Oodnadatta Track - Dalhousie Springs

Leaving Alice Springs Wednesday morning at a civilized hour our next planned destination was Dalhousie Springs, an oasis on the western side of the Simpson Desert some four hundred kilometres to the south. Our intended route to access Dalhousie was to follow the old “Ghan” track from Alice to Finke essentially running parallel to the now disused rail line, from Finke over to Mt Dare homestead, and then onto Dalhousie. From Dalhousie we will continue to Oodnadatta, and then follow the Oodnadatta Track to Leigh Creek.


After successfully missing the turn-off just out of Alice, sixty kilometres later after backtracking we eventually located the starting point of the “Ghan” track that just happened to be near the Alice Springs regional airport. At this point in time I’d like to thank the relevant authorities for placed the sign advertising the commencement of track PAST the intersection – brilliant, just brilliant.

The first twenty kilometres of the track were pretty ordinary however conditions gradually improved, especially when we reached the newly graded sections and thought all our Christmas’s had come at once. Unfortunately the graded section came to an abrupt end just shy of the Mary Vale Homestead turn-off and where also we had our plans for traversing the “Ghan” track dashed.


Albeit having checked all the “Road Closures” on the internet the previous day and confirmed that our intended route was open we were greeted with a “Road Closed” barricade across the track. Mumbling obscenities we turned onto Mary Vale track as this was the route to Chambers Pillar, a further fifty kilometres down the track and a point of interest we had earmarked as worthy of a visit.


Twenty kilometre later after navigating around mud holes, wash-a-ways, sand drifts, we gave up figuring that since we were travelling alone deciding that caution was the sensible option.

Returning to the “main” track we paid a brief visit to the now derelict Rondinga railway siding before turning back towards Alice Springs. Travelling about ten kilometres we located an old water bore and corral complex not far off the track that afforded a degree of privacy where we ended up spending the night and formulating Plan B.


One good thing that came from our selection of a camping spot was this magnificent sunset.

Following a peaceful nights sleep after having devised an alternative plan we headed north a short distance linking up with the Hugh River Stock Route that would take us west to the Stuart Highway thus saving us two hundred kilometres and heavens knows how many hours of travel.

It was a great plan, but not all great plans go according to script.

Pulling back out onto the main track following breakfast we were elated to find a team of graders had just gone past hence it was like a highway, but even better was when we joined the stock route we found much to our delight that it was nearly in as good condition as the main track. Eleven kilometres later, it all came to an end and we spent the next twenty kilometres or so navigating across/through/around corrugation, pot holes, wash-a-ways, mud, you name it and it was there. Overall it took us nearly three hours to traverse the seventy kilometre “short cut” of which two hours was spent on just a twenty kilometre section.

Plan B was not going well.


Eventually arriving at the highway and breathing a sigh of relief we turned south to Kulgera where Plan B required that we would turn off the highway and follow a track into the aboriginal community of Finke, from there across to Mt Dare and then onto Dalhousie Springs After refueling and asking questions of the locals about road conditions, Plan B was cancelled.


Plan C was now brought into play.


Heading further south a short distance we located a somewhat crowded rest area however to one side was a track disappearing into the bush; it turned out it linked up with the old Stuart Highway. After locating a great little site away from the “bitumen huggers” and that provided views across the plains, it was time to open a bottle of Cab Sauvignon and relaxed.

Next morning, feeling somewhat refreshed and in a better frame of mind we continued south to Marla stopping briefly to top up with fuel, then turned east onto the Oodnadatta track heading towards Oodnadatta, a destination we would have eventually reached had Plans A or B come to fruition.

 

We had heard from others that the track conditions were pretty good and weren’t disappointed although there were some rough sections. Since we’d had a late start that morning and didn’t really relish the thought of driving on unfamiliar dirt roads in the late afternoon we opted to overnight by Oolarinna Creek midway between Marla and Oodnadatta. After locating the creek, setting up camp, Leigh lit a fire and cooked a roast dinner in the camp oven.

Since we figured it would only be about a three hour drive to Dalhousie Springs we left Oolarinna Creek the next morning rather latish and continuing towards Oodnadatta until we located the southern end of the Old “Ghan” track, the track that we were on two days earlier. Turning back onto the track we headed north towards Hamilton Homestead where the plan was that we then access Dalhousie Springs via a public access road...

 

OK, so now we progress to Plan D.

 

It turns out there has been an ongoing dispute between the owners of Hamilton Homestead and the State Government regarding liability. Since there didn’t look like being any resolution the owners simply closed and padlocked the gate denying everyone access to the track until the issue is settled.


After another discussion interlaced with some colourful metaphors directed at a variety of party’s, calculating what fuel would be required since to proceed would involve an additional three hundred fifty kilometres, if we have enough water as to continue as the latest detour now involves a further three days, did we have enough food until our next reprovisioning point which is now going to be eight days away, plus several other factors, we decided to continue towards our target destination.

