Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

The rain was so heavy that the roads closed and my friend and I got stuck in the village after coming up for a few days. Vicky and Doug were amazing about it. They let us stay four extra nights without charging us and still gave us breakfast every morning. The place is magic, the food is wonderful, and the owners and staff were great. I can’t wait to come back. Thanks again, Vicky, Doug and everyone up there! 😁😁

I’m really grateful I spent three nights here. I’ll look back on it fondly when I’m an old man. The Ridgetop tour and Explore the Cosmos both completely blew me away. The views were breathtaking, and Doug’s knowledge made the cosmos event special. Vicky was also great when she sorted out a refund after I’d accidentally booked for two adults instead of just myself. Both owners were fantastic. Callitris Lodge was the highlight of my first ever road trip from Sydney. A few staff members seemed to be international workers, French I assumed. They weren’t rude, but didn’t feel especially welcoming either. It was a neutral experience, and didn’t spoil the trip, though I noticed it because everything else was so amazing.

We only had one night here, which was nowhere near enough. I’d recommend staying at least three days, and we’ll definitely come back. The sanctuary is beautiful, with walking trails, 4x4 tracks, rare plants being conserved, and some of the oldest geology in the world. The experience was fascinating. We stayed in Mawson lodge. The rooms were spacious and lovely, with a comfortable double bed and a single bed with a trundle underneath. The star gazing with Doug was unforgettable. He’s full of knowledge and was so helpful, and we watched yellow footed wallabies eat the food he’d put out for them. Sam was an amazing host, taking care of reception, cooking, waiting tables, fuel and plenty more. The service was wonderful, the rooms were fabulous, and we had the most amazing time. Thank you so much! ❤️

Arkaroola was our favourite stop on the road trip, and we’ll be back in winter for the Milky Way. 🌌 The rooms were peaceful and comfortable, the amenities all worked well, and my wife loved the interior design. Hardly anyone else was there when we visited. Doug’s knowledge, equipment and commentary made the astronomy experiences worth every second. We did all of them. Explore the cosmos was our favourite, even though much of it is indoors, because the telescopes showed such magnified views on screen, with Doug’s explanations and jokes along the way. Under the stars involved looking for constellations and other beautiful parts of the galaxy through binoculars. The premium chairs are well worth it, since the guide can set the coordinates so you don’t have to search and risk missing things. At the observatory, the huge telescope in the dome let us look at planets and similar sights one at a time as a group, with greater magnification. We’d planned to do the flights and Ridgetop tour too, but it was 45 degrees in summer. In the evenings, we could sit quietly and watch 20 or more yellow-footed wallabies drinking and eating nearby. Sometimes they hopped right past our room. The meal choices were good for such a remote place, though a few more vegetables would’ve been handy. It wasn’t peak season. We lost two wheels on the way there and the other two on the way back. We’d deflated instead of inflated them travelling from the west, but the wheels were old and our 4WD was small. The Arkaroola mechanic and garage were amazing, and he really knew his stuff. We got two temporary wheels to get back to Hawker, where Hawker Motors replaced them quickly, cheaply and with friendly service. There’s also a petrol station and air pump in Arkaroola. Service started out friendly, but the rest of it was quite poor. One male staff member mostly wanted to swim in the pool and took offense when we wanted to stay in and he had to work occasionally. He also said he didn’t feel like putting out the continental breakfast that was included for free, and told us to order from the menu instead, at over $30 per person. That was absolutely unacceptable. I wanted to mention it here, though Doug gave us extra time on the tours without knowing about the issue, and we got better value elsewhere too.