8 must-sees on the Oodnadatta Track

By John Pedler
Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Before the Oodnadatta Track existed – in fact, well before Europeans were on the scene at all – this was an Aboriginal trading route which followed a series of springs fed by the Great Artesian Basin.

To cut an extremely long story short, rain falling on the Great Dividing Range takes a million or so years to travel half way across the country via an underground aquifer – porous rock sandwiched between layers of non-porous rock. Where the aquifer bends up to meet the earth’s surface, the water is released as springs. Water means life, because you can’t survive in the desert on lizards alone.

These springs proved vital for early explorers and settlers, and this became the main route north. Then came the overland telegraph, connecting Australia with England, followed by the Great Northern Railway – later the Ghan – and finally the Oodnadatta Track as we know it today.

Even with its springs and delicious lizards, this is still a considerably hostile place. The outback heat can be brutal, and many months – sometimes years – can pass without significant rain. Yet, ironically, it was flash flooding of the waterways draining into Lake Eyre that often brought the train to a halt.

The Oodnadatta Track. Photo: SATC

The rail service became so unreliable that by 1980 the whole shebang had been relocated further west where there was less likelihood of weather-related disruptions.

Although regularly damaged by bushfires, floods and termites, the overland telegraph line continued to be used until the 1970s, when a string of microwave towers rendered the line redundant.

Given nature’s relentless determination to destroy everything we make, it’s surprising how much of the rail and telegraph infrastructure remains. But in the end the forces of nature will win out, so maybe it’s time to plan a trip north this winter and experience a unique part of our country.

Here are eight things that shouldn’t be missed on a road trip along the Oodnadatta Track.

Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre

More often dry than not, Lake Eyre is Australia’s biggest lake. In fact it’s so big it’s difficult to truly comprehend its size from the ground.

Just off the Oodnadatta Track there are a couple of places that look out over the smaller, Lake Eyre South, but to view the main lake you’ll need to travel from Marree to Level Post Bay (96km) or from William Creek to Halligan Bay (64km). These tracks head into extremely remote areas, so self-sufficiency is crucial.

Halligan Bay is particularly remote and is only accessible in a high clearance 4wd vehicle.

To really appreciate the magnitude of this ‘inland sea’ you’ll need to take to the skies. Wrightsair flies out of William Creek, and if you have the time it’s worth including the Painted Hills on your flight (photo at the top). Located on Anna Creek cattle station, the hills are so fragile that no vehicle access is permitted.

Remnants of an ancient seafloor, these brittle mesas reveal vivid scars of colour as they crumble to the desert plain.

Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, Australia's inland sea. Photo: SATC

Curdimurka Rail Siding

The Curdimurka site was restored by the Ghan Preservation Society, who, in the mid-1980s, organised a biennial outback ball to help fund ongoing restoration. The fundraising shindig is no longer held, but the fettlers cottages and the water treatment plant remain largely intact.

Curdimurka Rail Siding, a blast from the past.

Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs

Poking up from the flat expanse of the desert are what appear to be tiny hillocks. On closer inspection you’ll find they’re actually mound springs, formed when artesian water gurgling up to the surface carried sediment that built up on the barren plain. Wind-swept debris also contributes to their ongoing formation.

There are two main springs, Bubbler and Blanche Cup, and from the viewing areas it’s possible to see the water swirling up from the depths. The larger mesa-like structure is known as Hamilton Hill, and in an earlier life it too was a mound spring.

Looking out over the treeless plain it’s easy to understand what makes the artesian basin so ‘great’. Without its precious water it’s highly unlikely that Europeans would have ever bothered with this part of the world.

In fact, the two main activities that keep us busy in the outback – pastoralism and mining – are totally dependent on this ancient water supply.

Wabma Kadarbu springs, bubbling up from the dusty desert.

Wabma Kadarbu springs, water in a barren desert.

Coward Springs Campground

Complete with date palms, Coward Springs is a classic oasis in the desert. Once a siding on the Great Northern Railway, the site had become considerably rundown before restoration work began in 1991, and these days it operates as a family business.

The Engine Driver’s Cabin is now a museum while the fully restored Station Master’s House has become a residence.

The camping ground is shaded by historic date palms – planted in the late 1800s – as well as the many native trees that have since been grown.

There’s also a small, artesian-fed spa pool and a bird-friendly wetland.

Spa pool fed by aretesian waters at Coward Springs.

Artesian spa in the outback at Coward Springs.

William Creek Hotel

204 kilometres north of Marree and 202 kilometres south of Oodnadatta, the famous William Creek Hotel has long been a welcome sight on the Oodnadatta Track. The pub is one of only two businesses in town – the other is Wrightsair – and depending on staffing levels the town’s population rarely reaches double figures.

Built in the late 1880s out of timber and iron, the hotel has since been extended to improve the dining facilities. Inside there’s all sorts of paraphernalia collected from visitors over the years.

William Creek Hotel, a lonely pub in the outback.

William Creek Hotel, a popular outback watering hole.

Peake Telegraph Station

This was the most remote of the overland telegraph stations in northern SA, and it’s still no easy feat to get here. The ruins are at the end of a rough, 16-kilometre long 4wd track, and because of their isolation they remain in reasonable nick.

The station closed in 1891 and the equipment was relocated to Oodnadatta, which by then had been connected by rail to Adelaide.

In a gully just up from the ruins you can see the workings of a failed copper mining venture that briefly brought Peake back to life in the early 1900s.

One of the information signs features an evocative, albeit oddly posed, photograph of Peake and its residents in the station’s heyday.

Peake Telegraph Station ruins, linking Australia with England.

Peake Telegraph Station, linking Australia with England.

Algebuckina Rail Bridge

Alongside the track you’ll see a number of iron bridges spanning creeks and rivers, but none come close to the magnificence of Algebuckina Rail Bridge. Stretching 578 metres across the mighty Neales River, it was the longest rail bridge in South Australia until the two ends of the Onkaparinga Valley Bridge met in 2012.

The waterhole across the road is a popular spot for camping.

Algebuckina rail bridge on the old Ghan line.

Algebuckina was once the longest rail bridge in SA.

Oodnadatta Museum

Housed in several rooms of the old railway station, the museum contains historic photos, Aboriginal artefacts and displays covering Oodnadatta’s role as an inland mission and rail town. Together with information on the region’s geography and geology, the exhibits tell a thorough story of the Oodnadatta region.

Keys are available from the Pink Roadhouse.

Oodnadatta Museum is housed in the old Ghan Railway Station.

Oodnadatta Museum in the old railway station.

Fast facts

Officially the Oodnadatta Track runs from Marree to Marla.
Weather permitting, it can be travelled in a conventional vehicle with good ground clearance.
It’s best to travel in the cooler months to beat the outback heat.
Unleaded and diesel are available at Marree, William Creek, Oodnadatta and Marla.
The longest distance between fuel stops is 207km – Oodnadatta to Marla.

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