Oodnadatta Track
Oodnadatta Track
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4.5
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1
K72
Melbourne, Australia3,082 contributions
Apr 2024 • Friends
Wow, a week after track reopened and it was rough going. Pretty bounxy in parts.
The track between William Creek and Marree was interesting...a few things to see along the way but the landscape changes so often it's quite beautiful. Such vibrant colours.
Saw cows and a couple of roos but not much wildlife.
The track between William Creek and Marree was interesting...a few things to see along the way but the landscape changes so often it's quite beautiful. Such vibrant colours.
Saw cows and a couple of roos but not much wildlife.
Written 8 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cas38
Adelaide, Australia74 contributions
Sept 2017 • Couples
If you have travelled broader horizons or overseas to scenic picturesque mountainous/hilly green parts of the world, or even desert game parks in Africa and if that is your idea of a holiday...dont bother with this drive. We read with utter disbelief, in the Hema "Great Desert Tracks" Book, today that ' The Oodnadatta Track is one of the most scenic and interesting drives in Australia". Well, poor Australia. You drive for miles (on good to excellent dirt surfaces) through bleek godforsakenly flat fly infested country from one poor sad abandonned vandalised settlement or vandalised railway ruin to another. Australia sets new standards for what bleek and flat means...so if you find "flat" scenic, then this road is for you. After 4 - 5 hours on corrugated dirt road you reach a dry scrappy drek place ( Oodnadatta / William Creek ) that looks like corrugated iron rubbish dump-come-scrap-yard often run by grumpy doods who cannot wait to get to the end of their employment contract. When you get out of the car anywhere you are instantly plagued by a mass of pesky relentless flies like none other on earth. They do not go away when you waive your hand. Repellant does not work so you need a fly net. This is not a holiday. It is an unpleasant endurance test. There is no charm, nothing quaint or lovely to discover and no scenery to speak of. And to stay overnight somewhere you get fleeced to stay in a shipping container-type-box. No verandah, nothing pleasant and bright lights shining all around all night. The other features of sleeping in outback places ( including camping at Uluru) is that you are usually are near the town's generator that rumbles like an idling semitrailer 30 m away, ALL NIGHT.
I wont go into the dos an don'ts of the Oodnadatta Track, as this is more than adequately covered. I will add that it is not a track. It is an extremely well made and maintained road suitable for 2 wheel drive IF IT IS NOT RAINING.
I just wanted to say that The Oodnadatta Track is yet another Australian highly over rated experience. I thought I would tell it as it is. Dont bother...go somewhere pleasant. I would not recommend going further north in SA than Arkaroola and the Flinders Ranges.
I wont go into the dos an don'ts of the Oodnadatta Track, as this is more than adequately covered. I will add that it is not a track. It is an extremely well made and maintained road suitable for 2 wheel drive IF IT IS NOT RAINING.
I just wanted to say that The Oodnadatta Track is yet another Australian highly over rated experience. I thought I would tell it as it is. Dont bother...go somewhere pleasant. I would not recommend going further north in SA than Arkaroola and the Flinders Ranges.
Written 23 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ezlxq1949
Canberra3 contributions
July 2011 • Friends
Recently we travelled the Oodnadatta Track from Marree to Oodnadatta, then headed westwards via the Painted Desert to the Stuart Highway.
Our vehicle was a Skoda Scout, a medium-clearance softroader. It has a skid pan protecting the front half of the underneath, and this is a great thing to have. The rear half is not as well protected, owing mainly to the exhaust pipe, and the muffler now looks a bit worse for wear....
The Track was completely unknown to me, so I’d done a lot of research and learnt that it was mostly harmless when dry but likely impassable when wet. Nothing I could find said why this was so, nor did any of it describe the nature of the Track itself, what it was like to drive on. In fact, a lot of the inland area roads we used are very similar: around Broken Hill, Yunta to Martin’s Well, Marree to Oodnadatta, and the Mereenie Loop Road WSW of Alice Springs. These travel notes are relevant to all these roads. I hope they help you plan your trip along the Track — we really enjoyed it.
