Oodnadatta Track Travel Tips

Where to stay & eat along the Oodnadatta Track

No need to worry about food and drinks... isn't it good to know where you can get a warm meal, or a cold beer, when you arrive at your destination?

A tour along the Oodnadatta Track is a great experience. If you don't like camping, you can always stay in a cabin, or an old-fashoined hotel.

Marree   Population ~ 100

Marree Hotel, Railway Tce South - The grand old hotel offers single and double rooms, as well as counter & dining room meals. The bar room is the place for a cold beer and a chat with the locals. Enjoy unique Outback hospitality in this historic hotel.

Marree Drover's Rest Tourist Park Ph: (08) 8675 8371, Cnr. Oodnadatta & Birdsville Track, - The Drover's Rest is about 1 km outside town. It has camp sites and air-conditioned units, and sells fuel.

Oasis Caravan Park Ph: (08) 8675 8352, Railway Tce South - This park is in the middle of town, has some grassy camp sites and shade to offer. They also have cabins with private facilities and air-condition. There is a "bbq garden" where guests and locals share some gossip around the campfire at night

Marree's Outback Store & Roadhouse, Railway Tce North, has a post office and Commonwealth Bank agency, and also internet access. Yeah, you get a cold drink there, too!!

Coward Springs

A basic campground in a beautiful vicinity. Toilets and hot showers are available, as well as a natural spa. Camel tours operate from Coward Springs in June & July.

Camels at Coward Springs - are you daring enough to take a tour?

William Creek   Population ~ 10

• William Creek Hotel Ph: (08) 8670 7880, - The hotel & pub offers counter & dining room meals, take-away liquor. It is a wonderful place to enjoy a cool drink after an hot and dusty day on the tracks. They also offer minor mechanical repairs, fuel and a camping area.



• William Creek Store and Campground. This is a fairly new campground with modern shower blocks, and cabins. When I stayed there in 2001 there was not much shade, however, many small trees were planted that might already provide some shade by now. The store offers take-away food, ice cream, but you can also sit and relax in their air-conditioned restaurant.

Oodnadatta   Population ~ 100

The Pink Roadhouse (08) 8670 7822) has fuel, meals, a typical Outback mini market, and a campground with cabins. Facilities are basic, but you get everything you need.

Transcontinental Hotel The pub offers air-conditioned rooms and hearty meals.

Oodnadatta General Store a mini-market that also offers fuel, hardware, and take-away meals.

Marla   Population ~ 150

The small town at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Stuart Highway was built in 1980 to serve travellers on the Stuart Highway. The large roadhouse called Marla's Traveller's Rest is a busy place. It offers motel facilities, a caravan park and camping area, backpacker facilities, a restaurant & take-away, post and banking facilities and, of course, fuel.

Arckaringa Homestead, about half-way between Cadney Homestead on the Stuart Highway and Oodnadatta, offers basic accommodation and camping facilities for visitors who want to explore the painted desert.

More Oodnadatta track travel tips and services

• Central Air Services (Oasis Cafe, Marree) offers flights over Lake Eyre. This is a good way to understand the dimensions of Lake Eyre.
• Police stations in Marree and Oodnadatta - you can go and check for road conditions with the officers. Police also hires satellite phones for drivers going on the Oodnadatta Track, you can return the phone in either in Marree or Oodnadatta.
• Health service & hospital in Marree and Oodnadatta.

I hope the Oodnadatta Track Travel Tips were helpful for planning your Outback Australia travel trip. See more information about trip planning on the Outback driving and "prepare your car" pages.