South Australia is defined by the OUTBACK. Shimmering salt lakes, soaring ancient mountain ranges, impossibly red earth where desert flora and fauna are the ultimate survivors. Grandeur, immense remote ancient colours, ochre, yellows, dusty charcoal and white offer the visitor austere beauty. At night a zillion glittering stars in a heavenly big sky. Here’s your guide where to go in the South Australia outback.
WHERE IS THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK?
The South Australian outback is north, south and west of Adelaide, within 1 ½ hour drive you are in the outback which continues into the Northern Territory and is known as the Far North. There are many fascinating towns, from former cooper mining settlements to failed farming experiments to explore. Expect the distances to be vast.
- Flinders Ranges
- Hawker to Leigh Creek road (B83) through scenic gorges.
- Gammon Ranges
- Coober Pedy
- Eyre Peninsula and Nullarbor Desert
Australia is a land characterised with a dry / arid interior and a thread of cities and towns wrapped around the coastline. South Australia’s state capital, Adelaide is tucked into a corner of the coast and the arid outback (over 80% of South Australia) is Adelaide’s tantalising backdoor.
Outback Tours & More – RESERVE NOW, PAY LATER
WELL KNOWN SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TRACKS
- OODNADATTA TRACK, former Ghan track leading to the Stuart Highway, the railway track between Adelaide and Darwin
- BIRDSVILLE TRACK eventually goes to Queensland’s outback (south west)
- THE STRZELECKI TRACK TO INNAMINCKA
South Australia has two major highways cutting through the outback. The remaining roads are outback roads and could easily revert to dirt red tracks.
- STUART HIGHWAY (A87)
- EYRE HIGHWAY TO PERTH (A1)
STUART HIGHWAY AND TRACKS OFF THE BEATEN PATH
The Stuart Highway is a crucial aerial route for commercial and leisure traffic from the bottom of Australia (Port Augusta in SA to Darwin in the Northern Territory.
The sealed highway is the main south to north route through the centre of Australia. The road is over 2,720 km in length.
WHAT IS THE MOST INTERESTING TOWN IN THE SOUTH AUSTRALIA OUTBACK?
Coober Pedy is the most interesting town in the South Australia outback as it offers a detailed look at the Australian opal industry, beautiful painted hills in the Breakaway Reserve, glimpses into life in a harsh hostile environment and the story of Aboriginal culture in the local museum.
Next big thing, Coober Pedys Big Wheel sculpture, DC of Coober Pedy, Coober Pedy SA 5723 Coober Pedy aerial view of opal mine shafts, South Australia
EAST OF ADELAIDE – EYRE PENINSULA AND NULLARBOR DESERT
- Rugged mountain Gawler Ranges with ancient volcanic peaks is evocatively described as the ORGAN PIPES
- Shimmering salt, Lake Gairdner
- Nullarbor Desert, a treeless plain over 1200 km stretching into Western Australia
- Great Australian Bight massive cliffs and the pounding Southern Ocean as it relentlessly
- EYRE PENINSULA is a thread of coastal settlements
- Port Augusta is the gateway town to the region and home to the outstanding AUSTRALIA NATIONAL ARID GARDEN
WHAT IS THE PRINCES HIGHWAY, AUSTRALIA?
The Princes Highway (A1) loops around Australia. Princes Highway intersects Port Augusta and, from there leads to Perth (Western Australia) and Sydney (NSW) on the east coast of Australia.
- The south western end of Outback South Australia is covered by the Nullarbor Plain, the treeless plain that stretches over 1200 km into Western Australia. The Eyre Highway runs close to the coast, and you can see some spectacular scenery.
- The cliffs of the Great Australian Bight are amazing. The power of the sea is immense. It is as if the southern ocean would eat up the Australian continent.
Source List of highways in South Australia – Wikipedia, consider a donation to our universal resource, Wikipedia.
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