In general the terrain is quite flat, but not as flat as the Hay Plain. (Mind you, nothing is as flat as the Hay Plain.) It passes through low, rolling hills. We discovered that much of the Track had been graded not too long before we arrived, and it had few corrugations, ruts or jutting-up rocks. It's all gravel except for tiny sealed lengths in Marree, William Creek and Oodnadatta.
Every 5, 10, 15, 20 km the Track either dips or crosses a creek bed. In SA at least these are all clearly signposted, and none is difficult to cross. The creeks are deeper than the dips, and you do need to slow down for these. In July 2011 most creek crossings were dry and not particularly rough. One crossing did take me by surprise: from a distance it looked ordinary but when I got there it had an abrupt descent to a rough, stony bottom. The ABS and the skid pan really earned their keep here!
In general be prepared to find yourself going fast, slow, fast, slow, fast, slow. On the flat sections I was usually easily able to travel at a safe 100, with a few sections better taken at 80. Most dips are no problem. The creek crossings usually slowed me down to 30 or even 20. Overall it’s not a racetrack, so don’t treat it like one. If you find yourself running late, too bad. It’s not worth the risk of damage to your car to rush. Allow for this in your travel time estimates and it will go well for you.
It’s easy motoring. The landscape is broad and vast, sight distances are excellent and the Track is wide. A lot of it has 5 wheel tracks across, making it easy to pick a smooth path and to move over when meeting other vehicles. No-one (including us) was in any great hurry to get anywhere, and it was all quite relaxed. There’s lots and lots of dust, but thanks to low vehicle numbers it’s not a problem and no more of a hazard than any on other dusty road. Most of the time we were travelling in clean, clear air.
We did the trip from Marree via William Creek to Oodnadatta in one easy day, about 9 hours including plenty of photo stops. We were a bit surprised to find that there’s plenty to see and stop at, and we were kept interested and busy. It is a tourist road after all, and if you break down you shouldn’t have to wait for more than an hour or so (in winter anyway) for someone to come along.
This is also the real Outback. The Oodnadatta Track passes through the driest part of the Continent, and near to the lowest part. You'll learn a new scale of motoring out here, where a trip of 300km becomes a morning's junket rather than a major excursion.
If the Track is dry and the creeks are not flowing, a conventional car would have no trouble at all on any of these roads, even towing a caravan. I’ve coped with far worse roads in an ordinary Holden with ordinary suspension and an ordinary diff. If you are towing you should stay at 80 or so, but otherwise you’ll have no problems.
So, what’s the big deal when it rains? The soil has a high kaolin (clay) content, and when wet it becomes almost as slippery as wet lawn or even ice. It had rained about a fortnight before, and on several parts of the Track we could see tyre marks where vehicles had been slipping and sliding wildly all over the road, only just making it up even gentle slopes.
Further, as they are graded and graded over the years, dirt roads become long ditches in the ground. Because the soil in this area absorbs little water, after rain the roads soon become long lakes whose depth you can only guess at. Long lakes with slippery bottoms. Finally, run-off quickly fills the creeks making them impossible to cross, and they can stay that way for days.
When the big notice boards announce that the Track is closed, they’re not kidding! Take them seriously.
One more thing: on outback roads be careful of cattle grids. Approach them cautiously. All on the Oodnadatta Track were at the same level as the road surface and smooth to cross, but on the Martin’s Well to Blinman road there are a few which stick up quite high above the road surface. If you hit those at any speed, you’ll damage or burst a tyre.
Happy Motoring!
Our vehicle was a Skoda Scout, a medium-clearance softroader. It has a skid pan protecting the front half of the underneath, and this is a great thing to have. The rear half is not as well protected, owing mainly to the exhaust pipe, and the muffler now looks a bit worse for wear....
