Site Search
Print Page Setup Profile Login
Painted Desert Section Image

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
FinishOodnadatta
Distance231.5 kmMinimum Days1
Average Speed77.42 km/hrDriving Time2 hours 59 mins
Article By: Member - David O   Updated: 19 Nov 2007
Advertisement

 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

Loading...
Loading
Places Icon

Zoom & Scale Help

Point Control


Point Features











Symbols

Linear Features


Overlays


Place Name Search Help

Enter the place you are looking for.

Address Search Help

Enter the full or part address you are looking for.
Locate Address

Lat/Lon Search Help

Enter the Lat & Lon you wish to view.
Show Position

Route/Driving Directions Help

Enter an address in the 'from and to' then click 'Create Route'.
Create Route

Download

Select a download format from the list below then click 'Download'.
GPX
GeoRSS
KML
GML V3
GeoJSON
WKT
All downloads are strictly for personal use, all download activity is recorded and limits may be imposed.
Cancel Download

Upload

Currently only GPX files are supported
Cancel

Painted Desert Help

From: Coober Pedy
To: Oodnadatta

Distance: 231.5 km
Direction: 23 °
Average Speed: 77.42 km/hr
Travel Time: 2 hours 59 mins

Using the Map

Our treks have a moving map facility, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button in the Moving map control (see Moving Map help)
Mouse Position:

Moving Map Help

Speed (5 secs)

Live Tracking

Auto Refresh (1 min, next 60 secs)
Map Legend

 Permits

None required.

 Things to See & Do

The Painted Desert - SA   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.

 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 33 litres ULP4cyl 37 litres LPG4cyl 46 litres
6cyl 36 litres6cyl 50 litres *6cyl 41 litres
8cyl 36 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 86.52km 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 & Accommodation

Coober Pedy - SA   RatingRatingRating
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 - SA   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. With many summer temperatures reaching over 50 degrees Celsius, Oodnadatta is very close to being the hottest and driest town in Australia.
Arckaringa - SA   
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 Statep@>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 itp@>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.

 Related Travel Journals

The maiden voyage of the Jeep and Solar-powered T
This is the log of the JSP TARDIS - on its maiden voyage to the centre of the known world and back . The intended voyage will be via the following places of interest along the way - Pink Lakes - Lak
2009 Trip - William Creek to Alice Springs
Back to previous chapter [url=http://www.exploroz.com/Members/61493.375/6/2009/2009_Trip_-_Lake_Eyre_and_the_Painted_Hills.aspx]Lake Eyre and the Painted Hills[/u
2008 Trip Part 6 - Alice Springs home to Beulah.
By morning the clouds had cleared and the wind had dropped. We packed up, got extra fuel then headed out on the Old Andado road. The road was pretty good until Santa Teresa but once past there the g
Trip 2008 days 9-14
Trip Report 2008 5264.80 km Avg 7.23 Km/L cheapest fuel $1.789 At Coolgardie Dearest $2.30 at Ilkurlka avg. $1.952 Damage to the Troopy: broken bolt on bracket on engine (wired up), blown RH hea
14 Apr 2006 - Coober Pedy SA
Good Friday 14th April 2006 Coober Pedy S.A. Rain this morning. It’s becoming synonymous with my associations with Coober Pedy. Dust, wind and rain. Only a slight shower but as I look north I c

