{"id":51856,"date":"2025-07-08T08:57:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T22:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=51856"},"modified":"2025-12-04T14:02:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T03:02:48","slug":"rachael-sarra-flinders-ranges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/rachael-sarra-flinders-ranges\/","title":{"rendered":"‘At that moment, I burst into tears’. Exploring the Flinders Ranges with First Nations artist Rachael Sarra"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Community Conversations, an interview series featuring Intrepid travellers, creatives and activists from our community. In every Q&A, we ask an inspiring individual about their world view and their world adventures. Today, we sit down with First Nations artist, Rachael Sarra<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rachael Sarra is a mixed-race, First Nations contemporary artist and designer from Goreng Goreng Country in Queensland, Australia<\/a>. She uses art as a powerful tool to explore society\u2019s perception of Aboriginal art and identity. We sent Rachael on our Flinders Ranges Explorer trip<\/a> \u2013 a seven-day journey from Adelaide, looping through Indigenous sites like Iga Warta, Arkaroola and Wilpena Pound. Here\u2019s her take on the whole group-travel-in-your-own-country experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n
South Australia Outback Adventure<\/a><\/div>
10 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Walk South Australia's Flinders Ranges<\/a><\/div>
7 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Melbourne to Kangaroo Island Adventure<\/a><\/div>
11 days<\/span><\/div>
View trip<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What do you love most about travel and travelling in general?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I love to explore new places. I am always so inspired by the food, the landscapes and the buildings. It feels really freeing to be in different environments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do you enjoy travelling with Intrepid?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have always been drawn to the itineraries that Intrepid<\/a> offer and I have a deep trust in their abilities to pick the best experiences, led by knowledgeable and fun guides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Sarah’s art and culture trip along the Great Ocean Road<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Two<\/a>
For Rachael Sarra, travelling within her own country felt special<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What did it feel like joining an Intrepid tour?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I do a lot of travel for work within Australia, but this was my first group tour here. I don\u2019t think I would have been able to see these parts of Australia without being on a group tour. The long drives through the rugged South Australian outback on the Flinders Ranges Explorer trip were beautiful, but not something I would do myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t know a lot about the Flinders Ranges beforehand, but now that I\u2019ve been to this part of Australia, I think it\u2019s somewhere everyone needs to explore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"A
The drive from Adelaide to Ikara-Flinders Ranges showcases Outback landscapes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

What did visiting Iga Warta mean to you?   <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Driving into Iga Warta, I felt a really weird energy shift. It was almost a sense of familiarity. Once we got into our destination, we were welcomed by song and a smoking ceremony with two uncles, Terry and Clarence. I said thank you to Uncle Clarry and he touched me on the shoulder with his clap sticks (traditional percussive instruments). When we had a spare moment, I introduced myself through my family, making note of my Dad, Grant Sarra, my Grandma, Norma Broome, my Pop, Michael Williams, and Pop\u2019s brother, Willy McKenzie. As soon as I said this, Uncle Clarry said, ‘I knew you were family when I touched you with my clap sticks’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I told him that I had felt a real energy shift driving in and that a couple of months ago I had a dream about a place I had never been, but it felt familiar to me. Like I had been there. So, when I woke up, I drew what I saw and how I felt in my dream. When we were over at Wilpena Pound, I realised: it was the place I had seen in my dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read more: Meet Intrepid Foundation partner Country Needs People<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Terry and Clarence welcomed the group with a traditional song<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Uncle Clarry said: ‘You know how I said in our welcome that we are spirit? And when our casing dies, we come back in another way? Now you\u2019re here and your spirit is returning home’.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And at that moment, I burst out into tears. It was like a massive weight had been lifted. A surrender. Almost like everything that had been causing friction within me in the last few months had found its way home and settled. This was a serendipitous personal moment for me, but the cultural experience for anyone visiting the Flinders Ranges and Iga Warta is life changing and special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would you tell travellers who are sceptical about going on a small-group adventure?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I got to experience this part of the world with an incredible group of people. Just do it, you won\u2019t believe what it\u2019s like until you\u2019re there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"A<\/a>
South Australia had so many to explore, including the famous Wirrabarra Silo art<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Where would you like to explore next with Intrepid?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I have my eye on a Western Australia<\/a> trip and a Mexico<\/a> trip. I\u2019m also very tempted to do the first Canada Intrepid trip I did again, because I loved it so much. It was the Canadian Rockies and Northern Lights tour<\/a> and it was incredible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To follow Rachael Sarra\u2019s art, check out her Instagram<\/a> and experience the Flinders Ranges<\/a> for yourself with Intrepid.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rachael Sarra travels on Intrepid’s seven-day Flinders Ranges Explorer trip, from Adelaide through Indigenous lands. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16246,"featured_media":51863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3108],"tags":[26,1943],"class_list":["post-51856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-stories","tag-australia","tag-indigenous-culture","ipf_region-australia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n'At that moment, I burst into tears'. 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