Touring4x4
Adventurer
Lake Eyre & Oodnadatta Track
Lake Eyre and the Oodnadatta Track are in the desert regions of Northern South Australia. A remote and inhospitable place that is known for breaking vehicles and people but equally a beautiful arid area well worth visiting by adventurous people in well set up vehicles.
This trip starts at Lyndhurst in the Northern Flinders Ranges and has always been the jumping off point for many outback adventures and the end of the bitumen. At least this used to be the case but there is now an intermittent bitumen road through to Marree, comprising five kilometre sections of bitumen separated by up to seven kilometres of good gravel road. Lyndhurst is the start of the Oodnadatta Track and is also the start of the equally adventurous Strzelecki Track.
For those starting this journey from the Flinders Ranges or from Adelaide there is a well set up campground at Farina, midway between Lyndhurst and Marree. This is highly recommended as a stopover point and somewhere that is worth a side trip to explore the once sprawling town of Farina that is now nothing but ruins. For those with limited time continue on to Marree for your last fuel and supplies until William Creek.
Marree is one of the major towns on the old Ghan line that has survived and flourished as a welcome oasis for outback travellers. Heritage icons on display in the town centre include several old diesel locomotives, one of Tom Kruses’ old mail trucks and a mosque preserved as a tribute to the Afghan cameleers that helped open up the area and gave their name to the Ghan railway.
Other places worth visiting include the Marree Hotel, a sandstone two storey beauty, and the rather eccentric sounding Lake Eyre Yacht Club. Several charter planes in Marree will take tourists over the lake and to see other sights including the almost vanished infamous Marree Man.
Approximately two kilometres West of town on the Oodnadatta Track is the short track to Hergott Spring. This was the original name for the town of Marree but was changed due to anti-German sentiment after World War One. Returning to the main track there is a well signposted road on the right, about three kilometres out of Marree, that takes you out to Muloorina Campground.
This is a fifty kilometre drive on a well maintained gravel road, passing at one point through the Dog Fence, which brings you to the superb campground on the banks of the Frome River. Based around a permanent waterhole that feeds a large wetlands area this camp has a swimming area, a large choice of campsites and flushing well maintained toilets. For a donation via the usual outback honesty system this is a wonderful place to stay for a day or three.
Day tripping from Muloorina its about a twenty five kilometre drive out to the shores of Lake Eyre South, on another corrugated but good gravel road, and then follow the shoreline North to the channel between the two lakes and eventually Lake Eyre itself at Level Post Bay.
This last twenty kilometre section is rough and sandy in places but well within the capabilities of a four wheel drive vehicle. Level Post Bay is the spot where Donald Campbell set up base for his successful bid to break the world land speed record in his Bluebird car in 1964. When we visited in April the lake was dry as far as the eye can see. For bird watchers, nature lovers, outback visitors and photographers this location is a must see. Being in the SouthEast corner of the lake the views across its expanse are something to behold. While out here make sure you stay for a magnificent outback sunset over the Western side of the bay.
From Muloorina you return to the Oodnadatta Track and can either make the three kilometre trip back to Marree to refuel and restock or turn right towards William Creek. Along this section of the track there are many remnants from the old Ghan line including bridges across flood plains, rail sidings and buildings at Curdimurka and Beresford, water towers and other relics.
Lake Eyre and the Oodnadatta Track are in the desert regions of Northern South Australia. A remote and inhospitable place that is known for breaking vehicles and people but equally a beautiful arid area well worth visiting by adventurous people in well set up vehicles.
This trip starts at Lyndhurst in the Northern Flinders Ranges and has always been the jumping off point for many outback adventures and the end of the bitumen. At least this used to be the case but there is now an intermittent bitumen road through to Marree, comprising five kilometre sections of bitumen separated by up to seven kilometres of good gravel road. Lyndhurst is the start of the Oodnadatta Track and is also the start of the equally adventurous Strzelecki Track.
For those starting this journey from the Flinders Ranges or from Adelaide there is a well set up campground at Farina, midway between Lyndhurst and Marree. This is highly recommended as a stopover point and somewhere that is worth a side trip to explore the once sprawling town of Farina that is now nothing but ruins. For those with limited time continue on to Marree for your last fuel and supplies until William Creek.
Marree is one of the major towns on the old Ghan line that has survived and flourished as a welcome oasis for outback travellers. Heritage icons on display in the town centre include several old diesel locomotives, one of Tom Kruses’ old mail trucks and a mosque preserved as a tribute to the Afghan cameleers that helped open up the area and gave their name to the Ghan railway.
Other places worth visiting include the Marree Hotel, a sandstone two storey beauty, and the rather eccentric sounding Lake Eyre Yacht Club. Several charter planes in Marree will take tourists over the lake and to see other sights including the almost vanished infamous Marree Man.
Approximately two kilometres West of town on the Oodnadatta Track is the short track to Hergott Spring. This was the original name for the town of Marree but was changed due to anti-German sentiment after World War One. Returning to the main track there is a well signposted road on the right, about three kilometres out of Marree, that takes you out to Muloorina Campground.
This is a fifty kilometre drive on a well maintained gravel road, passing at one point through the Dog Fence, which brings you to the superb campground on the banks of the Frome River. Based around a permanent waterhole that feeds a large wetlands area this camp has a swimming area, a large choice of campsites and flushing well maintained toilets. For a donation via the usual outback honesty system this is a wonderful place to stay for a day or three.
Day tripping from Muloorina its about a twenty five kilometre drive out to the shores of Lake Eyre South, on another corrugated but good gravel road, and then follow the shoreline North to the channel between the two lakes and eventually Lake Eyre itself at Level Post Bay.
This last twenty kilometre section is rough and sandy in places but well within the capabilities of a four wheel drive vehicle. Level Post Bay is the spot where Donald Campbell set up base for his successful bid to break the world land speed record in his Bluebird car in 1964. When we visited in April the lake was dry as far as the eye can see. For bird watchers, nature lovers, outback visitors and photographers this location is a must see. Being in the SouthEast corner of the lake the views across its expanse are something to behold. While out here make sure you stay for a magnificent outback sunset over the Western side of the bay.
From Muloorina you return to the Oodnadatta Track and can either make the three kilometre trip back to Marree to refuel and restock or turn right towards William Creek. Along this section of the track there are many remnants from the old Ghan line including bridges across flood plains, rail sidings and buildings at Curdimurka and Beresford, water towers and other relics.