The Track was completely unknown to me, so I’d done a lot of research and learnt that it was mostly harmless when dry but likely impassable when wet. Nothing I could find said why this was so, nor did any of it describe the nature of the Track itself, what it was like to drive on. In fact, a lot of the inland area roads we used are very similar: around Broken Hill, Yunta to Martin’s Well, Marree to Oodnadatta, and the Mereenie Loop Road WSW of Alice Springs. These travel notes are relevant to all these roads. I hope they help you plan your trip along the Track — we really enjoyed it.
In general the terrain is quite flat, but not as flat as the Hay Plain. (Mind you, nothing is as flat as the Hay Plain.) It passes through low, rolling hills. We discovered that much of the Track had been graded not too long before we arrived, and it had few corrugations, ruts or jutting-up rocks. It's all gravel except for tiny sealed lengths in Marree, William Creek and Oodnadatta.
Every 5, 10, 15, 20 km the Track either dips or crosses a creek bed. In SA at least these are all clearly signposted, and none is difficult to cross. The creeks are deeper than the dips, and you do need to slow down for these. In July 2011 most creek crossings were dry and not particularly rough. One crossing did take me by surprise: from a distance it looked ordinary but when I got there it had an abrupt descent to a rough, stony bottom. The ABS and the skid pan really earned their keep here!
In general be prepared to find yourself going fast, slow, fast, slow, fast, slow. On the flat sections I was usually easily able to travel at a safe 100, with a few sections better taken at 80. Most dips are no problem. The creek crossings usually slowed me down to 30 or even 20. Overall it’s not a racetrack, so don’t treat it like one. If you find yourself running late, too bad. It’s not worth the risk of damage to your car to rush. Allow for this in your travel time estimates and it will go well for you.
It’s easy motoring. The landscape is broad and vast, sight distances are excellent and the Track is wide. A lot of it has 5 wheel tracks across, making it easy to pick a smooth path and to move over when meeting other vehicles. No-one (including us) was in any great hurry to get anywhere, and it was all quite relaxed. There’s lots and lots of dust, but thanks to low vehicle numbers it’s not a problem and no more of a hazard than any on other dusty road. Most of the time we were travelling in clean, clear air.
We did the trip from Marree via William Creek to Oodnadatta in one easy day, about 9 hours including plenty of photo stops. We were a bit surprised to find that there’s plenty to see and stop at, and we were kept interested and busy. It is a tourist road after all, and if you break down you shouldn’t have to wait for more than an hour or so (in winter anyway) for someone to come along.
This is also the real Outback. The Oodnadatta Track passes through the driest part of the Continent, and near to the lowest part. You'll learn a new scale of motoring out here, where a trip of 300km becomes a morning's junket rather than a major excursion.
If the Track is dry and the creeks are not flowing, a conventional car would have no trouble at all on any of these roads, even towing a caravan. I’ve coped with far worse roads in an ordinary Holden with ordinary suspension and an ordinary diff. If you are towing you should stay at 80 or so, but otherwise you’ll have no problems.
So, what’s the big deal when it rains? The soil has a high kaolin (clay) content, and when wet it becomes almost as slippery as wet lawn or even ice. It had rained about a fortnight before, and on several parts of the Track we could see tyre marks where vehicles had been slipping and sliding wildly all over the road, only just making it up even gentle slopes.
Further, as they are graded and graded over the years, dirt roads become long ditches in the ground. Because the soil in this area absorbs little water, after rain the roads soon become long lakes whose depth you can only guess at. Long lakes with slippery bottoms. Finally, run-off quickly fills the creeks making them impossible to cross, and they can stay that way for days.
When the big notice boards announce that the Track is closed, they’re not kidding! Take them seriously.
One more thing: on outback roads be careful of cattle grids. Approach them cautiously. All on the Oodnadatta Track were at the same level as the road surface and smooth to cross, but on the Martin’s Well to Blinman road there are a few which stick up quite high above the road surface. If you hit those at any speed, you’ll damage or burst a tyre.
Happy Motoring!
