Oodnadatta Track

Sure enough, we woke to ice covering everything (did I mention that it was cold?)(turns out that you get used to it after a few nights).

We were never really intending to spend a lot of time in the Flinders – although I am hanging out to come back and do a bit more exploring. The landscape is completely unique and changes constantly from rounded grassy hills, to high ridges to the horizon-spanning red-streaked peaks that form the edge of Wilpena Pound. We drove south with the intention of re-fuelling at Wilpena – most of the drive was towards the pound, which dominated every view. Had a quick stop at Stoke’s Hill lookout which involved a steep-ish drive but gave an impressive 360 degree view of most of the eastern Flinders (well worth the stop). Wilpena itself wasn’t really a highlight – you can’t really see any of the landscape from the resort and we didn’t have time to walk up to the edge of the pound. The views we got from the drive down were probably better (although it’s on my mental list of things to come back and see properly).

We left the Flinders via Bunyeroo and Brachina Gorges. This was a fun drive! Most of the road through the gorges actually travels in the riverbeds themselves (not sure that you’d want to be in there if it rained). There was a moderate amount of (mostly standing) water and a few big puddles to drive through, and plenty of interesting views as the gorge walls continually changed in colour and texture. The road was never very rough and it was a drive I’d thoroughly recommend. I only wished it could have lasted longer…

Too soon we were out of the Flinders and heading out into what looked and felt like a vast expanse of nothing. The (rapidly receding) view of the Flinders from this side was even more impressive (especially given the terrain in front of us) and I was more than a little bit sad that we were leaving them so soon.

Soon enough we came back onto the tar and pointed the BT north again. Along the way, we took a quick detour to Leigh Creek Coalmine. There was quite a good lookout spot with some old machinery and an awesome view out over the opencut. We had been eyeing off all the evidence of digging in the hills along-side the road for quite a few km’s and were quite glad to find a place that afforded a good view of the mine workings. Another detour we would recommend.

The road turned back to dirt not long after Lyndhurst, but it was a quick run to Marree and the official beginning of the Oodnadatta track (got the obligatory photo of the sign). We refeulled at Marree (really just a few buildings surrounded by dirt)(and a multitude of fellow travelers) and continued another 20km or so to find a place to camp. We managed to score what turned out to be our favourite campsite along the track – it was next to a (dry) creek, snug between the embankment from the old Ghan and a natural mound in the terrain. Climbing up the embankment afforded views over the desert (can I call it desert?), then of the sunset, then finally the stars (as well as a single road-train that went past in the night – lit up like a Christmas tree). As we let the fire burn down, we were stalked by a couple of foxes that crept around the edge of the lantern light for a few minutes, then disappeared. Made me wonder what other animals might be stalking about. It was definitely less cold (although still cool enough to hang by the fire until the very last moment before going to bed)(or in Ryan’s case – till he could be absolutely sure that there would be no chance of the remaining fire escaping and catching outback SA alight)(my threshold being slightly lower and usually resulting in me being first to bed). So we spent our first official night camping along the Oodnadatta track!