Lake Eyre - the water is coming!!!!

[eksjay]

I have just returned from Halligan Bay. Water was accessible a short walk from the camp ground. Water was about 30cm deep. Had one of the kids walk about a kilometer from the shore. Still about 30cm deep. One thing that my fellow campers and I noticed were tide marks. Who would have thought?

Lots of air traffic overhead from William Creek.

The National Park trail from the Oodnadatta Track to Halligan Bay appeared to be under constant grading. The grader was at work in various sections the time we were there.

Inspite of the shallow depth, it was worth going. The kids enjoyed themselves and the weather was great.

As for the Oodnadatta Track and prior to this, we took the Kempe Road from Coober Pedy to Oodnadatta (took the Stuart Highway from Port Augusta to Coober), it was slow going. The Kempe Road from the first kilometer out of Coober Pedy was extremely rocky and corrugated, all the way up until the final approach into Oodnadatta. I heard from locals that the Coober Pedy to William Creek road was worse.

We stopped at Oodnadatta for rest, then set off to camp at the Neales waterhole. The stretch from Allandale down to Mount Dutton was badly corrugated and rocky. I had to place the XJ into 4LO to crawl over the corrugated downhill stretches. In hindsight, we should have remained at Oodnadatta for an overnight stay rather than rush through an afternoon drive to the Neales.

I did much of the driving on the Kempe Road and the Oodnadatta track to the Neales on dropped 20psi tyre pressures and 40kph. Given I was overloaded with gear, (inside the car and on pioneer platform) I could not risk suspension failure or tyre damage. I rode on the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armor AT without incident, but was extremely careful and kept the speed down.

The Oodnadatta track was rough until well south of William Creek. If you are thinking of making the trip to Lake Eyre, and towing an off-road van, you would be best advised to approach from the south. You will have a much faster and more comfortable trip, especially now that there is 100kph blacktop from Leigh Creek to Marree (wish I knew so that I would not test that patience of my pax). The track north of Maree is smooth with few rough patches. The track to Halligan is mostly Sandy [PT 4WD] but for us this was a welcome change (approaching from the rough as guts north).

The immediate approach to William Creek from the north and the south had people riding the shoulders of the track due to the heavy corrugations and rocks.

FWIW, there were puddles in Lake Eyre South, but Lake Hart near Woomera has plenty of water in it.

If you choose to head north of William Creek and are towing, be prepared to go very slow. I would recommend an overnight stay at the Neales rather than do the drive right through to Oodnadatta. A clear night sky in this area is an incredible sight. It is as if you are falling into the universe.

I never saw any other XJs on the Oodnadatta Track (or the entire 5000km round trip), but saw a KJ closer to Marree and a late model GC towing south of William Creek. Most of the tow vehicles were late model 70 series Toyotas but even they would have been in two minds about continuing north of WC because their vans looked too large and cushy to be taken on that kind of terrain.

Photos: [1] On the Kempe 'Road', [2] the Martian Landscape on the way to Oodnadatta [Kempe 'Road'], [3] Refuelling and Rest Stop at the Pink Road House in Oodnadatta, [4] Campsite at the Neales Waterhole (there were no other campers), [5] Shoreline of Lake Eyre