The Great Wall of China was a quick stop on the way through Blinman on our gorge day, between Parachilna Gorge and the Brachina road. The name is a joke that turns out to be fair: a long ridge beside the road is capped by a dark, even band of rock that runs along the skyline exactly like a wall. You pull off onto the gravel, look up, take the photo and carry on.
What we like
- An odd, striking rock wall
- Right beside the road
- Free, five minutes
- View across the plain
What we don’t
- No facilities at all
- Nothing to walk to
About the Great Wall of ChinaAbout
The wall is the dark band along the top of the ridge, a layer of harder rock that has worn more slowly than the slopes below it, so it stands up along the crest in a straight, even line for as far as you can see. The brown sign on the roadside marks the pull-off, a wide gravel area below the ridge with the plain and the ranges opening out behind you. There are no facilities, no shade and no walk, just the wall and the view.
Quick facts
- AddressGreat Wall of China, Blinman, SA, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- Phone receptionPatchy
- FacilitiesParkingLookoutsNo ToiletsNo Drinking WaterNo Shade
- Good to know5 minutes is enoughGravel pull-off beside the roadNo park pass needed
- FeesFree
- 7.7/10Overall rated
Getting There
It’s on the sealed road near Blinman, with the wall visible along the ridge well before you reach it. The brown sign marks the pull-off, which is gravel and wide enough to turn a caravan. Any car can stop here in any weather.
A Quick Two-Photo StopThe view
From the pull-off the wall runs along the top of the ridge above you, dark and straight against the sky, with the scrubby slope dropping to the road. Turn round and the plain stretches away to the ranges, with the gravel curving off into the scrub. It’s a two-photo stop: one of the wall, one of the view.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
Blinman itself, the highest town in South Australia and an old copper mining town, is a few minutes away, and the Brachina road to Aroona Valley Lookout, Trezona and the gorge drive starts from there. Parachilna Gorge runs west to the Prairie Hotel. The rest of the park is in our Flinders Ranges National Park guide.
Summary
A free five-minute stop beside the road near Blinman for a ridge that really does look like a wall. Nothing to do but look, and worth it.
A five-minute stop that earns its name.
A long ridge beside the road is capped by a dark, even band of rock that runs along the skyline like a wall, and from the gravel pull-off you get the wall above you and the plain and ranges behind. No facilities, nothing to walk to, but we’d stop again.
- Travellers
- 4WD tourers
- Campers
Yes, for five minutes. It’s free, beside the road, and the rock wall along the ridge is one of those sights you point at from the car.
Recommended Gear for the Great Wall of China
There’s nothing at the pull-off, so keep water in a good water container and cold drinks in a camping fridge in the car. The Hema Flinders Ranges Atlas & Guide marks the stop and the roads around Blinman, and a power bank keeps the phone charged for the photos.