Written 24 September 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
onlyworld
Queanbeyan, Australia900 contributions
Apr 2013 • Friends
If you never driving outback off road then this is the track for you to try it. We started from Marla and stayed in pink road house then reached Maree - Lynthrust. We started at 7 PM (night time) and it was around 200 KM. It taken for us to reach 3.5 hours to pink road house. It was little difficult when we drove the car on the night time after raining. But one beautiful think was everywhere dark and we stopped the car and step down and watched the clear sky (galaxy). Due to rain many creeks have water with mud. So it was challenge for us to drive and we tested our 4wd. Lot of cattle next to the track and mostly those cattle were on the road at night time.
This road was looks like normal gravel road but unfortunately some area of the road was difficult to drive especially after rain. If you have 4wd then good to drive but if you have 2wd then you should be careful.
Next day we started from pink road house in the morning. Don't miss out the Lake Eyre North drive which is 130 KM up and down (Permit required $10 in the envelope). But you need 4wd for this. Cowards spring (spa), The bubbler etc... are good to see. This track may be a alternate route for Stuart high way. We went to William creek with population of 8 and then Maree. Finally we reached at Lynthurst around 7PM. We drove variable speeds depends upon condition between 20 KM to 120 KM on this road.
Things to take with you
1. Plenty of water (min 10 liter per person)
2. UHF radio (UHF repeaters are around that area and in case of an emergency you can contact them)
3. Satellite phone (if you wish)
4. 4wd with all off road equipment (tyre pressure gauge, puncture kit etc...)
5. Fill the fuel whenever available (Marla, Oodnadatta, William creek, Marree, Lyndhurst). Even if your fuel is 75% available still good to fill the tank.
6.In case of an emergency, don't panic, stay at your car then you can get help from other cars. But you need patience.
7. Don't go anywhere other than recommended routes.
8. Don't forget to check the signs.
This road was looks like normal gravel road but unfortunately some area of the road was difficult to drive especially after rain. If you have 4wd then good to drive but if you have 2wd then you should be careful.
Next day we started from pink road house in the morning. Don't miss out the Lake Eyre North drive which is 130 KM up and down (Permit required $10 in the envelope). But you need 4wd for this. Cowards spring (spa), The bubbler etc... are good to see. This track may be a alternate route for Stuart high way. We went to William creek with population of 8 and then Maree. Finally we reached at Lynthurst around 7PM. We drove variable speeds depends upon condition between 20 KM to 120 KM on this road.
Things to take with you
1. Plenty of water (min 10 liter per person)
2. UHF radio (UHF repeaters are around that area and in case of an emergency you can contact them)
3. Satellite phone (if you wish)
4. 4wd with all off road equipment (tyre pressure gauge, puncture kit etc...)
5. Fill the fuel whenever available (Marla, Oodnadatta, William creek, Marree, Lyndhurst). Even if your fuel is 75% available still good to fill the tank.
6.In case of an emergency, don't panic, stay at your car then you can get help from other cars. But you need patience.
7. Don't go anywhere other than recommended routes.
8. Don't forget to check the signs.
Written 26 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WML
Melbourne, Australia29 contributions
Sept 2014 • Friends
Road is wide and dusty and in mostly good condition. Didnt need to engage 4WD at any stage. The white roadside guide post makers diminish any sense of adventure unfortunately! There were also more travellers than expected. (We passed at least 10-15 vehicles per day and even one cyclist)
Found along the southern section of the Track that there was lots to see ( roadside sculptures, bridges, ruins and Ghan railway history, mound springs, Lake Eyre South etc) and that was all really interesting. Once past Oodnadatta tho and the track to Marla is pretty uninspiring. Would suggest instead diverting from Oodnadatta to the Painted Desert...a spectacular area and well worth a detour and perhaps heading to the Stuart Hwy from there. William Creek Hotel was quirky ( tho Daly Waters Hotel in the NT is quirkier!) and drinks expensive. Oodnadatta was bigger than expected...and the Roadhouse was very pink. Nb. Caravan Park attached to the Roadhouse definitely needs an upgraded ablution block. The museum at Oodnadatta is worth a visit ( key available from the Roadhouse). Incidentally, it was very windy in the whole William Creek, Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy area while we were travelling. Needed four of us to put up our tent on two occasions. Apparently it's often windy at that time of year.
