Doug Sprigg - Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary

The History and Contribution of Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary
Guest Speaker: Doug Sprigg
Speaker's Host: Monica Oliphant
Arkaroola isn’t the kind of place you’re likely to accidentally stumble across.
Hidden deep in South Australia’s red-dirt outback, some eight-hours drive from Adelaide - and at least four from anything that could be described as a bustling town - the 610-square-kilometre wilderness sanctuary can be considered remote, even by Australia’s world-record standards.
And that’s exactly how Patrol Legend Doug Sprigg likes it. A man so deeply in love with Australia’s outback it’s like the rust-red dirt flows right through his veins, Doug says he couldn’t see himself living anywhere else.
Which is a good thing, because the Sprigg family have been the custodians of this unique site since acquiring it from the South Australian government in 1967, and it has been mostly home ever since.
“There is nowhere quite like this,” Doug says. “Arkaroola is a 144,000-acre property, and it has an amazing diversity of geology, animals and plants in these arid lands.”
Today, Arkaroola welcomes tourists in droves who come to explore the stunning Flinders Rangers, or the deep gorges and towering mountains that cover much of the property, either on foot, by 4WD, or by one of the sanctuary’s planes, often piloted by Doug himself.
Or for the unique wildlife, including the rare yellow-footed rock wallaby, the powerful wedge-tail eagle, or the metre-long Stimson's Python.
It’s an area that will remain untouched and available for us all to explore for years to come, thanks to the commitment of the Sprigg family, and Doug’s ongoing dedication to the land.
The legend tag has never been more fitting.