Oodnadatta Track how long to do it comfortably

Kylie,
A couple of years back I took some friends along the Oodnadatta track intending to show them all I knew along the track stopping the first night at Pole Creek the next at Oodnadatta well after four nights we arrived at Oodnadatta and that was just visitting points of interest with out perhaps staying a day at places like Coward springs, William Creek or Algebuckna.
The track varies in condition but you can easily just drive to the conditions.
The bird life at Lake Eyre will depend on how much water is around and that is an unknown at this stage but it appears this year will be your best chance.
Peake and Strangway ruins are worth a visit. The mound springs and all the old railway sidings are also worth a visit. The Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta have sing posted most points of interest.

Cheers

We did the Oodnadatta Track in November at it was in very good condition. I think Graham has mentioned all the spots we stopped. The caravan park, if that what they call it, behind the Pink Roadhouse is like staying in a wrecking yard. We ended up staying in the bunkhouse at the pub, which was basic but ok for one night. I think I would head out to the painted desert for the night, rather than in Oodnadatta. Coward Springs has very good facilities.
We drove out to Lake Ayre but the water was too far out to see any birdlife and you cant walk too far on the lake as you sink into the black mud under the salt. I think the best bet would be to take a flight out of William Creek over the Lake. Peake Telegraph station is also interesting but might be a bit testing for the trailer. We also went to Uluru and then to Alice via Hermannsburg (dirt road for about 200k).
Unfortunately we were on a tight schedule as had to get to Darwin (from Sydney) so had to put in some big days but still did it in just over 2 weeks.
We did notice there were a number of snakes crossing over the track so be mindful of the kids when you stop on the side of the track as they are mostly king browns.

Kylie,

The highlights are pretty well covered above, but a couple of things worth mentioning -

The bird life on Lake Eyre looks fantastic on TV, but those views rely very heavily on having the right gear - a helicopter, good camera crew, ultra telescopic cameras, knowledgeable guides, lots of backup. Some of the most impressive footage in fact comes from rookeries way up the waterways feeding Lake Eyre, some north of Birdsville. Not trying to put you off, but you will not see in a brief visit the sort of images that took weeks and big resources to collect. Nor will you get close enough to the lake and rookeries to see much from the ground.

It's a big expense for a family, but a flight from William Ck over the Painted Hills and Lake Eyre is very special. I'd particularly recommend the first flight of the day, when the low sun angle and still air really enhance the experience. Make sure the cameras are fully charged and you have lots of memory in them!

One aspect of outback travel that's not often mentioned is the absence of spectacle. There are spectacular things along the track, but I also enjoy the emptiness, the hugeness. Suggest travel out there with the expectation of enjoying the travel itself, not just the destinations.

None of which answers your questions, but hope it's some help!

Cheers

John

G'day , I was planning to leave Sydney in a couple of weeks to visit Lake Eyre via the Oodnadatta track but when I checked the government road website SA RTA Site It used a lot of words like 4WD only , use extreme caution etc so decided to go somewhere else..

We're a family traveling solo & have a prado , towing a jayco campertrailer .. You think it's worth a shot because I would prefer to go there..