Favourite spot along the Track itself was Coward Springs, a real oasis in the outback. Highly recommended for a couple of nights. A great little museum, lovely camp site, palm trees and all and even a "natural" spa. Wonderful!
Found along the southern section of the Track that there was lots to see ( roadside sculptures, bridges, ruins and Ghan railway history, mound springs, Lake Eyre South etc) and that was all really interesting. Once past Oodnadatta tho and the track to Marla is pretty uninspiring. Would suggest instead diverting from Oodnadatta to the Painted Desert...a spectacular area and well worth a detour and perhaps heading to the Stuart Hwy from there. William Creek Hotel was quirky ( tho Daly Waters Hotel in the NT is quirkier!) and drinks expensive. Oodnadatta was bigger than expected...and the Roadhouse was very pink. Nb. Caravan Park attached to the Roadhouse definitely needs an upgraded ablution block. The museum at Oodnadatta is worth a visit ( key available from the Roadhouse). Incidentally, it was very windy in the whole William Creek, Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy area while we were travelling. Needed four of us to put up our tent on two occasions. Apparently it's often windy at that time of year.
Favourite spot along the Track itself was Coward Springs, a real oasis in the outback. Highly recommended for a couple of nights. A great little museum, lovely camp site, palm trees and all and even a "natural" spa. Wonderful!
Written 8 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geldav
Melbourne, Australia188 contributions
May 2014 • Family
We travelled on the track at the end of May following recent rains. It was green and totally unexpected. We travelled from Marree to William Creek to Oodnadatta. We had planned to drive the whole track to Marla with a slight detour to look at the Painted Desert and then return back along the track. The Painted Desert was stunning and we drove throughout the whole desert to the Stuart Highway instead. Pictures we have seen of the desert do not do it justice.
The Oodnadatta track was an amazing journey. We stopped at everything along the way, looking at the old railway sidings and checking out Lake Eyre. Consequently the trip took three days. You could do it in one day but you would miss a lot.
The track was hard with a mixture of corrugations, gravel and some smooth surfaces. It is not an easy drive made harder by some cowboys driving very fast and spitting stones everywhere. We made it without a flat tyre or a broken window but we met other travellers who were not as lucky. There are a number of travellers on the road and everyone is very friendly.
The major highlight is the wonderful long straight stretches as far as you can see. It is not flat but undulating. Coming over the many rises provided magnificent vistas of the subtle colours of the desert mixed with the soft greens of the new growth. Simply spectacular!
We invested in a flight over Lake Eyre out to Dulkannina Station on the Birdsville Track where Sharon and Darryl Bell hosted us for lunch. Sharon took us for a drive to the Cooper Creek and had the surreal experience of walking alongside and on the Birdsville track.
We also flew over the Painted Hills that are on Anna Creek Station. This is the only way you can see them.
The 'track' is not a Sunday drive and you need to be well prepared with your car. We had a well fitted out 4WD but there were some people travelling in 2WD. This road is hard on your car. The environment is harsh and unforgiving but it was an amazing experience.
Oh yes...... Take a fly net........
The Oodnadatta track was an amazing journey. We stopped at everything along the way, looking at the old railway sidings and checking out Lake Eyre. Consequently the trip took three days. You could do it in one day but you would miss a lot.
The track was hard with a mixture of corrugations, gravel and some smooth surfaces. It is not an easy drive made harder by some cowboys driving very fast and spitting stones everywhere. We made it without a flat tyre or a broken window but we met other travellers who were not as lucky. There are a number of travellers on the road and everyone is very friendly.
The major highlight is the wonderful long straight stretches as far as you can see. It is not flat but undulating. Coming over the many rises provided magnificent vistas of the subtle colours of the desert mixed with the soft greens of the new growth. Simply spectacular!
