Painted Desert

 

Painted Desert

From Oodnadatta we drove south west about 45 k to the turn off to Arckaringa Homestead.

 The road goes through the Painted Desert, and this is why we chose this rout. Another heavily corrugated, slow going road. Some 25k on our shaken bones and clenched teeth were rewarded.

 As you surmount a rise you are presented with an awe inspiring view. Weathered rock formations and stunning colours of the desert floor surround you. Orange, Yellow, Green and all the variants between, truly awesome.

From this viewing point you can travel a short distance further on, if you can break yourself away, and view some more sights of the surrounding terrain.

Spent some time here admiring the wonders of nature.

On to the Homestead, which is the only place you are allowed to camp, which is OK if it helps protect this amazing landscape.

Spent the night at the large campground behind the homestead with only two other campers.

In the morning, took the road less travelled, on the station roads, Past their neighbor, Evelyn Downs and eventually back to the main road heading south to Coober Pedy.

Oodnadatta

 

Oodnadatta.

From Marree to Oodnadatta along the Oodnadatta Track is a very

 interesting, if sometimes rough and slow 335 k drive, yet so full of

 history. From the camels who, with there Afghan handlers built the rails

 which would ultimately put them out of a job carting supplies into the

 vast outback, to the relics left behind of the pioneers who forged a life

 out here in a hostile and unforgiving land. Not to mention the natural

 wonders spread out in the landscape.

Some people travel it in a matter of a few days, we took 14, days that is.

 Wouldn’t have it any other way.

As we rolled into Oodna (as the locals call it) it was Saturday morning

 and the streets were bare except for a few travellers at the iconic Pink

 Roadhouse.

Oodna is somewhat more substantial than William Creek, but still only a

few streets of houses and a pub and roadhouse, the pub was shut

 unfortunately, as I was out of beer too.

Our direction was going to change from here. The track continues

 Northwest to Marla on the Stuart Hwy taking you to Alice Springs one

 way or Adelaide the other. We were going Southwest into the Painted

 Desert.

So it was fuel up, have a feed and buy some groceries as well as some

 little pressies for the grandkids. Drove out of there around $500 poorer.

 Oh well we helped the economy of the town.

Halligan Bay Lake Eyre

 

Halligan Bay Lake Eyre.

Not far further on is the Public access road to Lake Eyre North. A 60 k journey each way You don’t come all this way and not go, so off we went.

The road is maintained by Parks and Wildlife, they hadn't been here for a very long time. Corrugations so bad in places that others had made their own track beside the road, we followed most of them. With tyre pressures down as far as I dared and slow driving the ride was still jarring.

Took us over two hrs to get to the Lake but we’re not complaining. When you approach the lake you go down on the foreshore where the salt pan meets the red earth, and drive along to the info bay and camp ground. Had a read and look around and drove over to a camp spot.

No one else in sight, spent the night in solitude. Morning came, and so did the punishing drive back, but in our mind, it was worth it.

On to William Creek.

About half way along the Oodnadatta Track there is the town of William Creek. Well, the word town might be stretching it a bit. There is a pub however and fuel is available at $2.20 a litre, what you gunna do? It is a long way from anywhere.

Flights over Lake Eyre and the Painted hills leave from here also. I enquired about a flight but they didn't have anyone else booked for the next day and couldn't take just one person, Din wont get in a light plane, a helicopter, yes, but they only had planes. So that was that, we weren't hanging around.

Had a pie and beer at the pub instead, went and filled up with fuel and water which was desalinated from their plant at the campground.

After that, we had sampled all the town had to offer, so off we went.

Anna Creek Siding.

Only 10 or so ks out of William Creek a sign appeared on the side of the road, EGGS 1k, a little unusual out here. One k on there was the turn off for Anna Creek Station and a small painted box with cartons of eggs in it. Couldn’t resist, we were short of eggs too. $10.00 a dozen, small price to pay for fresh eggs out here, probably a project for the station kids. We happily bought some.

Then some 20 ks on the turn off for Anna Creek siding on the old railway came up. It wasn’t too late in the day but would be a good camp, so off we went.

This ruin was crumbling but in better condition than most, maybe because it was a long way off the track and not many thoughtless people came here to deface the property. Anyway we camped up for two days as it turned out and even used one of the old fireplaces to heat water for a welcomed shower.

The Peake Telegraph Station Ruins.

The overland telegraph line followed the Ghan railway from Adelaide to Darwin opening up communication from one end of the country to the other. Repeater stations were an essential part of this. The Peake station was one of these. It’s about 35 ks off the track on another badly corrugated road, but maybe not as bad as the last one.

When you arrive a stand of magnificent date palms greet you at the bottom of a rise leading to the ruins. These palms are watered from a series of the mound springs dotted about. They had finished fruiting for the year sadly, but what a bounty they would have provided.

A small village of stone buildings are up the rise, another example of the hard work from the people who built and lived out here.

After it was built they discovered copper in the surrounding hills so a mine was also established and a smelter for the copper ore was also built. Unfortunately after some time the mine became unprofitable and was abandoned. The site of the smelter is seen on the hillside and piles of green streaked ore are at the top ready for crushing, but never will be.

Two caged off mine shafts are at the top of nearby hills, along a walking track circuit. A very interesting place. Again no one in sight, these are the places we love, as well as the isolation and vastness of the country.

