The drive towards Oodnadatta continued through the rocky landscape where the vegetation was limited to dry grasses and stocky, woody shrubs and trees. There were occasional lines of taller gums drawn to the seemingly dry creek beds which hid the rare sources of deeper water that only the gums could reach with their long roots. The old Ghan railway line kept us company, generally running parallel to the track, not more than 50m away in most parts.
We passed through William Creek, a small town with a handful of buildings, the most famous being the William Creek Hotel. Although we had considered stopping for a beer in this iconic pub, once we arrived and went inside we felt less inspired, partly due to the fact it was only 11:30am (not that this has stopped us in the past!) but also because of the thick accented backpackers working behind the bar which took away from the authenticity of this place a bit. It was still interesting to see, with the ceiling displaying the history of this pub, covered in business cards, postcards, notes and other paraphernalia. This was a stark contrast to the modern face of commercialism that had moved in, with the t-shirts, postcards and other tacky souvenirs along with two large ice cream brands screaming at you to purchase their refreshing treats. We stopped for a quick photo and the kids each wrote their names on the wall before continuing on.
On the next section of the track, we felt like we were driving along a giant slot car track (albeit a slightly dustier one), as there were clear tyre tracks running along the length of the track right up to the horizon. It made for a spectacular sight along this otherwise desolate vista. We pulled off the track at a place called Algebuckina, and only a few hundred meters from the main road we drove past a lush waterhole, with shrubs and reeds lining the edges and providing shelter for the willie wagtails flitting around. Kites soared gracefully above, scouring the ground for their next meal. Running over the waterhole was a sturdy looking iron bridge that allowed the trains of the Ghan railway to pass over the waterhole. Now disused, it is yet another relic of a bygone era. Although most of the bridge was sealed off, we could walk along the first 20m or so, which offered great views of the surrounds. The kids had a great time scrambling up the embankment to get to the bridge, and walking along the train tracks over the bridge.
Not long after Algebuckina, we spotted the famous Pink Roadhouse and knew we had arrived at Oodnadatta. We stayed there for one night, and treated ourselves to a great meal at the pub to give ourselves a break from the nightly chores of cooking dinner and cleaning up. Em couldn’t resist buying herself a pink cap – she was in heaven and even got dressed in pink and gathered all the pink things she owned so she could have a pink photo in front of the Pink Roadhouse. After demolishing our ‘Oodnaburgers’, pizza and fish & chips, we took ourselves off to bed exhausted but satisfied.
Wide open spaces 