 Related Pages

Simpson Desert Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert can be crossed via the French Line, WAA line or Rig Road. This trek provides a route using a combination of all 3 routes. [Feature Story]
Trek Search Trek Search
ExplorOz Trek Notes are detailed, factual reviews of destinations in Australia to which you can plan a self-drive camping trip.
Simpson Desert French Line Simpson Desert French Line
The French Line is the most direct route across the desert and traverses directly across the tops of over 1200 red sand dunes, with Big Red being the major challenge.
Strzelecki Track Strzelecki Track
The Stzrelecki Track is strictly the route form Innamincka to Lyndhurst, however our trek note is for travellers starting at Innamincka and travelling down to Arkaroola Village in the heart of the Flinders
Simpson Desert Rig Road Simpson Desert Rig Road
The Rig Road is the most southern access across the Simpson Desert. It is a longer route because it winds along the edge of dunes and crosses at the lowest points.
Simpson Desert WAA Line Simpson Desert WAA Line
This track is similar to the French Line and although it has smaller dunes, it is very picturesque especially after rain.
Innamincka Memorials and Markers Innamincka Memorials and Markers
This trek which lies purely in the Innamincka Regional Reserve follows the memorials, markers and waterholes along Cooper Creek.
Walkers Crossing Walkers Crossing
Route for driving between Birdsville and Innamincka through the flood plain country of the nothern overlow of the Cooper Creek before rising onto the Sturt Stony Desert on the Birdsville Track.
Birdsville Track Birdsville Track
The Birdsville Track runs south from Birdsville to Maree and passes through the Sturt Stony Desert. It is an extremely remote region but is strikingly beautiful in its harshness.
Oodnadatta Track Oodnadatta Track
If you’re a history buff you’re going to go nuts crossing the Oodnadatta Track. The track follows the orignal Ghan line from Marla to Oodnadatta and then on to Marree.
Dig Tree Circuit Dig Tree Circuit
This loop trek from Innamincka will take you on a historic adventure, heading towards The Burke and Wills "Dig Tree", which is one of Australia's national icons and an enduring reminder of our pioneering s
Inside Track Inside Track
The Inside Track was gazetted as a public road on 16th January 2002 and provides an alternative route that is also 35km shorter than the main Birdsville Track.
Cordillo Downs Cordillo Downs
This is the main route from Innamincka to Birdsville. The track is about 420km and conditions vary greatly.
Bore Track Bore Track
The Bore Track is an access road for oil company vehicles and for property owners. This track is a great alternative to the wide gravel road of the Strzelecki Track which is more a highway than a track.
Mt Dare to Oodnadatta via Dalhousie Mt Dare to Oodnadatta via Dalhousie
This trek provides an easy opportunity to access Dalhousie Springs, one of the main icons of the Simpson Desert without a significant detour if touring between South Australia and the Red Centre.
Dalhousie to Finke via Bloods Ck Dalhousie to Finke via Bloods Ck
This trek connects the Red Centre and the Simpson Desert but also intersects the Old Ghan in numerous places and provides an interesting drive.

 Trek Feedback

If you wish to Send Feedback please Logon Now

What Others have Said

Latest 3 of 3

Member -Signman : 27 Feb 09 11:46
Hi all Just doing a rough draft for winter hols. around July. Itine...
Wheaters : 25 Nov 08 22:24
Hi all, can anyone tell me a good place to camp at or near Painte...
pistol : 5 Oct 08 10:43
Hello all, has anyone some info about the road from Ood...

 Recommended Reading for Painted Desert

Oodnadatta Track - The Outback Travellers Guide Oodnadatta Track - The Outback Travellers Guide
Series 1 Fourteen stripmaps break the Oodnadatta Track into identifiable sections giving travellers information on regional roads, access routes, tourist information, historic snippets, fuel, water, land-marks, elevations, camping, accommodation, Old Ghan Railway, GPS waypoints and much more. Each strip map is accompanied by photographs of scenes along that section of track.
Oodnadatta Track Oodnadatta Track
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.
Central Australia Central Australia
This single sided map combines data from four Great Desert Tracks map sheets and represents this on one easy to use map.
Great Desert Tracks of Australia SC Great Desert Tracks of Australia SC
This is just one map from the 6 map set of the Great Desert Tracks Map Pack. This particular map covers Googs Track, Nullarbor Plain, Connie Sue Hwy, Anne Beadell Hwy.
Natmap Digital Maps 2008 Natmap Digital Maps 2008
NATMAP Digital Maps 2008 is the next generation of Geoscience Australia's popular NATMAP Raster 1:250 000 scale topographic digital maps. NATMAP Digital Maps 2008 are exact digital copies of Geoscience Australia's NATMAP topographic maps. They cover the whole of Australia at 1:250 000 scale, and are current to 2006.
SH5303 Warrina SH5303 Warrina
This 1:250K topographic paper map covers an area about 150km from east to west and 110km from north to south (1.5 degrees longitude by 1 degree latitude). The map contains natural and constructed features including road and rail infrastructure, vegetation, hydrography, contours (interval 50m), localities and some administrative boundaries.
$10.00 [Add to Cart]Allow 2 weeks for delivery
Australia Aus Tour DVD Australia Aus Tour DVD
A must have for the long distance explorer. Here, Memory-Map teams up with Hema to bring you their acclaimed 4WD and regional maps together with 13 interactive Map Guides.The Map-Guides provide great information on each region, bushwalking, campsites and 4x4 tracks with text and photos.
$199.95 [Add to Cart]
South Australia South Australia
This double sided road map of South Australia features a comprehensive map of the state on one side and the Flinders Ranges and the South East on the other. This easy to read fully indexed map features national parks, places of interest plus more.
$4.95 $4.21 [Add to Cart]
Great Desert Tracks of Australia Map Pack Great Desert Tracks of Australia Map Pack
This map pack includes the six Great Desert Tracks Maps, together with the Simpson Desert map, all packaged in a hard-cover folder with clear pockets. This map pack is designed to offer an additional benefit to the constant map user by providing better value than buying the maps individually.