We invested in a flight over Lake Eyre out to Dulkannina Station on the Birdsville Track where Sharon and Darryl Bell hosted us for lunch. Sharon took us for a drive to the Cooper Creek and had the surreal experience of walking alongside and on the Birdsville track.
We also flew over the Painted Hills that are on Anna Creek Station. This is the only way you can see them.
The 'track' is not a Sunday drive and you need to be well prepared with your car. We had a well fitted out 4WD but there were some people travelling in 2WD. This road is hard on your car. The environment is harsh and unforgiving but it was an amazing experience.
Oh yes...... Take a fly net........
Written 21 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KiddHouse
Brisbane, Australia1,611 contributions
Apr 2012 • Family
Our family towed our 5 star camping trailer on the back of our White Pajero across the Oodnadatta. As always the Red Center is never boring. From finding seagulls on the side of the road, hundreds of them taking turns to eat small fish to amazing sunsets and spectacular scenery the journey was delightful. Our four school aged children have developed a respect for the outback (once you put the electronics away that is!) and learning about the real Australia and the people.
In practical terms
Oodnadatta Pink Roadhouse is a must stay!
Only one in town actually hehe...
Their camp area and laundry facilities although dusty, were pure gold.
Night time was a little unnerving with the local aboriginal community becoming rowdy and intoxicated from 10pm at night. I was still doing the laundry and was a little concerned, but we kept the gates to the camp area closed. I have no interruption with the laundry and was delighted to wash and using the dryer fold and pack another three days worth of clothing for the family of six. No small task I assure you.
The breakfast at the Pink Roadhouse was wonderful and the staff very friendly.
We were able to "stock up" before heading off.
The flying doctors clinic was amazing. Since our youngest has many allergies and her eczema became infected/bleeding the nurse at the clinic gave us fresh bandages, pain killer, steroid cream and phoned the doctor to ensure nothing was missed. Her empathy and compassion was a credit to her and I am sure she is just as highly valued by the community she takes care of.
If you haven't travelled the Oodnadatta, you are missing out!!
In practical terms
Oodnadatta Pink Roadhouse is a must stay!
Only one in town actually hehe...
Their camp area and laundry facilities although dusty, were pure gold.
Night time was a little unnerving with the local aboriginal community becoming rowdy and intoxicated from 10pm at night. I was still doing the laundry and was a little concerned, but we kept the gates to the camp area closed. I have no interruption with the laundry and was delighted to wash and using the dryer fold and pack another three days worth of clothing for the family of six. No small task I assure you.
The breakfast at the Pink Roadhouse was wonderful and the staff very friendly.
We were able to "stock up" before heading off.
The flying doctors clinic was amazing. Since our youngest has many allergies and her eczema became infected/bleeding the nurse at the clinic gave us fresh bandages, pain killer, steroid cream and phoned the doctor to ensure nothing was missed. Her empathy and compassion was a credit to her and I am sure she is just as highly valued by the community she takes care of.
If you haven't travelled the Oodnadatta, you are missing out!!
Written 4 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NUFCadl
Adelaide, Australia404 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
This was our second drive along the Oodnadatta Track as after last years adventure my father decided he wanted to try it. Unlike last year, it was as dry as it could be with no water anywhere but some of the roads have recently been graded so the stress on the car was reduced. There are a great many stops on the way and for us they were nothing new, but still impressive enough to be enjoyed a second time. One thing we did do different was go to Halligan Bay to see the top part of Lake Eyre and I have to say, this is something everyone should try to do as it is so very different to the bottom part you see as you pass it on the track. We were blown away by the beauty and expanse of it, thoroughly breathtaking.
Written 16 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jaclanhk
Sydney, Australia14 contributions
July 2014 • Couples
We drove from Coober Pedy to Marla via Oodnadatta in July 2014. Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta is 194 km and Oodnadatta to Marla, another 212 km. We did it in a Fiat Ducato/Avida Escape campervan which is a 3000cc engine, front wheel drive.
