Fodor's Expert Review Wilpena Pound

At the center of the park is Wilpena Pound, a craterlike 80-square-km (31-square-mile) natural bowl ringed by hills that curve gently upward, only to fall away from the rims of sheer cliffs. Geologists will tell you that it is in fact a synclinal basin while for the Adnyamathanha traditional owners it was formed by two giant serpents who went to the sleep. The only entrance to the Pound is a narrow cleft through which Wilpena Creek sometimes runs. The best way to see it is from above—scenic flights are available at Wilpena Pound Resort (from A$186) and are well worth the splurge.