Farina to Coward Springs

We hit the Oodnadatta Track! By now, we can almost pronounce it. The trip is 183kms and around 3 hours – due to the slow-going condition of the road. After a big downpour recently the track has only just – the day we leave! – opened up for 4WDing with towing.

This shows the viability of the roads and is updated frequently. The day before our route was yellow (which means no towing). A confusing colour code system, reckons Mitch.
I don’t know why but this track feels iconic.

First though a quick stop at Marree, which marks the end of the bitumen road and the last petrol before William Creek. This town felt pretty rough as guts. The camel cup was on the day we passed through, and the historic hotel was already heaving mid-morning. Many people come here to take flights over Kati-Thanda (Lake Eyre) and the Marree Man, a fricking huge modern geoglyph. We did not see that obviously. Maybe next time!

There was even a bar in the petrol station!
And plenty of flannel.
They are also deeply into mailman mythology in the Outback. Makes sense when you are so deeply remote.
Marree Hotel.
Cameleers and bullock teamsters, the twin forces of the Outback! The relationship was often fraught however.
Not the first mounted bull’s head we saw!
Demountables passing for motels, seems a bit grim but I guess they do the job?
Good to go!
Copy that 🫡

A big reason we chose to take the Oodnadatta Track over to Coober Pedy was to check out the Mutonia Sculpture Park, a fairly random art installation just past Marree. Created by former mechanic Robin Cooke in 1997, it seems to solidify the surrealism of the Outback. Of course you’d see giant industrial creations by the side of the road, why not?

The dry as dust humour often found out here.
Kind of moving that this robot guy is a dad, toting his toddler on his journey.
This one was Lux’s favourite, which she only saw from the car as she was still sick. Oli’s favourite was a sunflower made out of a windmill (sorry, no photo!)
We thought we spied water at Kati-Thanda, but later the campsite owner said this was probably a mirage.
The Lake Eyre/Kati Thanda basin is an absolutely mind-boggling landscape reaching across SA, NT and QLD. The Great Artesian Basin lies underneath 1/5 of Australia and some of its water is 2 million years old. WHAT!
Each nation had different words for water. Being able to survive and thrive out here is a true feat.
Don’t worry she didn’t keep it!
C’est arrive!

The Coward Springs Camping Ground was an absolute oasis in the middle of the desert, run by two eco-minded vegans, Barb and Scott. And they were lovely to boot! The campsite oozed care and character, with little hand-painted signs, revegetation zones, a coffee van and merch stand dishing up handmade date scones, Anzac biccies, chutney, and other delights. The dates were all grown onsite, a legacy from the date palm trees planted by visiting Aghans over the years. I could not have loved this spot more.

Plus, oh yeah, it had a NATURAL HOT SPRING!
Path to the spa.
Surrounded by she-oaks (our site was called ‘Alberts’). The little face was drawn by Scott who escorted us to the site on a bicycle. I’ll show you Barb’s version later.
Little merch stand next to the coffee van. We may have gone a bit merch mad, picking up a singlet, enamel cup, sticker, postcard, chutney…
Don’t ask and ye shall receive; the toilet block which was a drop version but very clean. Made out of railway sleepers from Farina!
Pee puns.
Date palms.

We had originally planned to stay only one night here and head all the way up to Oodnadatta afterwards, which is a significant leg north that would then require us to travel north then south again to get to Coober Pedy, on a rather bumpy road. We decided to skip this detour and remain at Coward Springs for two nights and a bit of R&R. Mitch was sick now as well and we felt woefully behind on caravanning admin; itinerarising, reorganising boxes and pantries, journaling. Just sitting still for a moment.

Journaling.

It sounds silly but, at least so far, there is very little downtime on campertrailer road trips. There’s always something to do and because we are on a tight timeline, we are not afforded many multi-night stays. Honestly, we are quite exhausted and going to bed SO early (like 7:30pm sometimes!). Coward Springs was the perfect restorative break.

📍Arabana Country

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