Tuesday 15th April: Up the Oodnadatta Track!

We were up early today - and everyone did a great job on the first pack up of our tent city.

We took some time out before setting off this morning to check out the historical precinct of Marree - which was exhibited just across from the Marree Hotel.

The Oodnadatta track is now open for 4wd drive vehicles only all the way through to Oodnadatta - so we embarked on another day of travelling in this remote outback of South Australia.

The troops are  all lined up ready to tackle the track ahead!!

Some of the usual things you can encounter on these outback tracks is wandering stock  - as you travel quite often through unfenced properties

And of course there is always the road trains!!

You will also sometimes find interesting artworks

Some amusing sights are sometimes encountered as well!!

We make a detour off the track to check out Lake Eyre South.

Interesting to realise that we are actually below sea-level here!!

Some of us walked out on to the salt flats of the lake. 

There is actually water in the lake at the moment but it is a very long walk if you wanted to get to the waters edge and you would find the going hard as you very quickly start sinking into the ground as you go further out.

We took silly photos of the kids - 

And the 'big kids' got in on the act as well!!

And this cute little creature was very hard to spot

We have already started to hit some slushy sections of road this morning

We are also seeing quite a lot of run-off still from some of the watercourses

Next thing we have our first tyre issue for the trip!

Steve radios that he has done a tyre and we all pull over to assist and wait for the tyre change.

How many people does it take to change a tyre??

It turns out that it is not a puncture in the tyre - but he is unlucky enough to have had a rock caught in the rim of a tyre and it has actually punched a hole in the alloy wheel rim. The spare goes on - but he will now need a new - which proves much harder to find out here for the Ford Ranger he is driving.

Some people fill in the time cracking whips

And for some it has already been a big day!!  - or maybe Cindy is just "getting closer to be at one with the land"

Coward Springs is our next interesting stop along the Oodnadatta track this morning.

There is a man-made spa pool they have built at the campground - where water from the local springs is pumped into a wooden pool area.

We did manage to fit quite a few people in this small spa pool - and we had a lot of fun doing it!!

At the toilet facilities in this campground at Coward Springs we see this cute sign on the rain water tank

"It only rains here when a cloud gets lost"

I think the message is loud and clear - don't' waste the water!!

After our dip in the springs we head off making for William Creek for our lunch stop.

We just have to have a drink in the William Creek Hotel. 

Again - the hotel is pretty much all that remains of William Creek - another town along the Old Ghan railway line.

They do not have a rim to fit the Ford Ranger at William Creek!!

Interestingly they do have a golf course - "anyone for a game of golf?". I think you will have a hard time finding the greens in this golf course.

We stop to check out Algebuckina Waterhole - we could camp here for the night

Instead we press on to Oodnadatta and camp for tonight at the back of the iconic'Pink Roadhouse'

This they called the "Oodnadatta Caravan Park" (& charged like a wounded bull - $22 for 2 adults) - but it was really just a patch of dirt to pitch your tents on - but it was in a fenced off area with toilets, hot showers and a laundry. 

Oodnadatta makes the following claim to fame:

The RIP sign is for Adam Plate the previous owner of the Pink Roadhouse - he was killed in a rally car race 2 years ago. His wife has since managed to sell the roadhouse.

The price of Diesel is now starting to hike up for us ($2.25/litre). 

We just top up here (as we filled up before leaving Rawnsley where the price was pretty good) so that we don't have to put in too much at Mt Dare Hotel - where we are figuring on it being even dearer.