The track or road is unsealed all the way and full of corrugations. The tyres were kept at normal pressure. We drove above 80 kph and even reached 120 kph to ride over the corrugations, but sometimes had to slow down to 10 kph. I.e. drive to the conditions of the road.
There were not much traffic on the road. We stopped overnight somewhere between Oodnadatta and Marla, off the road behind some bushes. Only the 2 of us and we counted only 2 vehicles which passed by.
Problems. The campervan was filled with dust, including every nook and corner. Still removing dust 2 months later. The tip of the exhaust pipe was dented owing to a bracket holding it was missing/broken.
It is a pilgrimage worth doing at least once in the lifetime. Phone the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta on 1800 802 074 or 08 8670 7822 before proceeding, as the Track is subject to closure when very wet.
The track or road is unsealed all the way and full of corrugations. The tyres were kept at normal pressure. We drove above 80 kph and even reached 120 kph to ride over the corrugations, but sometimes had to slow down to 10 kph. I.e. drive to the conditions of the road.
There were not much traffic on the road. We stopped overnight somewhere between Oodnadatta and Marla, off the road behind some bushes. Only the 2 of us and we counted only 2 vehicles which passed by.
Problems. The campervan was filled with dust, including every nook and corner. Still removing dust 2 months later. The tip of the exhaust pipe was dented owing to a bracket holding it was missing/broken.
It is a pilgrimage worth doing at least once in the lifetime. Phone the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta on 1800 802 074 or 08 8670 7822 before proceeding, as the Track is subject to closure when very wet.
Written 16 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Longreach747
Melbourne, Australia306 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
can you get anymore remote? probably, but I've not seen it...driving the Oodnadata track should induce a little fear and if it doesn't then you don't understand or respect this country. We started in Coober Pedy and headed SE towards William Creek. The track runs through Maralinga and is in good condition. Drive according to the conditions and not how you'd like to, conserve your vehicle and it will get you across without worry. We took all day to cover the 500km to Leigh Creek but it was worth it. Lake Eyre is incredible, and as I described it, like a wasteland. Observe the signs, they're there for your protection.
Written 11 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
When does the Oodnadatta track get graded, thanks very much
Written 25 August 2019
When does the Oodnadatta track get graded, thanks very much
Written 25 August 2019
Hello Chris, I believe it doesn't have a time ... it's conditional on the environment. Perhaps you should give the Pink Roadhouse a call and they will let you know if it's been done recently?
Written 25 August 2019
À quelle époque de l’année l’Oodnadatta track est-il praticable?
Written 9 June 2018
Hi can I drive this track in a regular sedan in September?
Written 22 February 2016
Do you get to see the 'Dog Fence'?
Written 21 February 2016
MARIE HELENE A
Cholet, France
Bonjour
nous préparons un périple allant d'adélaide à alice springs.
Je voudrais savoir quel véhicule aviez vous pour faire oodndatta Track, l'aviez vous loué ? et si oui à quel organisme
Car pour l'instant les loueurs veulent louer pour faire de la piste seulement des gros 4X4 alors que nous sommes que 2 personnes.
Combien de temps nous conseillez vous faire ce périple
Merci pour votre retour
Cordialement
Marie Hélène
Written 18 January 2016
Hi. Want too do this fr broken hill too Alice springs. Is there fuel n accomation stops n how far apart are there. How much is dirt n how much is tar. Is the old building n ruins along the side of the rd
Written 21 September 2015
Hi, looking at doing Adelaide to Alice Springs in June going on the oodnadatta track and visiting Uluru, Kings Canyon, McDonnell Ranges, Alice Springs back down to Coober Pedy then heading home we have 2 1/2 to 3 weeks any recommendations as to what not to miss how long we should allow in each place a family of 2 adults and 3 teenagers. Camping spots we have never gone further then the Flinders so not sure what to expect. Any assistance, guides would be appreciated.
Written 26 April 2015
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