Hi - on the road at the moment and will be heading into South Aus in a few weeks. Intend spending at least two/three weeks travelling from Port Augusta up to Marree and back then towards Adelaide. However, was thinking once we get back to Port Augusta going up to Woomera, Roxby Downs and Andamooka for a week or so - question is are they worth visiting. Most of the travel blogs I can find are several years old so of not much help. Any advice appreciated. Thanks
Peter_n_Margaret said
11:51 AM May 11, 2022
Woomera has an outdoor display of rockets and "stuff" and a museum that is worth a few hours. Not much else. Roxby is a mining town. A few shops, supermarket, fuel. Andamooka is an interesting town with things to see.
You could then continue north on the Borefield Road to meet the Oodnadatta Track and turn east to Marree. Both are generally 2WD gravel roads (except after rain). We drove that route a few weeks ago. There are a few thing to see in Marree. Then you come to Farina. BEWARE the bakery.
Next is Copley and ANOTHER bakery. And Leigh Creek with a supermarket. Fuel is "usually" a tad cheaper in Copley.
Cheers,
Peter
Peter_n_Margaret said
12:03 PM May 11, 2022
With permission from HEMA.
There is now bitumen to Marree.
Northern tip of Lake Torrens to Andamooka in April (not for caravans and permission required from Mulgaria Station))
Almost twenty years since I was there but I enjoyed the museum although if you are not a "technical" person it would probably be quite dull.
markf said
02:40 PM May 11, 2022
We got stuck in a SA COVID lockdown for a week at Woomera. Stuck in the caravan park for a week apart from essential shopping wasn't a whole load of fun. Even the bar wasn't allowed to open. We saw quite a number of people let the boredom get the better of them and leave only to be turned around and sent back.... We did get to go to Roxby to do some shopping though.
On another occasion (pre COVID) we stayed for a couple of nights and I reckon that once you have a had a poke around the museum and a drive around to have a look-see the only thing left is a meal at the pub which was pretty good.
There are many reports of the manager being a grumpy s**t but if you follow his instructions and take the time to have a yarn with him he's a bottomless pit of local knowledge and is pretty amusing too. We reckon he's a great bloke. It's not a luxury park but the prices aren't at Big 4 levels either.
Peter_n_Margaret said
02:41 PM May 11, 2022
Another deviation if you are inclined.
Witchelina Station (west of Farina) is owned by the Nature Foundation. There is camping, showers etc and some self guided 4WD tracks to explore the country.
Cheers,
Peter
HandyWalter said
08:10 AM May 12, 2022
If you have read any of Len Beadell's books, then Woomera can be of interest. If you are ex RAAF it may also be of interest. As I am both I found Woomera of great interest. Its hard to imagine the place was such a big town and now is just empty shells. Given it was off limits, unless you were on official business until recently, (and parts still are), it is of interest to see how Aus contributed to nuclear testing and evolvement and now to world wide surveillance etc.
Bobdown said
12:02 PM May 12, 2022
markf wrote:
There are many reports of the manager being a grumpy s**t but if you follow his instructions and take the time to have a yarn with him he's a bottomless pit of local knowledge and is pretty amusing too. We reckon he's a great bloke. It's not a luxury park but the prices aren't at Big 4 levels either.
We found him to be an ar$ehole and his gestapo wife not much better, guess he didn't take a liking to us or our friends.
The donga ablutions are fun, unless you are a midget, basically have to stand on the dunny to close the door or you get kneecapped.
Stay at Spuds R/H and do a day trip.
Cheers Bob
BarneyBDB said
02:51 PM May 12, 2022
Many memories of Woomera when it was active back in my Air Force days, I had over 20 trips there carrying out trials. Stayed at the caravan park recently with no problems at all. The manager was very friendly and helpful.
Ubique 68 said
03:44 PM May 12, 2022
Bitumen to Marree? I assume from Leigh Creek?
-- Edited by Ubique 68 on Thursday 12th of May 2022 03:45:14 PM
Peter_n_Margaret said
03:48 PM May 12, 2022
Ubique 68 wrote:
Bitumen to Marree? I assume from Leigh Creek?
