After yesterday's long drive we decided we'd take today easy and so what better for breakfast than pancakes! But before I cooked them, Lucinda thought she'd take advantage of the warm sun we awoke to and so put a load of washing on. We were warmed ourselves by the sun as we sat outside to have our cup of tea and take in the incredible view of Rawnsley Bluff.

Hearing a light plane overhead and seeing a sign advertising scenic flights over Wilpena Pound we decided to spoil ourselve with a bit of a treat and so booked a 30 minute flight that would take of from the landing strip on the Station itself and take in Wilpena Pound, Brachina Gorge and the Backbone of the Flinders Ranges . At 1pm we boarded the Cessna with our pilot Ryan after he'd given us a safety briefing. After a couple of attempts the engine started and after weaving along the airstrip to move several sheep out of the way, we took off to the South, eventually levelling out at around 4000ft. It was simply amazing and spectacular. We had great views of the adjacent Elder and Chace Ranges.

Turning right, the route took us back over the caravan park and then across the Pound. It's really only from the high vantage point of an aircraft that you can see what you've always read in that the Pound is a large enclosure with an opening near the Wilpena Pound Resort. To the West we could see Lake Torrens, apparently Australia's largest salt lake. We'll be the other side of Lake Torrens when we get to Woomera next week. We could clearly see the solar panel array used to partly power the Resort since it is off-grid. Passing by the Northern side of the Pound the highest point of St Mary Peak was an outstanding feature . Heading further North we could see the road which runs up the spine of the Flinders ranges between the Heysen Range on the West and the ABC Ranges to the East and then the Brachina Gorge. Apparently the ABC Range was so named because there are 26 peaks along it, the same number of letters in the alphabet. And so it was time to return to the airstrip and despite the light cross wind, pilot Ryan made a very smooth landing. I was surprised to find there was no real air flight control in the area and the local pilots just coordinated things amongst themselves. Certainly a memorable part of our trip. A light lunch at the Woolshed Restaurant, which opened in 2000, capped it off.

Late in the afternoon we did a short walk from the caravan park to Kangaroo Gap, which was very pleasant in the warm sun and light breeze. On return we rewarded ourselves with an ice-cream from the shop at the park. The shop is very well stocked and there wouldn't be too much a camper at the park would need that they couldn't supply - certainly you wouldn't go hungry or thirsty.

Dinner was goat sausages with rosemary and garlic cooked on the Weber, accompanied with mash potatoes and baked beans, plus a glass of red. We are thinking of doing one of the scenic drives tomorrow so we will be keeping our feet on the ground.