Located on the iconic Birdsville track, just north of the dog fence, Dulkaninna Station is a cattle property that boasts a rich tapestry of land systems. These include the stony gibber plains, fertile black soil flood plains, undulating sandhill country, dramatic breakaway country, and creeks lined with the iconic coolibah trees. The station has been a part of the Bell family’s heritage for six generations, spanning over a century.
The station, which initially ran sheep in the late 1800s, has evolved into a fully accredited organic cattle station, as per the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia (NASAA). The station employs adaptive land management strategies, ensuring the land’s sustainability for future generations. They also practice stress-free stock handling, ensuring the wellbeing of their livestock. The Bell family also breeds registered Australian stock horses and quarter horses, as well as kelpie dogs, which are registered with the Working Kelpie Association of Australia.
Recently, Dulkaninna has expanded its operations to include tourism, offering two unique experiences. The first, ‘Beyond and Back Day Tours’, offers personalised small group 4WD interpretative tours of the Birdsville track, Cooper Creek, and Lake Eyre. These tours provide a deep dive into the local history, tales, legends, and natural history of the region.
The second experience is the ‘Coolibah Camp’, a picturesque camping site nestled in a creek bed just a kilometre from the homestead. The camp, as detailed on Hipcamp, provides amenities such as toilets, hot showers, and a basic camp kitchen in a shelter shed. The area is teeming with native flora and fauna, providing a unique opportunity to connect with nature. The camp is conveniently situated 800km from Adelaide and 848km from Marree.
In April 2013, the South Australian government officially recognised the land comprising the Dulkaninna pastoral lease as a locality, aptly named ‘Dulkaninna’. For more information about the station, you can visit its Wikipedia page or the Outback Lakes SA page.