From Lyndhurst. Completed recently. Bitumen from Leigh Creek to Lyndhurst has been there for a long while.
The Boreline Road north from Roxby and the Oodnadatta Track are gravel.
On the map I posted, all the solid roads are bitumen. All the dotted roads (except Lyndhurst to Marree) are gravel.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Thursday 12th of May 2022 03:50:00 PM
Giggleswick said
03:55 PM May 12, 2022
Thanks everyone for your input - no one has said dont go to the 3 places I mentioned so I think we will go and have a look. As I said wont be for a few weeks so will let you know how things went. By the way we are travelling in a 7.3metre Motorhome which restricts us a bit. Cheers
Ubique 68 said
03:56 PM May 12, 2022
Thanks. Time for a revisit. John.
JeffRae said
06:17 PM May 12, 2022
Some very useful information from Peter_n_Margaret, thank you
Hi - on the road at the moment and will be heading into South Aus in a few weeks. Intend spending at least two/three weeks travelling from Port Augusta up to Marree and back then towards Adelaide. However, was thinking once we get back to Port Augusta going up to Woomera, Roxby Downs and Andamooka for a week or so - question is are they worth visiting. Most of the travel blogs I can find are several years old so of not much help. Any advice appreciated. Thanks
Woomera has an outdoor display of rockets and "stuff" and a museum that is worth a few hours. Not much else.
Roxby is a mining town. A few shops, supermarket, fuel.
Andamooka is an interesting town with things to see.
You could then continue north on the Borefield Road to meet the Oodnadatta Track and turn east to Marree. Both are generally 2WD gravel roads (except after rain). We drove that route a few weeks ago. There are a few thing to see in Marree.
Then you come to Farina. BEWARE the bakery.
Next is Copley and ANOTHER bakery.
And Leigh Creek with a supermarket. Fuel is "usually" a tad cheaper in Copley.
Cheers,
Peter
With permission from HEMA.
There is now bitumen to Marree.
Northern tip of Lake Torrens to Andamooka in April (not for caravans and permission required from Mulgaria Station))
https://youtu.be/g7Aba07-824
Cheers,
Peter
Almost twenty years since I was there but I enjoyed the museum although if you are not a "technical" person it would probably be quite dull.
We got stuck in a SA COVID lockdown for a week at Woomera. Stuck in the caravan park for a week apart from essential shopping wasn't a whole load of fun. Even the bar wasn't allowed to open. We saw quite a number of people let the boredom get the better of them and leave only to be turned around and sent back.... We did get to go to Roxby to do some shopping though.
On another occasion (pre COVID) we stayed for a couple of nights and I reckon that once you have a had a poke around the museum and a drive around to have a look-see the only thing left is a meal at the pub which was pretty good.
There are many reports of the manager being a grumpy s**t but if you follow his instructions and take the time to have a yarn with him he's a bottomless pit of local knowledge and is pretty amusing too. We reckon he's a great bloke. It's not a luxury park but the prices aren't at Big 4 levels either.
Witchelina Station (west of Farina) is owned by the Nature Foundation. There is camping, showers etc and some self guided 4WD tracks to explore the country.
Cheers,
Peter
We found him to be an ar$ehole and his gestapo wife not much better, guess he didn't take a liking to us or our friends.
The donga ablutions are fun, unless you are a midget, basically have to stand on the dunny to close the door or you get kneecapped.
Stay at Spuds R/H and do a day trip.
Cheers Bob
Bitumen to Marree? I assume from Leigh Creek?
-- Edited by Ubique 68 on Thursday 12th of May 2022 03:45:14 PM
From Lyndhurst. Completed recently. Bitumen from Leigh Creek to Lyndhurst has been there for a long while.
The Boreline Road north from Roxby and the Oodnadatta Track are gravel.
On the map I posted, all the solid roads are bitumen. All the dotted roads (except Lyndhurst to Marree) are gravel.
Cheers,
Peter
-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Thursday 12th of May 2022 03:50:00 PM
Thanks. Time for a revisit. John.