A Full Lake Eyre, Free Camps and the Painted Desert
We set off towards the Oodnadatta track, because the word on the street was that Lake Eyre was full, looking to be at its fullest since 1989. We were excited, we had our new van, we were back on the road, we were pumped to get off grid, off road and soak up some outback vibes.
Our first stop along the track coming from Maree, was Plane Henge, a great way to start our travels along the track. A compulsory stop to view the many amazing and creative sculptures that have been made from old junk. It is a perfect example of creativity on a whole other level.
The great thing about the Oodnadatta is the many free camps along the track, some more popular than others. On our first night we found a spot off the track, it was just us, nobody else in sight and one of the best Outback sunsets we have experienced.
The next day we drove towards Coward Springs, a well-known station stay along the track. Coward Springs is known for its date scones and artesian spa. It gets busy, so we booked ahead…thanks to Starlink. It was lucky we did, because it was booked out by the time we got to camp. We spent two nights here, and yes, we had fresh date scones each morning… They are very worthy of the hype they are given.
After Coward Springs, we arrived at the small town of William Creek. Flights over Lake Eyre are conducted from here, we both said to ourselves, if they have available flights, we will do it. Why not, it’s not often that Australia’s biggest Salt Lake is full. We were lucky enough or not lucky, to be offered a small plane to ourselves as the pilot needed to get his flying hours up. So, off we went on a 2 hour flight over the lake, just us in the back with the two pilots in the front giving us a magnificent view of the lake in all its glory and new bird life basking in the sun.
That night we pulled up at Lake Cadibarrawirracanna, what a name! It is a small camp, if you get there early you are likely to get a spot on the lake. It is not a swimming lake, just one to look at. If you go too close to the water, you will find yourself ankle deep in mud. The road is quite corrugated but take it slow and it is worth it for the peaceful vibe and the stunning sunsets. This might have been our favourite spot on the track, who doesn’t love a body of water to camp by?
After a couple of days at the lake, we moved on and explored the many ruins along the old Ghan railway and settled into another free camp along a dry creek bed, amongst the trees. Maybe this was our favourite camp? The sunset was one that changed from pink, to orange, to red, to orange and back to pink before disappearing. The fire was on, we had the place to ourselves, it ticked all the boxes for a great camp.
The Pink Roadhouse is an iconic stop on the Oodnadatta, you can’t miss the large pink Roadhouse as you approach, and a photo of your rig parked out the front is a prerequisite of this stop. We decided to pull up behind the roadhouse for the night and enjoy a dinner there. A beef schnitzel and a chicken schnitzel were consumed with a cold beverage before calling it a night.
From here, we set our sights on the Painted Desert at Arckaringa Station. We heard the road in was a rough one, we deliberated, but made the call to go, take it slow and we will be right. We have travelled some rough corrugated roads in Australia, and this was up there as being one of the roughest we have travelled. The kind you have to stop every 5 minutes to take a rest from the shaking and rattling. Taking it slow was the perfect pace to soak up the beautiful drive that snaked through colourful rocky hills and old gravel creek beds, it was quite special.
Actually…we think that this was perhaps our favourite stop off the Oodnadatta track. The Painted Desert was something that exceeded expectations, the lookout at sunset was all ours and spectacular. We still recommend it as a stop to anyone wanting to hit the Oodnadatta track.
The options really are endless while traveling the Oodnadatta Track, free camps, popular stations, hotels and roadhouses, there is so much to see along the way. Our advice for anyone looking to do it, is to take your time, enjoy the adventure and learn about this historic part of Australia.
We cannot wait to do it again, revisit our favourites and discover new places as we go.
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