Having gone a matter of kilometres we were stopped by an oncoming vehicle who kindly provided us an update on road conditions (which weren’t particularly encouraging) and also told us that there was another Bushtracker camped at Eringa waterhole; incidentally Eringa was the first property ever owned by the early Australian Entrepaneur Sidney Kidman who by the time of his death was regarded as being the largest landholder worldwide. Eventually arriving at the waterhole after no more plan changes we were taken aback with what greeted us, it was an inevitable oasis in the middle of an otherwise very desolate countryside.

After exchanging greeting with the other Bushtracker folk and then settling in a suitable distance away so as to not inflict ourselves upon them, we later joined them for “happy hour” ascertaining that they also were heading for Dalhousie Springs.


One thing we have noticed while travelling the outback this year is the lack of wildlife. We have hardly seen any Kangaroo’s, Emu’s, other Marsupials, very few Raptors, although there has been flocks of birds albeit still not as many as you would normally expect to see.


Next morning figuring that since Dalhousie was now only ninety kilometres away (gee we’re slowly getting closer), there was no real rush to leave and with that Leigh dragged out the BBQ cooking a breakfast of bacon, eggs and tomato. Pleasantly replete after our breakfast of “greasies” we set off in company with the other Bushtracker at around 11:00 - four and half hours later we arrived at Dalhousie after travelling across some of the roughest harshest terrain we have even been on. Entering Dalhousie across a dry salt pan, it is quite an incredible setting to behold, an invariable oasis in the middle of possibly one of most inhospitable regions in the country.

All up the trip to Dalhousie was initially supposed to be four hundred kilometres long and only take two or three day to achieve however the end result was it ended up being a twelve hundred kilometre five day odyssey.


Was it worth it?


Well we believe it was however having said that, it’s evident that it’s not everybody’s “cup of tea”. And as for Dalhousie, well we spent two nights there enjoying the 36c + degrees water temperature of the springs, investigating the surrounds, walking up to the summit of Medicine Hill to the lookout and enjoying the views, plus getting ourselves “psyched up” for the trip back out.

 

The springs themselves are approximately fourteen metres deep (forty-five feet) and are fed from a subterranean source at a rate of one hundred sixty litres per second at a constant 44c degrees thus keeping the water in the springs at between 34c and 38c. The springs are also home of the Dalhousie Gobi, a small catfish that grows to only about 30mm (1 ¼ inches) however since the available food source is somewhat scarce we were subjected to constant nipping by a multitude of little blighters.

The facilities out here are surprisingly good with showers (even though they’re only cold), enviro-flush toilets, an adequate supply of non potable water, and individual campsites that included fire pits.

 

Tuesday morning it was time to tackle the return trip out of Dalhousie. Since we had calculated that to return to Oodnadatta without refueling would be a close call we opted to go as far as Blood’s Creek, unhitched the Bushtracker and did a quick (???) sixty kilometre diversionary trip to Mt Dare Homestead to refuel. Six hours later we eventually arrived back at Eringa waterhole where we had decided to remain for the next two days. After locating an “out-of-the-way” site obscured from others Leigh got a fire going prior to us going down to the waterhole and putting in the Yabby pots in the hope of getting a feed.

Early next morning we were awaken by the “pitter patter” of rain drops, the last thing we wanted to hear but fortunately it was only a passing shower, or so we thought. Eventually getting motivated, Leigh got out of bed after being bribed with a cup of tea, set up the BBQ and then cooked a totally unhealthy breakfast. With that out of the way it was time to check the Yabby pots and presto, twenty four good sized Yabbies with the rest being returned to the creek.

Resetting the traps in new locations, we then waited the arrival of more storms that were now looming on the horizon – oh goody, just what we don’t need as we began conjuring up thoughts of being stranded out here for several days until the tracks dry. Throughout the day we were buffeted by succession of storms, the last one on dusk being particularly vicious.

And for dinner that night it was Yabbies with a selection of either a chilli or garlic sauce – Mita did well.

Following a night of intermittent storms we packed up deciding to try to get through to Oodnadatta since figured from prior experience that if we left late enough the majority of the track would dried out and if it hadn’t dried out, well we would simply “go bush” by skirting around.

It turned out to be not one of our better decisions. After travelling only about two or three kilometres during which time we slipped and slide all over the place including in one instant barely having enough traction to get over a slight rise, we pulled over onto a small gibber covered area beside the road that became our home for the next twenty four hours.

