South Australian Government backs Wilpena Pound tourism upgrades

A $200,000 Upper Spencer Gulf and Outback Futures Program grant will support the Wilpena Pound Resort to establish new infrastructure to improve its tourism experience for visitors to the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.

The $400,000 project will create new cooking facilities for two of the resort’s accommodation offerings - the Ikara Safari Camp and the Wilpena campground.

The new Ikara Meeting Place, as part of the Ikara Safari Camp, will include a modern, tailored and fully catered kitchen. This will provide safari campers with a luxury full-service dining experience showcasing local outback produce complemented by South Australian wines.

In select periods throughout the year, Indigenous culinary masterclasses will also be available to campers, featuring Indigenous celebrity chef Clayton Donovan.

The masterclasses will serve as added cultural experiences for visitors to Wilpena Pound Resort with Clayton Donovan working closely with local Adnyamathanha community members who will provide culinary guidance to the classes.

The Wilpena campground will be enhanced by the development of a campground cooking area with an enclosed communal space large enough to cater for groups.

The project will create five ongoing full time jobs in addition to five jobs during construction.

Wilpena Pound Resort is located within the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park and features hotel rooms, the Ikara Safari Camp, campground, restaurant, bar, swimming pool, general store and a National Park Visitor Information Centre.

The $2 million Upper Spencer Gulf and Outback Futures Program is a once-off grants program, which opened in November last year in recognition of the challenges brought about by the downturn of the resources sector and the closure of the Port Augusta power station and Leigh Creek coal mine.

The program supports the delivery of small projects contributing to the economic diversification, resilience and capacity building of Upper Spencer Gulf and Outback communities, creating sustainable economic benefits to the region and the State.

This project supports the South Australian Government’s economic priority of 'South Australia - a growing destination choice for international and domestic travellers'.

Image: Ikara Safari Camp, Wilpena Pound.

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