Destinations > Andamooka

The huts have been preserved as best they can, including some of the original fittings and mining tools, which are all on display inside. Don's knowledge of the area is encyclopedic, and tours of the little cottages are worth the drive to Andamooka alone.

The land surrounding Andamooka looks like a moonscape - great white mullock heaps punctuate the deep red desert sand all the way around the perimeter of the town. There has been very little in the way of planning in Andamooka - something that's evident in the architecture.

Back in the days of the first opal rush, it was very much a case of every man for himself. The miners arrived, staked out their bit of land, built a ramshackle hut out of whatever materials were at hand and sunk a mineshaft into their backyard. Many of the buildings are still constructed from old timbers and corrugated iron.

Those that were lucky enough to strike it rich did so with gusto - and their dwellings were upgraded to reflect their find. It's an unusual sight from the main road - a massive house built in the shape of a medieval castle, surrounded by fibro and iron dwellings, the likes of which you'd expect to find knocked together in a pastoralist's back paddock, and not within sight of the main road.

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The town now has planning regulations in place, and each new dwelling that crops up is subject to the usual strict building codes that apply across the country. But many of the locals are rather attached to their rough and ready shelters - they'll be left standing and will no doubt be inhabited for some time.

Of course, there's more to Andamooka these days than the opal mines. The true Outback begins where the township stops, and it's a harsh and unforgiving region. Nearby Lake Torrens, now a national park, is a destination worthy of a place on any adventure-seeking 4WDer's itinerary. Rarely full, it usually appears as a giant salt flat, shining white in the hot desert sun.

To reach Lake Torrens, and a smaller but more picturesque spot called Lake Arthur, 4WDers will need to travel through Mulgaria Station, along the Torrens Track. Mulgaria Station has been off-limits to 4WDers for years, following a couple of incidents involving some hoons who nearly ran over the station owner's children. The station owner has only recently re-opened the track, which leads around the northern end of Lake Torrens, and eventually on to Farina, north-east of Andamooka. We were amongst the first to drive the track since it was re-opened, as part of a weekend's activities organised by local identity and tour operator, Pat Katnich.

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