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Destinations > Outback Oddyssey
Outback Oddyssey
Issue: September 2009
Words and Photos by Robert Pepper
If you've got three weeks to play with how far can you go from a capital city?
You could start with a long day behind the wheel at the beginning and end of the trip, on the basis anywhere within a day's drive is achievable over a long weekend if you want to see it. For example, out of Melbourne your first real stop could be the magnificent Flinders Ranges.
The Flinders has fantastic scenery, mountain ranges, walks and it's all relatively close to major settlements. It really needs a dedicated trip, but you can still enjoy it as you pass through. The Moralana Scenic Drive north of Hawker is good if you're en-route elsewhere, but we had more time so we diverted via the Bunyeroo Gorge which is, well, gorgeous, before rejoining the main road north. The drive was two hours moving and 100km from Hawker to Brachina via Bunyeroo. An alternative is the drive from Wilpena to historic hamlet of Blinman, offering some beautifully expansive vistas via of bitumen. Then you'll have a half-hour run through some windy dirt roads to Parachilna, pleasant but not the best of the Ranges.
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Continuing north you could take a break at Parachilna, which has excellent Aussie animal tucker and a swimming pool. Then there's Leigh Creek, the last "big" town for a while. The Quandong Café at Copley is recommended, before continuing up the highway again to Lyndhurst. That's the last of the bitumen, and it's time to drop the tyre pressures which is best done a couple of klicks up the road at the ochre pits on the left
A little further north is Maree, where the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks meet. Maree has a playground, Internet access and some shops, and is the start of the legendary Oodnadatta Track with its many historic sights. There's Lake Eyre; just a small bit of it, but 'small' is a relative term. The Bubbler and Blanche Springs are part of the 'string of springs' and are certainly worth a stop. We also recommend the beautifully maintained Coward Springs as a campsite. It's an easy day to get from Lyndhurst to Coward Springs.
Alongside the road runs the ruins of the old Ghan line, and there are any number of ruins to look at, many of which have information signs. The Beresford Ruins, an old station house next to a waterhole, is a good for a refreshment break.
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Words and Photos by Robert Pepper
If you've got three weeks to play with how far can you go from a capital city?
You could start with a long day behind the wheel at the beginning and end of the trip, on the basis anywhere within a day's drive is achievable over a long weekend if you want to see it. For example, out of Melbourne your first real stop could be the magnificent Flinders Ranges.
The Flinders has fantastic scenery, mountain ranges, walks and it's all relatively close to major settlements. It really needs a dedicated trip, but you can still enjoy it as you pass through. The Moralana Scenic Drive north of Hawker is good if you're en-route elsewhere, but we had more time so we diverted via the Bunyeroo Gorge which is, well, gorgeous, before rejoining the main road north. The drive was two hours moving and 100km from Hawker to Brachina via Bunyeroo. An alternative is the drive from Wilpena to historic hamlet of Blinman, offering some beautifully expansive vistas via of bitumen. Then you'll have a half-hour run through some windy dirt roads to Parachilna, pleasant but not the best of the Ranges.
read on below advertisement
Continuing north you could take a break at Parachilna, which has excellent Aussie animal tucker and a swimming pool. Then there's Leigh Creek, the last "big" town for a while. The Quandong Café at Copley is recommended, before continuing up the highway again to Lyndhurst. That's the last of the bitumen, and it's time to drop the tyre pressures which is best done a couple of klicks up the road at the ochre pits on the left
A little further north is Maree, where the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks meet. Maree has a playground, Internet access and some shops, and is the start of the legendary Oodnadatta Track with its many historic sights. There's Lake Eyre; just a small bit of it, but 'small' is a relative term. The Bubbler and Blanche Springs are part of the 'string of springs' and are certainly worth a stop. We also recommend the beautifully maintained Coward Springs as a campsite. It's an easy day to get from Lyndhurst to Coward Springs.
Alongside the road runs the ruins of the old Ghan line, and there are any number of ruins to look at, many of which have information signs. The Beresford Ruins, an old station house next to a waterhole, is a good for a refreshment break.
next page »
