By Gabrielle Hall
Optimism is returning to South Australia’s rural and outback tourism and the regions are seeing the benefits.
That’s the word from Flinders Ranges and Outback SA Tourism chair Jane Luckcraft from Bendleby Ranges, just north east of Orroroo.
“The optimism has returned and people are out spending money again,” Jane says.
“Water in Lake Eyre helps, and even though there are job losses in the region, the tourism is seen as an important part of the answer.
Warren and Jane Luckcraft at Bendleby Ranges
“We’ve run our tourism business now for 16 years and it continues to grow, it’s a great add on to a pastoral property because it gives you cash flow when other things are slow.
“Most properties already have the infrastructure in place such as shearing sheds and toilets and tourism helps keep them in good order by creating an income from those structures.”
Jane runs Bendleby Ranges in the Flinders Ranges with husband Warren, who agrees that tourism is a profitable add-on to their main pastoral enterprise on which they run 3500 sheep on 17,611 hectares.
Magnificent scenery is the back drop for camping areas, 4WD tracks and bushwalking at Bendleby Ranges
“The pastoral business is still bigger than our tourism business but tourism makes more money per dollar because the margins are greater than in our pastoral operations,” Warrens says.
“If you make a dollar in the pastoral enterprise you might make 20-30 cents out of it, but if you earn a dollar in tourism you’ll probably make 50 cents out of it.”
The optimism is obvious at Bendleby Ranges, where the Luckcraft family is undertaking some major upgrades in the hope of extending the tourism season into traditionally quieter months.
One of a variety of 4WD tracks at Bendleby Ranges
“We’re renovating the 1880s Crotta Homestead, which is where I grew up, about 3 kilometres from our main homestead now, and installing two new bathrooms, a large covered outdoor eating area with outdoor kitchen, enclosing the porch and installing air conditioning,” Warren says.
“Then in Acacia Cottage, which is alongside the airstrip to help capture the fly-in market, we’re putting in air conditioning, the shearer’s quarters are to be fully air conditioned and upgraded with a new outdoor eating area and enclosed shelter.
No camping gear of your own? No problem at Bendleby Ranges where you can hire a camper trailer all set up and ready to go
“We’re also still building more campsites – we’ve still got plenty of space to expand these and even though we’ve got about 40 individual campsites already, we develop them so everyone has their own little area.
“We’re lucky enough to have a variety of scenery, hills and creeks, camping areas, 4WD tracks and some really spectacular bushwalking,” Warren adds.
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