Oodnadatta Track

June is excellent time to go.

The issue is stamina for equipment. Only need 2WD but tyres, clearance, rough spots, bulldust etc usually mean 4WD will handle it better and likewise with offroad van. being a wind up I would expect the shaking will nt do it any favours.

Plenty of camps along the track. Look for railway stations, near Oodnadatta is the Anglebuckina Bridge which has large camping area just pick away from the dust of passing traffic. There are no facilities at these only at commercial camps like William Creek.

Check out the side atttractions like Strangeways etc (get a hema desert map) Peake is one sidetrack you should probably give a miss. It is usually terribly rough.

Diesel is available at Maree and Oodnadatta. Don't know about LPG. Think you can get petrol there.

Great part of the world, leave yourself time to enjoy the area.

Alan

Can get vary cold at night in June, but as posted , a great time to travel there.

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Hi Gary,

Petrol is available at Maree and Oodnadatta and possibly William Creek. Bush camping is possible at many places along the track. Find a line of trees along a drainage line (dry watercourse) and tuck in beside them a little way off the track so that you are out of the dust of passing traffic. Junction waterhole west of oodnadatta is one place where we have had a good bush camp and there are other similar sites around there. Coward Springs is a good commercial camping area with a hot artesian spa. Make sure you have a look at the mound springs.

Val.

Yep - June is a good time to give it a go - the Ood. track (a good road actually) is often excellent from top to bottom - depends on maintenance - I have a pic on my road surfaces page at my site [ http://users.picknowl.com.au/~darian ] - an example of how good it can be - there will still be some stony sections here and there where you need to slow down to save your tyres (but usually nothing like the stonier parts of the BV and Strzelecki 'tracks'.

As everyone else has said a good time to go. Did it last year with a dove and had no trouble. Great camping at Beresford siding. Good map book on the track from the shop here. Enjoy.

Recommend you buy The Outback Travellers Track Guide Series 1 The Oodnadatta Track. Cost me $23 in 2007. Covers to Oodnadatta and out to Marla. Series 2 Track 1 covers Oodnadatta to Alice. The guides have great little pictures of all the track sections and notes about points of interest. They also cover some side tracks e.g. Muloorina, which is a lovely camp area. Their web site is www.outbacktravellers.com.au
Approaching from south, recommend the Copley Caravan Park and Drovers Rest at Marree, if you want to stop there: this is on edge of town, basic caravan park, owner is ex boss drover - living history.
Going north, Coward Springs is commercial operation - unpowered, artesian "spa", toilets, showers, can have campfire; is pleasant spot to stay, in among big tamarisk trees, with some history to explore. Is a newish campground at William Creek - power, showers, toilets, but bare (as you would expect); we stayed a night here to enable longish plane flight over Lake Eyre, Painted Hills etc. Bush camping by Neale River at Algebuckina bridge is magic (no facilities at all - byo spade or portapotti!) Do not recommend staying in Oodnadatta, but do visit the Pink Roadhouse there. In 2007 we went east from Ood. through the Painted Desert (absolute MUST) & stayed a night at Arkaringa Station - commercial, offered power hookup, showers, toilets, campfire.

There is no LPG north of Leigh Creek (and Leigh Creek has been known to run out). Can get unleaded at William Creek (unless its run out too!)

We took a Dove Outback along OT last Nov. We changed a few things on ours to help handle the OT and other tracks but we still had a few problems.

Dust was a bit of a problem but you can always use zip lock plastic or larger plastic bags to key the dust out of laptop or towels etc.

By the time we got to the end of the OT I needed to replace one of the the Dove wheel bearings.

Before we left Melb I fitted a stone guard to the Dove A-frame. Changed the rims to the same on the 4wd. One item I suggest is a must do is protect the tank drain tap from stone damage by extending the tank stone guard with another piece of sheet steel.

I've added a couple of pics to show the stone damage to the shockers and tank guard after 3000kms on outback tracks including OT and the track itself.
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Gary

The track itself, is one of the best dirt roads in the outback. But in saying that, 4B's just do it with a little less stone damage.
Now in saying that, I must add that you can do the track in your mother's little Corolla, but you just never know if there is a wash out, just around the next corner.

LPG available ?..............Not too sure, as I never really looked for it, as we have a diesel..but I would say not, maybe Leigh Creek the last heading up.

There are lots of things to look at on the way up , and that's where you may need a 4B, but not all the time.If it rains, then you will be in the "poo", as the road turns to into slush, and water pools in many spots. Hence the 4B, but even sometimes, they will not through.

June is a good month, but it's cold at night.

Most things to see, are covered on this website so check it out.

Have stayed at Beresford Siding, (free) and not that far out of William Creek, another time. Friends stayed Algbukina Bridge area, and loved it, but got blown away at one of the lake Ayre sites. So have you guessed it, we free camp everywhere.

It's all nice along the "track", and when you start meeting some of the locals, it's even better. Great people out there !

Cheers
Bucky

As with any outback road conditions will vary over time and it is worth checking prior to your trip. However, nothing wrong with the trip you are siuggesting with the equipment you are taking. Athough a trip to the outback wouldn't be complete without "dust and shaking" !!

I would highly recommend that you purchase a copy of a map on the "Oodnadatta Track" produced by Westprint Heritage Maps. It is comprehensive, gives detailed information on the area and places of interest to visit. I'm not sure if it is available through this website, however you should have no trouble locating one.

Regards

Have a look at the camp area behind the old ruins at Farina 25 km north of Lyndhurst. I recomend it - good toilets and VERY quiet (compared to Lyndhurst). Honest box for camp fee - can't remember how much but it was cheap. I have also camped on a side track running east just sth of the last dune about 10 km sth of William Creek a couple of times.