Post 495 Oodnadatta

Ian Collard
August 26, 2022

Oodnadatta

The notorious pink road house at Oodnadatta.

Oodnadatta

As the end of the line Oodnadatta qualified for a full blown railway station.

Oodnadatta

When the trains stopped coming most of the town died. The Transcontinental Hotel is closed again. Judging by the tourist traffic when we were here it is hard to see there being enough to support both the road house and a pub.

Oodnadatta

No pictures the night we were in town.

Post 496 Marla – the end of the Oodnadatta Track

Ian Collard
August 26, 2022

Marla

So there is not much at Marla. It is unfair to say it is just a service station on the Stuart Highway but there isn't much more to the town. Here we are in the cheap seats at the Caravan Park behind said servo.

There isn't too much to see between Oodnadatta and Marla but we can say we have done the complete Oodnadatta track from Maree all the way to Marla.

Now pump the tyres up a bit for some bitumen driving.

Post 497 Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy

Straight down the black stuff to Coober Pedy. I had to do the kitsch thing and take a photo at the sign. Note the opal mine dirt heaps in the far background.

Coober Pedy

Until we were here I didn't realise Coober Pedy had its own Hollywood style sign.

Coober Pedy

The aliens really have landed.

Coober Pedy

Having a bit of fun on our self-paced opal mine tour.

Coober Pedy

A display underground house at the Old Timers Mine.

Coober Pedy

A lot of people still live in underground houses. This house extends a long way into the hill side.

Coober Pedy

The underground Serbian Orthodox Church.

Post 498 Kingoonya

Kingoonya

Kingoonya is another one of those defunct railway towns this time on the transcontinental line from Adelaide to Perth.

Kingoonya

The trains to Darwin and the trains to Perth both run through Kingoonya but neither need any support from the town.

Kingoonya

What a magnificent showing of Sturt's Desert Peas.

Post 499 Kingoonya to Wirrulla

Kingoonya to Wirrulla

We took a shortcut to Streaky Bay down a gravel road. On the map the road travels between two salt lakes we hoped to catch glimpses of the lakes as we drove past. While we didn't see much of these we did see other unnamed ones further south.

This rock wall goes across a dry gully so I can only surmised that it is a failed dam.

Kingoonya to Wirrulla

Emus among the saltbush. As well as emus we saw a lot of sheep grazing on the saltbush.

Kingoonya to Wirrulla

What is the collective noun for emus? flock?

Kingoonya to Wirrulla

After running down the road in front of us this mob thought it was time for a drink.

After this the road became quite wet and slippery. Clifford is not so clean now.