Oodnadatta Track - are we up to it?

Hi Carolyn

You will have nothing to worry about the track is a good dirt road apart from the corragations.
Done the trip last year in a pajero towing a jayco flamingo had no dramas at all.
Have a good trip.

Cheers
Dean

Hi Carolyn R2, we have done bits of it 5 times and were in Maree in 2010 when the Aussie Top Gear crew drove it to Lake Eyre in a 2WD 1974 Corolla, Holden and a Ford. There are links in Places to give you pix and comments on the 3 sections ; Oodnadatta Track - Marla to Oodnadatta - SA then Oodnadatta Track - Oodnadatta to William Creek and lastly Oodnadatta Track - William Creek to Maree. Keep below 80kmh and tyres at 28psi and enjoy your trip which could still be warm to hot in April.....W

Hi Carolyn,

You should have no difficulty at all. The OT is just a gravel road that gets a bit rocky and corrugated in places. Drop your speed and your tyre pressures, take your time, go in and have a look at all the things and places along the way and you will have a great time. There are a few pics in our 2008 blogs that may be of interest.

Cheers,

Val

Thanks guys, I was hoping you'd say that!

I was on there this week with a Pajero. A mate had a Prado. both towing outback Jaycos. No problem at all. Average speed 80km.
We turned off at William creek towards Coober Pedy, which was better than many bitumen roads I have travelled.

Friend took a Subaru Outback up there last year. You'll be fine and have fun.

I don't think you'll have any worries unless it rains, Here's a couple of photo's from my trips and vehicle types on the track 1967/69 ,




The photo of the Austin 1800 might have been South of Maree, but myself and my Dad continued on to Oodnadatta , Marla and onward to Alice Springs without any problems.

.

did it by myself in 1971 in a HD(1965) Holden and the track is much better now. You,ll be fine.

Doug's second photo with the Austin is instructive - most of the OT is like that, except on the lower sections the stones get a bit bigger in places. As mentioned above, taking it easy where required on lower pressure tyres is the key. Oh... don't forget some stone shielding between the camper and car - those little stones pepper the camper and can ricochet off the camper and play havoc with the car's duco and rear window. Have a great trip.

Hi Carolyn,
Might see you and the family up there.
We've been up sections of the track numerous times. Only once did our convoy suffer a puncture and a hole in the sump, but that was in heavily loaded Holden Statesman's in the hands of some novices (Reliability Test Trip). Of all the times I've been up there, my biggest problem was a chip in the windscreen from some Muppet who thought my reason for pulling over towards the left of the road was to enable him to travel down the centre...at full tilt I might add.
It's an easy drive, you can't get lost and there will be heaps of traffic being SA school holidays. My advice to you is drop your tyre pressures by about 20%, drop your speed by about the same amount (compared to highway driving) and get a good map. There is lots to see, do and photograph just off the main track but in most instances, it's not always signposted or visible from the main track.
Like the Birdsville track, you could do it in 1-2 days or 1-2 weeks depending on how many side trips or things you want to see and explore. Take your time, enjoy it and tick it off the bucket list.

Fab. (Will be in my Pajero io, a bluey/grey RA Rodeo towing a camper and a 75 series Land Crusher).