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Painted Desert

Difficulty: Trek rating 2 of 5 - Click for detailsTrek rating 2 of 5 - Click for details   Suitable for: 4WD AWD Camper Bike 
The Painted Desert has to be the highlight of the South Australian Desert experience. This trek from Coober Pedy takes as little as one day, but if you are a photographer or painter, you may choose to spend an entire week in the Painted Desert.
StartClick to Reverse the Dynamic Map and Driving NotesCoober Pedy
Trek
FinishOodnadatta
Distance231.5 kmMinimum Days1
Average Speed77.42 km/hrDriving Time2 hr 59 min
Article By: Member - David O   Updated: 19 Nov 2007
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 Description

Heading north east from the wonderful, if dusty streets of Coober Pedy, along gibber roads through country made famous in the Mad Max movies, a detour via Arckaringa homestead will take you into surely the most spectacular country in South Australia if not the entire outback.

The Painted Desert, just a few kilometres from Arckaringa features fantastic mountainous mesas and formations composed of colourful sands, pebbles and rocks that simply defy description. Photographers and painters will delight in the show of colour at sunset and dawn.

The road via Mt Barry and Arckaringa is far from boring, though it travels through some of the most featureless terrain on earth. The area where the Mad Max movies were shot was chosen because nothing could be seen for 360 degrees.

Here are in fact many interesting things to see along the way including Lollipop Lane and great areas of ground covered in large sheets of gypsum. Interesting geological formations in the Painted Desert and the country between there and Oodnadatta satisfy even the most jaded traveller.

Though it is possible to travel this route in a single day it would be a terrible shame to do so. The roads vary from well formed wide gravel to stony with occasional bulldust holes. The trek is relatively easy going even for 2 wheel drive vehicles but remote so carry sufficient water and spares.

Coober Pedy has all of the facilities of a modern centre, Oodnadatta is a good place to restock or do some repairs if necessary.

 Interactive Route Map

Coober PedyGiddi Giddinna CreekKempe Rd & Arckaringa AccessArckaringaThe Painted DesertAnkata Painted Desert Rd & Kempe RdHookey WaterholeOodnadatta
Coober Pedy
Outback opal mining town located on Stuart Hwy 840km from Adelaide and 690 from Alice Springs. Visit underground shops and mines then do the loop drive out to the Breakaways
Features: Populated PlaceService Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Airstrip Fuel Water Supply Pub Mine Food,Shopping Police Station Resort,Motel
Position: 134.7586ºE   28.9974ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Giddi Giddinna Creek
Distance: 40.75km
Average Speed: 96.48km/h
Features: Water Body,River,Stream,Falls
Position: 134.9568ºE   28.6862ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Kempe Rd & Arckaringa Access
Distance: 54.4km
Average Speed: 90.41km/h
Kempe Rd & Arckaringa Access
Track junction for Kempe Rd & Arckaringa Access.
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 134.9851ºE   28.2342ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Arckaringa
Distance: 43.37km
Average Speed: 74.77km/h
Arckaringa
Camping and cabins at Arckaringa homestead would serve as a great base for those opting to stay for a while.
Features: Populated PlaceCamp Fee
Position: 134.7386ºE   27.9384ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: The Painted Desert
Distance: 9.82km
Average Speed: 55.87km/h
The Painted Desert
The Painted Desert is an area of spectacular colorful hills that Mother Nature has taken 80 million years to create. Sediments originally laid down by the ancient inland sea have eroded away over time.
Features: Point of Interest
Position: 134.8184ºE   27.9040ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Ankata Painted Desert Rd & Kempe Rd
Distance: 32.48km
Average Speed: 66.69km/h
Ankata Painted Desert Rd & Kempe Rd
Track junction for Ankata Painted Desert Rd & Kempe Rd
Features: Junction,Intersection,Turn Off
Position: 135.1243ºE   27.8576ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Hookey Waterhole
Distance: 43.48km
Average Speed: 85.18km/h
Features: Water Body,River,Stream,Falls
Position: 135.4348ºE   27.5929ºS (GDA 94)
Next Place: Oodnadatta
Distance: 7.2km
Average Speed: 72.54km/h
Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta is an unusal township with a checkered history. Located 1,011 km north of Adelaide via Coober Pedy, or 1092 km via Marree and the Oodnadatta Track Oodnadatta lies just south of Lake Eyre on the edge of the Tirari Desert.
Features: Populated PlaceService Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Fuel Water Supply Toilet Food,Shopping Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel
Position: 135.4495ºE   27.5496ºS (GDA 94)

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 Permits

None required.

 Things to See & Do

The Painted Desert   RatingRatingRatingRating
Point of Interest 
The Painted Desert is an area of spectacular colorful hills that Mother Nature has taken 80 million years to create. Sediments originally laid down by the ancient inland sea have eroded away over time. This erosion, combined with the leaching of minerals from the soil, create this magical area whose colors change during the day, making it a photographer's delight.
Hookey Waterhole   
Water Body,River,Stream,Falls 
No description entered. Enter description or photos.

 Preparation

While this is a short trek by Australian standards, visitors should be aware that this is a very remote region. Four wheel drive vehicles are not required to traverse these tracks when dry, but may be necessary following rains. All of these outback treks in remote country require high level of vehicle preparation. A four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended and you should carry sufficient water for 4 days, at least one spare tyre and tyre repair equipment, as well sufficient fuel.

