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Despite the desolate surroundings it is a good place to stay before you head for either the Oodnadatta Track or the Birdsville Track.
Believe it or not, this is one of my favourite Australian Outback towns. You can easily spend a day or more exploring the relics of the town's heydays as a thriving railway settlement.
Tiny bush town in Outback South Australia
Points of interest:
- The Great Northern Hotel (1883), also called Marree Hotel, is the oldest stone building in town. Don't miss the opportunity of a cool drink and a chat with the locals.
Railway station You'll be surprised to see the huge concrete platform in a tiny town like this. Imagine how busy the station was when a train arrived once or twice a week. The railway was the connection to the bigger towns down south, a true lifeline for people in the remote Outback.- Locomotives & railway carriages are spread around town, some are even used as homes today.
- Museum Park is a collection of memorabilia between the hotel and the old railway station right in the town centre. See the old mail truck which Tom Kruse used for many years to bring the mail from Marree to Birdsville.
A replica of an Afghan mosque, made from bush materials, reminds on the early days of the ghan town. Descendants of those Afghan cameleers, who helped to build the Overland Telegraph and the Ghan railway line, live still in town.
- Arabunna centre The museum and community centre of the local Aborigines is worth a visit. The centre also organises five day camping tours of Arabunna country to and from Adelaide, as well as cultural and nature-based tours around the Lake Eyre area.
- The Camel sundial is made from old railway sleepers and shows the exact time! It's another reminder on the Afghans, Australian camels, and the impact the had on developing the Outback.
Don't miss to drive outside town to feel the isolation and loneliness. Marree's wide streets wear off in the desert, you just feel overwhelmed by the immense vastness. Visit the Hergott Springs which are only a few kilometre from town.
Now that you have enjoyed this historic Outback town, you're ready to hit the Australian Outback with me. Let's start the Oodnadatta Track
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