Oodnadatta

Felt bleak. We had followed our pink mud map of the Oodnadatta Track (all 406 km, 252 miles), from Marree to Oodnadatta, with its very useful and friendly info (we found that on the back of the map), and when we arrived I think we were a bit disappointed. The mud map was written by the people at the Pink Roadhouse, and we had read from other sources how Adam and Lynnie Plate had revitalised the popularity of the track by putting up information signs all along it, and the surrounding area, to encourage tourists like us to use the track and (ultimately I guess) stay with them at the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta. The roadhouse itself is huge, and really is pink! Unfortunately it was being manned (womaned?) by 2 backpacker girls when we arrived, so we didn’t quite get the Plate welcome we were expecting. It was also a little too pricey for us to camp (yes, $16 a night seems a lot to us!), so we used our Wonder Camping Book, and camped just out of town by the bend of the local waterhole – so beautiful, but MOSSIES!

For the whole journey on this track we had had much difficulty pronouncing Oodnadatta, and had been calling it OoNANdatta…
It wasn’t until we arrived at the place, I worked out how to remind myself how to say it – OOOOOOOOOOOO - NAD - ATTA. With a real OOOOOOOO build up.
– I wonder Darren doesn’t throw from the car at speed….
Oh, he can’t the car doesn’t go at speed.

Lucky Me.