oodnadatta
One of our big lap bucket list adventures, the Oodnadatta Track! The bumps, the dirt, the heat, we were ready for a unique adventure!
The Oodnadatta Track is a 617km unsealed track that follows the Old Ghan railway line and the Overland Telegraph. It runs from Marree to Marla, passing through Oodnadatta. Once we had finished exploring the Flinders Ranges, we decided to be the crazy adventurers who decided to take on the Oodnadatta Track in early January, the middle of summer! We were well prepared for the trip, including an abundance of water on-board, extra fuel, lagging all over our pipes, a personal locator beacon with GPS, and a UHF radio set on channel 40. There is a water station at Marree but this wasn't working when we went to check it out so make sure you are prepared. Temperatures can reach mid 40s during summer so we also made sure we had fluids for the car, including oil and coolant. With an Aussie Rock playlist blasting, it was time to hit the road!
Kati thanda - lake eyre
After an hour of hitting the Oodnadatta Track, we stopped at a place we never thought we would see as it’s so remote! We couldn’t believe our eyes, we had Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre right there in front of us! We parked up in the bay and ventured down to the salty lake! The vastness made us feel like ants, and the beauty of the salt sparkling in the sunlight made us really appreciate how special this place really is. Kati Thanda is the largest inland lake and its size is almost one-sixth of Australia! Its sacred name means ‘the name of the lake which was formed after the skin of a kangaroo was spread over the ground’. The native title over the lake and surrounding region is held by the Arabana People.
coward springs
After a massive day of driving, we decided to stay at Coward Springs for the night. The oasis on the Oodnadatta! Coward Springs oozed outback holiday vibes, and we were lucky enough to of had this place all to ourselves! The owners were absolutely lovely, giving us a warm welcome and a hot tip of what campsite would give us the most comfort in the heat as all campsites are off-grid. We slept like babies with the southerly breeze gently blowing through our windows. This heritage listed site was a former railway station on the old Ghan railway line. This place is also a working date farm with some of the date palms descending from the Afghan Cameleer days! The highlight would have to of been the artesian spa! 29 degree water that is high is mineral salt, was quite refreshing in the summer heat. No booking are required for the spa. As it was their quiet season, prior bookings were not necessary. Payment is by self registration on the way into the campground. You can pay with cash or write your card details on their slip before putting it into the dropbox. There are toilets and showers, with a wood-fired boiler which you would need to light 30mins beforehand if you wish to have warm water. As we were camping in warm conditions, we opted for cold showers! There was also strong Optus reception, but no Telstra service.
william creek hotel
The next morning, we continued on with our dusty drive along the Oodnadatta Track. We stopped into William Creek for some lunch and to top up on fuel. It is most famous for the William Creek Hotel. Here you can find unpowered and powered sites and a unique pub with authentic outback hospitality. The ceiling and walls are donned with hats, business cards, photos and numberplates from previous tourists. The waitress behind the counter was super stoked as we were the fourth tourists to drive through the town, but the first to stop in at the pub. While we were there, the owner of the largest cattle station in the world, Anna Creek, paid a visit.
After lunch, we continued our drive amongst the vast landscapes. The road conditions were surprisingly good as it had been grated not too long before our visit. There were many cattlegrids, with massive cattle lingering in the paddocks next to the road. The country was dry and hot and we barely passed other vehicles. It really did make us feel like we were a drop in the ocean. We did pass plentiful railway sidings and the Algebuckina Bridge, a wrought iron railway bridge that crosses the flood plain of the River Neales.
the pink roadhouse
After two solid days of driving, we made it to Oodnadatta! The end goal was to take our pink-loving youngest warrior to The Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta. His mind was exploding with pinkness! We grabbed a powered site at the back of the hotel roadhouse and cranked the aircon. There is a petrol station at Oodnadatta, along with a restaurant and a mini grocery store.
We lucked out weather wise during our drive with the temperatures sitting between high twenties to mid thirties, considering it can hit up to mid forties this time of year. The road conditions were pretty good with the only thing slowing us down were the many dips and dry causeways. It was our first real test for our van and she nailed it, with only a broken Anderson plug! The Oodnadatta Track is on the beautiful Arabana Country. With a bucket list item ticked off, it was time to head to Alice Springs to explore what The Red Centre had to offer.
Peace + love,
Peace + love,