Anna Creek Painted Hills

Anna Creek Painted Hills

Wrightsair are the ONLY scenic flight operator who can land at Anna Creek Painted Hills.

Browse our flights for the chance to walk amongst these spectacular coloured hills.

The Anna Creek Painted Hills, previously called the Secret Painted Hills, are a spectacular and recently discovered section of the pristine Breakaways country in the far north of South Australia.

Anna Creek Painted Hills is a rocky outcrop of large and small hills, which emerge suddenly out of a flat, desert landscape. The hills are approximately 20 kilometres x 18 kilometres in size. It is believed that the Anna Creek Painted Hills are the leftover effects of 50 million years of climate change, with the climate going from glacial to wet and semi-tropical over million of years.

The changing colours of the hills are believed to be a result of oxidisation. The deep red is due to the oxidation of iron in the rocks, while the white sections are where iron has leached away.

"Deep in the South Australian outback lies the painted desert a fragile lunar landscape of ochre-red and mustard yellow rock weathered over millions of years and as large as a regional city ... People are already comparing these areas in terms of their tourism potential to Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Bungle Bungles.

These clay and iron-oxide formations are estimated to cover an expanse of 20km wide and 10km long. The Painted Hills is according to Dr. Gehling, the leftover effects of about 50 million years of climate change - the climate has gone from glacial to wet and semi tropical over millions of years.

Adelaide University geologist John Foden said the rock formations were extraordinary - it seems to me something to do with deep weathering and erosion of an ancient landscape - the changing colours were a result of oxidation. Station owners were doing their utmost to protect the site due to its fragility and would in no way allow four-wheel drives to be able to go there". 
_{(Source: The AustralianNewspaper 08/07/06 P.1)}

Anna Creek Station is the world's largest working cattle station, with an area of roughly 6,000,000 acres (24,000 sq km; 9,400 sq mi) which is slightly larger than Israel.