A UHF Radio with a repeater function will offer some degree of comfort to travellers, as there are numerous repeaters in the area that will allow contact with the outside world in the event of an emergency where reception is available.

This is remote area travelling and preparations for travel should take this into consideration. If your vehicle breaks down or you have some other trouble, stay with your vehicle.

Supplies
Restocking of supplies is possible at Coober Pedy and Oodnadatta. There is no opportunity to restock along the way. Camping and cabins at Arckaringa homestead would serve as a great base for those opting to stay for a while.

Fuel Supplies & Usage

Fuel SymbolCoober Pedy, Oodnadatta Diesel4cyl 32 litres ULP4cyl 38 litres LPG4cyl 46 litres
6cyl 36 litres6cyl 50 litres *6cyl 41 litres
8cyl 37 litres8cyl 38 litres
Usage is averaged from TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.

Best Time To Visit

Closest Climatic Station

Oodnadatta Airport
Distance from Trek Mid Point 87.4km NE
 JanFebMarAprMayJun JulAugSepOctNovDec
Mean Max. °C 37.736.633.728.5 23.219.919.522.0 26.530.233.836.4
Mean Min. °C 22.822.319.214.4 9.86.65.87.4 11.415.018.521.2
Mean Rain mm 24.632.212.311.2 12.812.610.57.8 9.314.111.316.5
    Best time to travel      Ok time to travel      Travel NOT recommended

Services & Supplies

The following locations have various services and supplies: Coober Pedy, Oodnadatta
Coober Pedy, Oodnadatta, Camping and Cabins at Arckaringa homestead 9k from Painted Desert and 137 kilometres from Coober Pedy

 Camp Sites & Accomodation

Coober Pedy   RatingRatingRatingRatingRating
Populated Place Service Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Airstrip Fuel Water Supply Pub Mine Food,Shopping Police Station Resort,Motel
Outback opal mining town located on Stuart Hwy 840km from Adelaide and 690 from Alice Springs. Visit underground shops and mines then do the loop drive out to the Breakaways
Oodnadatta   RatingRatingRating
Populated Place Service Station,Roadhouse Caravan Park Fuel Water Supply Toilet Food,Shopping Police Station Medical Services Resort,Motel
Oodnadatta is an unusal township with a checkered history. Located 1,011 km north of Adelaide via Coober Pedy, or 1092 km via Marree and the Oodnadatta Track Oodnadatta lies just south of Lake Eyre on the edge of the Tirari Desert.
Arckaringa   
Populated Place Camp Fee
Camping and cabins at Arckaringa homestead would serve as a great base for those opting to stay for a while.

 Environment

Around Coober Pedy and along the tracks to Oodnadatta the terrain is predominantly gibber plains intersected by Coolabah fringed creek bed. The moon like appearance of thee gibber plains were used to great effect in the Mad Max movies. The Painted Desert describes the area of the Arckaringa Hills which are composed of very soft and fragile but highly coloured rock-rock seems too harsh a word to describe these fragile soils.

During the summer months the temperatures may reach 45 to 50 degrees Celsius. Travel in the region between October and March is not recommended due to high temperatures

 History

Coober Pedy
Fourteen year old Willie Hutchison, while searching for water, discovered opal on the 1st February 1915. The worst drought in the State’s history, was responsible for Willies searching on behalf of an Adelaide Gold mining syndicate. Had it not been for the drought, the opal may not have been discovered until many years later.

Lack of water proved to be the main problem for Coober Pedy during it’s early history. The discovery of opal at the Eight Mile in 1945 by aboriginal woman Toddy Bryant, was a turning point that helped establish Coober Pedy's future prosperity.

Oodnadatta
The history of Oodnadatta is intertwined with the history of the great north-south connections, the Overland Telegraph Line and the railway line that came to be known as the Ghan. There is plenty of this history to explore at Oodnadatta and along the Oodnadatta track.

 Driving Directions

Time
Direction
Distance
Coober Pedy to Giddi Giddinna Creek 40.75 km NE 29° 25 min
Giddi Giddinna Creek to Kempe Rd & Arckaringa Access 54.4 km N 36 min
Kempe Rd & Arckaringa Access to Arckaringa 43.37 km NW 324° 34 min
Arckaringa to The Painted Desert 9.82 km NE 64° 10 min
The Painted Desert to Ankata Painted Desert Rd & Kempe Rd 32.48 km E 80° 29 min
Ankata Painted Desert Rd & Kempe Rd to Hookey Waterhole 43.48 km NE 46° 30 min
Hookey Waterhole to Oodnadatta 7.2 km N 17° 5 min
Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta 231.5 km     2 hr 59 min
Distance is GPS recorded driving distance (not straight line), Direction is straight line from start to end, Time is calculated from actual GPS driving data.

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What Others have Posted

pistol : 5 Oct 08 10:43
Hello all, has anyone some info about the road from Ood...

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This map covers the Oodnadatta Track from Lyndhurst to Oodnadatta via Marree, Lake Eyre, William Creek and Algebuckina.The Oodnadatta Track closely follows a major Aboriginal trade route, the Overland Telegraph Line and the Old Ghan Line.
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