Oodnadatta Track Holiday - Hawker to Williams Creek

Welcome back to part two of our month long outback holiday. Before we left Hawker, we had planned to go to Wilpena Pound. This is a large National Park area famous for the large circle of mountains with only one opening. In the past it was used to keep horses there, as the owners blocked the entrance and left the horses to themselves. It is an enormous area 17km x 8 km and part of the Flinders Ranges. Seeing the actual area from the top was a 7 k hike, so we went to the lookout instead, which was extremely windy and cold that day.

We spent some time at the Visitors Centre, as we had to buy an entrance ticket. It had a mini supermarket in there which surprised me, and of course all the tourist stuff, and a small café.

Tourist Centre Entrance

We decided to head off first to the old farm shearing shed, and realised we were in Hans Heyson Country with all the beautiful old Gum Trees.

Old Shed

A Few antique things were scattered around

Typical of Hans Heyson Paintings

From looking around here especially all the lovely trees we went onto the Sacred Gully. Carved between two high hills, way off the beaten track on a gravel road. Aboriginal carvings were there as well.

Actual carving

Looking into the Gully

Quite Rocky in Sections

Walking Back

Finally found a lookout for Wilpena Pound, on a very steep hill.

These benches everywhere to give you height.

What we could see

Model of what it actually looks like.

Next day we headed off to Maree, and I came down with a nasty throat infection, maybe Tonsilitis? Can only think that it was our freezing nights we had been having. Took all day to get there as well.

We were now officially on the entrance to the Oodnadatta Track.

Start off like this

Called in at an old town Farina, on the old Ghan track, that at one stage had 450 homes. It is being rebuilt for tourists between May and July every year, and has an original underground bakers oven, which is wood fired and bakers make bread every day to sell.

Old hospital and hotel

standard house

Looking down at ovens

Inside

Bread Shelf

Bakers Tins were all sooty and 3 loaves to a tin, plus individual. One baker came up from Melbourne with his sourdough mixture just to have a go .

The caravan Park had some interesting things. Mainly a large block with poles placed for power. The shower was a converted Jayco flat converted into two shower/toilets.

Lots of open space in this park.

Entrance

Wash house

Maree famous for the Postman "Tom Cruise's" Truck.

All these towns are part of the old Ghan Railway Track so each one has an old railway station.

Marree Railway Station not as fancy as some.

We left early next morning to travel to Williams Creek, but because it was all gravel, John let the tires down.

Very flat country low bushes didn't see any animals except 3 horses and a donkey of all things travelling along the side of the road.

Another railway siding, but this one had separate rooms maybe for a family or even telegraph.

Getting creative after hours of gravel road.

Another siding yet again.

A Stop at Coward Springs which boasted of a hot water spring spa, but although it was a bush campground and set up nicely with date palms which dat back to the afghanies being here the spa was really tiny.

John asked permission to photograph, we actually met them at the Oodnadatta sign.

Date Palms

Camp Ground Facilities.

I will leave it at that, there are so many photos to choose from, hope you are enjoying it, and not too long.


Till Next Time.....  Williams Creek.