Outback Towns
When it comes to quirky towns and things to do, the Outback is hard to beat. From Coober Pedy and Marree to William Creek and Mungerannie, you'll love the things you find and the people you meet.
Visit some of these must-see Outback towns:
Andamooka
This little mining town is famous for the quality opal that was discovered here in 1930. Andamooka opals are open-cut mined, unlike Coober Pedy where they are shaft mined, and this gives the town its own character. Town tours are available from Roxby Downs and highlights include working mines, semi-dugout homes, early underground shaft mines, historical cottages and "noodling" (fossicking) for opal.
Coober Pedy
In this opal mining outpost, 4000 residents from 50 countries have made an art form of all things quirky. With half the population living in underground dugouts to escape high temperatures in summer, only in Coober Pedy will you find an underground church, underground hotels and a golf course without a blade of grass. Coober Pedy produces most of the world's opals and you can try your luck at "noodling" (fossicking) at various spots around town.
Innamincka
Near the end of the Strzelecki Track, Innamincka was originally a customs post taxing the movement of stock between the colonies. The town now consists of a character-filled hotel, a trading post (they bake their own bread) and an auto shop that doubles as a camping spot, laundromat and cappuccino house. The ruins of the original Innamincka Pub, which closed in 1880, is a talking point for drinkers at the new hotel who enjoy a beer or two in the revamped beer garden, known as 'Outamincka'.
Two of Australia's greatest early explorers, Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, died near here on their return journey to Melbourne from the Gulf of Carpentaria. Their support team had given them up for dead and headed for home just eight hours earlier. A carved Coolibah tree stands as a monument to their expedition.
In the Innamincka Reserve, about 110 kilometres from Innamincka at the end of the Strzelecki Track, you'll find the Coongie Lakes system. This stunning desert oasis is home to around 20,000 water fowl, more than 150 species of birds and many other plants and animals. Due to its isolation, careful planning is required before you visit.
Marree
Marree marks the southern starting point for the legendary Birdsville and Oodnadatta tracks and is part of the Old Ghan Heritage Trail. You can explore many relics of the town's past, including a replica mosque (all that remains of Ghantown - once home to more than 60 Afghan cameleers, their families and 1500 camels) and the now abandoned Old Ghan railway line to Alice Springs. The Bubbler and Blanchcup Springs are among the best examples of mound springs on the rim of the Great Artesian Basin, and you'll find these about 100 kilometres northwest of Marree.
Mungerannie
Halfway up the famous Birdsville track, Mungerannie consists of a pub and a hot water spring that attracts 140 species of birds. Lying at the junction of four deserts (Sturt's Stony, Tirari, Simpson and Strzelecki) the pub is a true oasis complete with sand dunes around a tree-lined water hole.
Oodnadatta
Head straight to the Pink Roadhouse when you get to Oodnadatta - it's a great source of information on everything to do with the Oodnadatta Track and the surrounding area. Also worth a visit is the heritage-listed railway station, which tells of the town's history as a terminus for the Great Northern Railway.
Roxby Downs and Olympic Dam
Built in the 1980s to support the Olympic Dam Mine, Roxby Downs is a modern, well-equipped desert oasis. Tour the city's fascinating mine, which produces nine million tonnes of ore annually (consisting mainly of cooper, uranium, gold and silver).
William Creek
Located on the legendary Oodnadatta Track, William Creek is home to the most isolated hotel in Australia and a population numbering just 16. The timber and corrugated iron pub is a sight to see - over the years its been wallpapered with business cards, hand-written notes, bras, underpants and just about everything else not nailed down. Several local tour operators run sightseeing flights over Lake Eyre from Adelaide or Outback towns like William Creek, particularly when the lake is flooded. These flights are a great way to appreciate the vastness of the lake and surrounding terrain. William Creek is the closest town to Lake Eyre, with the shoreline just 53 kilometres away by road and only 15 minutes by air.
Woomera
Just a few kilometres north of the Explorer's Highway, this Outback town was established in 1947 as a site for the launching of experimental rockets. See the Woomera Heritage Centre and Missile Park, displaying rockets, aircraft and weapons associated with the testing range.
