Surviving the Oodnadatta Track!

Some people might wonder about the title of this blog, as normally the Oodnadatta Track is not too much of a challenge. However that isn't the case at the moment due to the amount of rain that has fallen along the extent of it in recent times and most recently in the past few days. We left Hawker in light rain and struck a fair bit of mud on our way to Marree. Called in at the Open Cut Coal Mine at Leigh Creek and were amazed at the size of it - up to 1 and 1/2 kms deep! We filled the car and ourselves up at the roadhouse at Marree and set off undaunted by the many mud - encrusted vehicles coming south from William Creek.

I've asked Bob and Warwick to supply me with some words or phrases to describe their experience driving up the Oodnadatta track - they range from challenging, daunting, treachorous, like ploughing trenches through a muddy paddock and other unmentionables! They did a great job with lots of helpful advice (?) from the backseat drivers!! We spent a while at lake Eyre South, our first sight of water in this mighty lake system before heading on to Coward Springs where we thought we'd be camping for the night. Not so!! By the time we got there it was pretty full and very wet and muddy. So Bob decided we'd drive further on and find somewhere to camp just off the road. Our other option was to drive on to William Creek - another 70 kms but as it was fast getting dark, we thought it better to make camp. Considering it was our first time of setting up these tents we did pretty well!

Thankfully it didn't start raining until we were all in bed! We survived the night quite well despite getting some water in our tents and set off about 9.30 to have breakfast at the William Creek Pub. Boy were we glad we had made the decision not to keep driving the night before!! The road continues to deteriorate the further we go! Finally made it to WC and breakfast turned into lunch. Over lunch we decided that, owing to the weather we'd book into one of the rooms at the pub. That proved to be a great decision too!!

Off to Lake Eyre North after lunch along another delightful road - 62kms took us 1 and 1/2 hrs!! What an effort but we all agreed (I think) that it was worth it. For me there was quite an eerie feeling standing on the edge of this amazing expanse of water that comes and goes spasmodically. Again seagulls were the only birds we saw.