William Creek, Oodnadatta Track, SA

Oodnadatta Track

We left our van in Marree and headed along the Oodnadatta Track to William Creek, 204 km away to see the sights along the track as well as the tiny town of William Creek. Our van is not an off-road design so we try not take it very far on dirt roads. The temperature hovered around 40°C, common for this time of the year.

The track follows a traditional Australian Aboriginal trading route.
Along the track are numerous springs feeding water from the Great Artesian Basin.
Later, because of the availability of water, the route was chosen for the steam-train powered Central Australia Railway, the original route of The Ghan.
Remnants of the many railway sidings and bridges, the ruins of railway buildings,
and Overland Telegraph Line repeater stations are located along the track.

The Oodnadatta Track passes through Anna Creek Station, the largest piece of privately owned land in the world.

Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre South

South Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre is much smaller than North Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre. The south lake is fed from the north lake and so gets less water than the northern lake and dries out first. The north lake is feed by rains and flood water in northern Queensland and New South Wales. This year,2025, the water level in the north lake reached 80% capacity, not quite high enough to run into the south lake, so while we were there the south lake was dry but the salt as bright as snow. For an aerial view of both lakes, see our recent blog.

Sculpture Park

While the sculptures at Finnis Springs were interesting, the birds living in them were amazing. Lots of zebra finches, pink galahs, corellas and Australian Pipets.

Coward Springs

Coward Springs Campground was once a station on the old Ghan railway line. The site was constructed in 1888 and abandoned before the line was closed in 1980. It is in the Middle of Wabma Kadarbu mound Springs conservation Park and its Ethos is centered around conservation, reducing recycling and reusing!

In 1998 the site (which includes two houses, two in-ground rainwater tanks, a bore, date palms and athel pines) was added to the South Australian Heritage Register.

Coward Springs offers visitors a caravan park, cabins, a museum, an artesian water bathing pool and a café that specialises in locally made date scones.

Did I mention that they also make their own date ice-cream?

Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park

The Wabma Kadarbu Mound Springs Conservation Park is home to some of the most interesting springs we have seen. We saw a few that were still alive but many were now extinct. Mound springs occur around the edge of an artesian basin, where the water is (was) nearer the surface. The water comes out of the centre of a mound, typically a few meters high. The mound is formed over many years from the accumulation of the solids in the water.

Bubbler Mound Spring Oodnadatta Track SA

Water fall at the Bubbler Mound Spring, Oodnadatta Track SA

Strangway Springs

Strangways Springs is a significant mound springs complex, consisting of nearly two kilometer square area, full of hundreds of mound springs and soaks.

In the 19th century, Strangways Springs was a pastoral property, one of eleven repeater station on Australia’s Overland Telegraph Line and a stop on the Great Northern Railway. It was a critical part of the nation’s communication system.

The sign at the turn off from the Oodnadatta Track says “Strangways Telegraph Station”. This track forks at about 2km; right goes to the springs, left goes to private property. We found no further sign of a telegraph station, but the springs and the ruins of the settlement are there.

There are no sign boards in the carpark and we thought it was just a short stroll to the ruins, which it is. There are also several loop walks starting from the ruins, where you will find maps and a steel box housing brochures. Boots and water bottles are advised.

William Creek

Coming into William Creek, the first thing we noticed was the road goes through the middle of the airport. Signs say to watch for ‘Aircraft Crossing Road’. The town is all about aeroplanes and the services needed to support the sight-seeing flight industry and the Flying Doctors Service.

Apparently everything in the town is owned by Wrightsair, established in 1992 by Trevor Wright. The previous month they held their eighth annual William Creek Outback Fly-In, which we gather is like a ute muster but with aeroplanes instead of cars.

We stayed overnight at the William Creek Hotel, address “Lot 1, Oodnadatta Track” (which Google Maps recognises) also publicised as “1 Bill River Road” (which it does not). We stayed in a donga on the opposite side of the road to the Hotel. With the temperature on 40oC the air conditioner was wonderful.