Adelaide & South Australia - Australia 2004 - page 522

If you want to see parts of Australia that most Australians never see, join an
honest-to-goodness Mail Run for a 12-hour journey out into the bush. Tours
leave every Monday and Thursday from Underground Books ( & 08/8672
5558 ) in Coober Pedy (yep, it's a bookshop underground) and travel along
600km (372 miles) of dirt roads to Oodnatta and William Creek cattle station,
stopping off at five different stations along the route. It can get pretty hot and
dusty outside (think endless horizons of flat lands), but it's relatively comfort-
able inside the air-conditioned four-wheel-drive, and you'll have the chance to
see such wildlife as eagles, emus, and the ever-present kangaroos. Bring your
own lunch or buy it along the way. Tours cost around A$120 (US$78) for adults
and A$75 (US$49) for children under 12, though kids might find the long trip
difficult. This could easily be one of the most memorable experiences you have
in Australia, for its up-close-and-personal look at life in the bush.
WHERE TO STAY
The Backpacker's Inn at Radeka's Downunder Motel Whereas all
other “underground” rooms in Coober Pedy are actually built into the side of a
hill, the centrally located hostel here is actually underground—some 6.5m (21 ft.)
directly below the topside building, that is. This makes for nice all-year-round
temperatures. Odd-looking dorms have no doors and are scooped out of the
rock. They contain just four beds, though there are two large dorms sleeping up
to 20 people. The twin rooms are simply furnished but pleasant. The motel rooms
are quite comfortable and come with attached bathrooms with a shower. Some
have a kitchenette. Room no. 9 is huge with a double and two sets of bunk beds.
All motel rooms are dug out of the side of a hill. Radeka's also runs a good opal
tour.
1 Oliver St., Coober Pedy, SA 5723. & 08/8672 5223. Fax [phone] units, 10 motel rooms. Dorm
beds A$22 (US$14); A$52 (US$34) double. In motel: A$90 (US$59) double; A$110 (US$72) family suite. A$15
(US$9.75) extra person. AE, MC, V. Free parking. Amenities: Bar; kitchen/dining room; tour desk; coin-
operated laundry service; TV and video room; pool table. In room:Motel only: TV, coffeemaker.

Moments

A Fabulous Four-Wheel-Drive Adventure

With a hired vehicle from Adelaide, it's a day's drive north through the
Clare Valley wine region to the Prairie Hotel (p. 523). Stop off along
the way for a traditional Aussie lunch at Bluey Blundstone's Café in
Melrose ( & 08/8666 2173 ). The next day it's a 3- to 4-hour drive to
William Creek, an Outback town with a takeout restaurant, pub/hotel,
satellite phone box, campground, and general store. Explore the Out-
back Camel Safaris ( & 08/8672 3968; www.austcamel.com.au/explore)
offers 4-day camel safaris across the desert from here (check alternate
ways to get to William Creek from their website). Just 20km (12 miles)
before you reach town is a turnoff to Lake Eyre, a giant salt lake which
flooded in 2000, and again in 2001, and should hold water for a cou-
ple of years. Wrightsair offers 1-hour flights over Lake Eyre for A$110
(US$72) per person; call & 0418 336 748 (mobile). Camping beside the
lake is a magical experience. The next day it's a 166km (103-mile) drive
to Coober Pedy, and then a 9-hour drive back to Adelaide.