A massive cold snap caught plenty of grey nomads out at the end of last week with freezing temperatures and snow sending many out for thicker doonas.
With ongoing concerns over Covid-19 and some border restrictions still in places, more travellers than normal are spending the winter in the south … but they’ve had a harsh reminder of why they generally like to go north at this time of the year.
Visitors at Wilpena Pound Resort in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges certainly felt the cold as the region was covered in a thick layer of snow … reportedly the first time since the 1980s.
So where’s all the red dust?
Long-time Hawker resident, Adnyamathanha Elder Pauline McKenzie said it was the first time she’d seen snow on the ground, covering the ranges – including St Mary’s Peak – in white.
“The last time it snowed here was back in the 1980s, but it wasn’t anything like this” Ms McKenzie said. “Today is the first time I’ve touched proper snow, and the first time I’ve made a snowball … it’s a highly unusual event, we’ve never seen anything like this.”