 

Friday arrived and following a light breakfast we decided to give the track another “shot” and see if we could make it to Oodnadatta; this time we made it a staggering ten kilometres before becoming hopelessly bogged. After nearly forty five minutes of digging, putting grass and stones under the wheels, rocking the vehicle back and forward and trying to slew the nose of the vehicle around towards the verge of the track, we eventually got the front drive wheels onto a dry section near the edge providing just enough traction allowing us to extricate ourselves from the quagmire and onto another gibber covered area, our home for a few more days.

 

One of our major problems has been the lack of weather and road information plus our dwindling food and water supplies, we decided it was now time to start seriously rationing our remaining food and water supplies in case we become stranded for an extended period of time. And just to reinforce our concerns, it started drizzling again.

 

As dust fell that evening the clouds started to clear from the west, always a good sign since weather patterns in Australia essentially travel west to east. Following a chilly clear night we awoke to brilliant sunshine accompanied by a strong breeze and it wasn’t to long before the effects on the track became noticeable. Regardless of the now rapidly improving situation we decided to remain where we were for another twenty four hours.

Sunday arrived, and we left. Five hours later after more slipping and sliding plus stopping several time to view the abundances of flowers including the Desert Pea’s that were also in flower, we arrived in “down town“ Oodnadatta, booking into the somewhat alternate and bizarre caravan park – the only other option was to stay in the free camping area located directly opposite the local pub hence that option wasn’t given serious consideration.

After settling into our “accommodation” it was time to explore Oodnadatta; that took all of ten minutes. All in all, Oodnadatta consists of the Pink Roadhouse that also doubles as a general store cum take-away shop with the caravan park at the rear, a pub, a general store, police station, a very small community hospital, a school, and bucket loads of dilapidated buildings, vehicle wrecks, etc.

The owners of the Pink Roadhouse, Adam and Lynnie Plate are quite the entrepreneurial couple. When you travel any of the tracks including the Oodnadatta Track from Maree in the south to Finke in the north, and from Dalhousie Springs in the east to the Stuart Highway in the west, you will see hand written signs on old four gallon drum lids strategically located advertising attractions, points of historical interest, relevant information, plus distances to some locations. They have also produced a series of “mud map” with even more information including a list of UHF CB channels that are monitored in various locations; these maps are available from some quite a few locations.


Monday morning following a great night’s sleep we set out for the “Painted Desert” located some eighty kilometres away. While the roads were still drying out the trip out there was fairly uneventful however the effects of the recent rains was evident with creeks flowing and large pools of water laying everywhere. As for the “Painted Desert”, well we thoroughly enjoyed viewing the ancient landscape from a lookout before then doing a ridge walk.

Returning to the Roadhouse after our “country drive” we spied the local weather forecast pinned to the local notice board; rain for Thursday. That made up our mind, it was time to go in search of bitumen and get off the Oodnadatta Track.


Wednesday morning we hailed goodbye to lovely down town Oodnadatta and started heading for Leigh Creek some five hundred kilometres south. The trip south was fairly uneventful although arduous as conditions weren’t the greatest following all the recent rains, and in our opinion they weren’t going to get any better within the next few days when the next lot of rain arrives.


The track south continued to pretty well run next too the remnants of the old “Ghan” railway line however the disappointing thing was that most reminders of the old railway had either been ripped up or were in a fairly poor condition. That aside, we did get the opportunity to view some wonderful landscape compliments of the totally unseasonable weather. A few of the old railway bridges remain intact including the Algebuckina Bridge built in the 1892 and to this day remains the longest bridge in South Australia at five hundred eighty seven metres. When you consider the technology available in those days and the remoteness of the location, its quite an amazing feat.

The other bridge that caught our attention was at Warriners Creek, not that it was overly huge but the setting was quite beautiful.

Home that night was Coward Springs south. After making ourselves comfortable we had a quick stroll around the complex, viewed the artesian spa that was very tempting however the air temperature was the decider, we headed back to the warmth of the van.

Departing Coward Springs Wednesday morning after viewing the fully restored railway buildings plus a few other structures, we continued our trek south stopping briefly at Curdimurka Siding the site of an annual ball that attracts approximately one thousand plus people.

 

From Curdimurka our route took us towards Lake Eyre where as we skirted the edge of the now all but full Lake Eyre found ourselves driving at 6 metres below sea level. We spent some time viewing the spectacle, as opposed to last year when we had to take a sight seeing flight to view the same sight.

From Lake Eyre we continued towards Maree coming across this odd assortment of life sized abstract art not far from the town.

 

Eventually arriving in Maree mid afternoon briefly stopping to “top up” with fuel, re-inflating the tyre pressure that we had deliberately lowered to not only reduce the effects of corrugation but also lessen the chances of tyre damage. Some one hundred twenty kilometres we arrived at Leigh Creek where we will be staying for the next few days allowing us to restock with food, water, and also attempt to restore a degree of civility to both vehicle and van.

 

And shortly after, the rain arrived.