainfall is likely to encourage regrowth.
We'll keep you posted though on further developments as they occur.
February 14, 2008 - Media Release:
Arkaroola Seeks Total Mining Ban in Wilderness Sanctuary
The owners of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary have written to South Australian Premier Mike Rann seeking a total ban on mining activity on the property.
The SA government has ordered that Marathon's uranium exploration activities at Mt Gee, deep in Arkaroola's hearland, be "suspended indefinitely".
This followed an investigation sought by the Rann Government that concluded that the company had wrongly disposed of 22,800 bags of drilling and other waste at the envioronmentally sensitive site. Some of these bags were found to contain low-level radioactive material...
To read the full Media Relase, please click here for a PDF version (160 KB)
November 4, 2007:
We've Done it Again!
Winner of Multiple S.A. Tourism Awards - 2007:
It is with great pride and pleasure that we announce our amazing success at the SA Tourism Awards, held on 3 November, 2007.
With our third consecutive win for Ecotourism, Akaroola now enters the Hall of Fame for that prestigious category. Our wins on the night incude:
- Winner - Ecotourism (and our entry into the Hall of Fame) - Category 5
- Winner - Major Tourist Attraction - Category 1
- Winner - Sustainable Tourism - Category 27
- Bronze Medal - Festivals and Events - Arkaroola's Star Party DownUnder - Category 4
It is also the second consecutive year that we have won Sustainable Tourism, and we've been awarded Major Tourist Attraction for two years out of the past three.
Further information about these prestigious awards can be found by clicking here.
Of course these awards would not be possible without the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC) and their sponsors, and the SA Tourism Industry as a whole. Our hearty congratulations to other category winners, and a heartfelt thank you to all who submitted entries - without you all there would be no Awards.
Our sincere thanks also go to our wonderful staff, without whom Arkaroola could not exist. Please click here to see our official Media Release regarding our success.
Marg and Doug Sprigg
4 November 2007
October 6, 2007:
Arkaroola Wildernesss Sanctuary Under Threat from Uranium Mining!
Please click here for further information and what you can do to help protect Arkaroola from a uranium mine proposed by Marathon Resouces P/L at Mount Gee, in the heartland of our wildenerness sanctuary.
Additional information is also contained in Arkaroola's latest e-newsletter, From the ARK, issue No. 7, October 2007. See further below for a download (or click here to download this file - 1.4MB)
February 2, 2007: Successful Star Party DownUnder 2007:
We are pleased to announce the successful conclusion of Star Party DownUnder in January 2007. This annual event will continue again in January 2008 - please click here for further information.
Arkaroola Newsletter From the ARK-Spring 2007 (7th) Edition now Available:
The seventh edition (Spring 2007) of From the Ark, our official seasonal newsletter covering events, newsworthy and interesting articles about Arkaroola is now available for downloading from this location by clicking here (1400 KB) - as with previous editions, its a must read!
Alternatively, it is also available via email, by adding your name to our mailing list at marketing@arkaroola.com.au - please include 'Newsletter Request' in the subject line.
Similarly, if some of our regular readers are no longer receiving the newsletter, note that we've had some problems with our email server, so please send an email to marketing@arkaroola.com.au and we will ensure your address is added to our mailing list.
Please Note: If you decide to print the newsletter, set your printer settings to print in grey-scale to save your colour ink.
Previous editions are also available by clicking the links below:
First Edition - Winter 05 (about 695 KB)
Second Edition - Spring 05 (about 926 KB)
Third Edition - Summer 05/06 (912 KB)
Fourth Edition - Autumn 06 (695 KB)
Fifth Edition - Winter 06 (800 KB)
Sixth Editon - Spring/Summer 06 (1.3MB)
Seventh Edition - Spring 2007 (1.4MB)
Eighth Edition - Aumumn/Winter 08 (1.5MB)
The Armchair
near Ridgetop track
Lake Frome - one of many small islands
Sillers Lookout with Freeling Heights in Background
Arkaroola Newsletter From the ARK-Spring 2007 (7th) Edition now Available:
Similarly, if some of our regular readers are no longer receiving the newsletter, note that we've had some problems with our email server, so please send an email to marketing@arkaroola.com.au and we will ensure your address is added to our mailing list.
First Edition - Winter 05 (about 695 KB)
Second Edition - Spring 05 (about 926 KB)
Third Edition - Summer 05/06 (912 KB)
Fourth Edition - Autumn 06 (695 KB)
Fifth Edition - Winter 06 (800 KB)
Sixth Editon - Spring/Summer 06 (1.3MB)
Seventh Edition - Spring 2007 (1.4MB)
Eighth Edition - Aumumn/Winter 08 (1.5MB)
The Armchair
near Ridgetop track
The Armchair
near Ridgetop track
Lake Frome - one of many small islands
Lake Frome - one of many small islands