The Bubbler

 

THE BUBBLER.

About 30 ks up the track from our lake campsite is Wamba Kadarbu Mound Springs. These are large mounds built up from deposits of salts and sediments in the springs artesian water and wind blown dirt. You wouldnt know until you climb up one and there is a lovely pool at the top. Due to many man drilled bores the water pressure is lower now and many of these mound springs are dry.

The one we explored is called the Bubbler, a mere shadow of its former self apparently, but still impressive. The surrounding land is white with the salts and sediments in the highly mineralized water, yet it still harbours life.

Another 10 or so ks and a road off to the right takes us to Coward Springs. It is a pay campground with hot artisian pools and a date palm plantation. We didnt want to stay there but called in for a look. You have to pay to enter even if not staying, only a few dollars, but we decided to just have a coffee and home baked cake at the van at the entrance. The lady in the van was unpacking new stock of t shirts and caps etc; to sell, Din spotted a tiny long sleeved shirt with the Coward Springs camel logo on it and had to have it for the new grandson. So with the coffee, cake and takeaway goodies as well as the shirt, caps and other small items, they did pretty well out of us anyway.

Strangways springs ruins

Next stop Strangway Springs, turned off the track and drove about 3k and came to this old settlement. Crumbling old stone ruins,again the work that went into these buildings. So much history way out in the desert.

Was early afternoon so back out to the track and a little further on, an old Ghan rail bridge appeared to the side, a few hundred metres off the road. Checked it out over the mound the track used to run along , Followed the wheel tracks along the side of the creek bed. Nice little explore, turned around when the tracks ran out and went back to the bridge. We pulled up and that was our camp. Over the way there was actually water in the creek bed, not smelly and salty but fresh looking and water birds in it too. Bonus.

 

 

Time to move on,

Some ks up the winding track on an open area, an old stone ruin presented itself. Too good not to explore.

Mt. Fitton Ruins, the remnants of the old station homestead.

Made from hand chiseld stone, the work and skill that went into building these buildings out in the middle of nowhere is something to wonder at. An old wood stove still sits in the crumbling kitchen, the roof overhead long gone.

Fireplaces that once kept the family warm now look out onto empty rubble strewn rooms. The ironwork from a piano leans on a wall, If only these walls could talk.

Out back the old wash house and bathroom stands, the bathtub removed sits outside with other remnants of the homestead. As we wander among the relics of the past we cant help think of the life, hard work, trials and hardships in this unforgiving landscape way back then.

Off we go again, After a lot of ks and another overnight camp, the track became a little wider and transversed more open country. Soon we hit the Strzelecki Track, turning left it stretched westward. Being late afternoon, a truck rest bay coming up was a good camp for the night. Pulling in we parked up in the corner giving the trucks plenty of room if needed. There were three trippel trailer road trains there full of cattle. We knew they would be off again after having a break and a little while later they pulled out one by one. The night was peaceful not another soul on the road till early morning.

Moving off in the morning it was only a couple of ks and we were on, bitumen road!!!?? We were about 100 ks from Lyndhurst and did not expect this, as it turned out the black tar stretched all the way to Lyndhurst. Took a while to get used to the smoothness as well as the speed, it had been forever it seemed since we had been on a smooth flat road.

While at Lyndhurst I filled up with fuel as it would be the cheapest for a long stretch the way we were headed at $1.68 per litre. Water is also hard to come by in these parts, none can be obtained here and neither at Marree and unknown further on. Our water tanks were still fairly full so it would be rationing from now on. Normally we can go a couple of weeks with our 180 litre supply and I was sure there would be somewhere up the track we could fill up again.

Next stop Farina, the ruins of an old Ghan railway town where a group of volunteers are painstakingly restoring the stone buildings. They have restored the old underground, wood fired bakery oven and sell fresh baked bread and pies and other goodies. So it was lunch at Farina.

Pies eaten, and with an armful of bread and cakes we loaded up and headed for Marree.

 Marree.

The Marree Camel cup held each year in July is one of the biggest events out here if not the biggest. We have been before, but this year it was on the weekend before we arrived, we rocked up on the Monday and the town was deserted. Didn't bother us, more the better really.

Stopped at the shop and mailed a few little pressies to the grandkids and got a few essentials. Then to the next stage of our little adventure, the Oodnadatta Track.

From Marree the Oodnadatta track heads westward into the desert, following the old Ghan railway line. All that's left of the iconic railway line is the mound the tracks once rested on and the rusting remains of railway bridges spanning dry river beds.

There are also old stone ruins of railway siding buildings, defying the forces of nature and standing as reminders of the once busy line.

We slowly make our way on the track, as we are in no hurry and there are patches of rough corrugated road, but mostly the road is in good shape. Also there seems to be a lot more vehicles on the track htan we expected to see. We let them pass and stay out of their dust.

First camp was at Callanna, the ruins of an old siding next to the railway. Spent a peaceful night and continued on in the morning.

Some 80 or so ks up the track we skirted the southern end of Lake Eyre South, and found a couple of tyre tracks going to the white of the lake bed in the distance. So as you do, we followed them and came to an area not to far from the shoreline of the salt lake. This will do for a camp, amongst the wildflowers and salt bush, far enough from the road and with a glimpse of the lake shimmering in the distance. After a beautiful sunset we bedded down for the night.