Cadney Park, the Painted Desert and Oodnadatta

We left Coober Pedy to bake in the sun and disappear under its mounds of old mining equipment and other detritus and headed up the Stuart Highway to Cadney Park, another truckstop / caravan park.

Before we left we filled our drinking water tank with passable water from the caravan park's supply at 20 cents per 40 litres - well worth it for quality water. 

If you're planning to visit Coober Pedy  (and it's worth it just for the Breakaways alone) our tip would be to stay in the Stuart Range Caravan Park near the Highway - it's far enough out of the town to avoid the disruptions often caused by our indigenous brothers and sisters, although it is clear that many of the troublemakers evident in our  trip 4 years ago have moved on.

We have noticed a vast improvement in the standard of amenities since our last trip, it is clear that the operators are reinvesting in their sites. 

Cadney Park, while basic as far as the park  goes, has excellent amenities and good facilities in the roadhouse itself. It's clean and tidy with a good variety of freshly cooked meals.

Cadney park is the gateway to the Painted Desert, its about 130 km along a sometimes sandy, stony and corrugated track - I'd definitely recommend a 4wd with reasonable tyres for the trip, On the way to the Painted Desert is the Arckaringa Hills, very scenic country. There is basic accommodation available at Arckaringa Station and I understand the area is popular with artists.

Here are some pictures of the area.

Part of the Arckaringa Hills on the Painted Desert Road

Looking back on the Arckaringa Hills  on the Painted Desert Road

The main feature of the Painted Desert

 Once we had explored the Painted Desert i noticed that it was only another 50 km or so to Oodnadatta, another iconic town to cross off the list, but as it turned out a bit of a disappointment.

I don't know if I have become particularly fussy lately, but I must say that Coober Pedy could win a tidy town award compared to Oodnadatta, maybe I'm expecting too much !

And, of course, no trip to Oodnadatta would be complete without a visit to the famous / infamous Pink Roadhouse , oh well,  now we can say we've been there! I had read somewhere that Lynnie the owner was talking about asking a million dollars for the place. Unless there is something about it that I have missed, I don't think she will get it.

A million dollars??? I don't think so!!!

 Well folks, that's four blogs in two days. We are about to drive off into the never never and I doubt we will have phone coverage for a while. I'll post some more when I can.

Regards

TJ