Organ Pipes Lookout

The Organ Pipes are the geological showpiece of Gawler Ranges National Park. Here a cliff face of red and grey rhyolite has cooled and cracked into towering vertical columns, like the pipes of some vast stone instrument, the legacy of volcanic activity more than 1.5 billion years ago.

A short walk from the car park brings you to the base of the formation, best photographed in the warm light of early morning or late afternoon when the columns glow. The surrounding ranges hold yellow-footed rock-wallabies, emus and a tapestry of arid wildflowers after rain.

The park is remote and unsealed; a high-clearance or four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, and travellers should carry water, fuel and supplies. The reward is one of the most striking and least-crowded natural sights on the Eyre Peninsula.