Iconic Aussie Outback Pubs I've visited - THE PINK ROADHOUSE Oodnadatta
Pubs in Australia has, over the years, become an important part of the landscape and more so the pubs in the outback. Those that stood the test of time has become icons with each pub unique in its own right.
As in the cities, outback pubs are where the locals meet and it is also a wonderful place for travellers to quench their thirsts from the outback heat and dust.
For me, as I travel through this land, it is my quest to get to know as much about the locality as possible so I become part of the land than being just a tourist. To do this there is no better place than a visit to the local pub and spending some time with the locals.
To those who haven't been to Australia, our land area is 7.6 million sq kms (2.9 million sq miles) with a human population of only 24 million. This will give you an idea of the number of people per square km/mile. Since almost all our cities are along the coastal line, much of the outback (desert country) is sparsely populated. Some of the outback towns are as remote as they can get. Most of them servicing the cattle stations (Cattle ranches) whilst some used to act as service points for the telegraph lines/railway lines. It is the pure resilience of the people of these towns that have ensured the survival of these amazing little outback towns even to this date.
For the benefit of my international followers/readers, I will do a more detailed blog post of how remote and vast the Australian outback is in another post.
Post now available at https://steemit.com/travel/@overlandjournals/vastness-of-australia-for-overlanding
THE PINK ROADHOUSE - OODNADATTA (South Australia)
Located to the north of South Australia, The Pink Roadhouse, more of a trading store/pub than just a pub, was started by Lynnie and Adam who first came to Oodnadatta from Alice Springs with camels, donkeys and horses in 1975. Guess you could say the dusty little (then) railway town's charm captured their hearts. So they decided to stay. It was not until 1983 when they started the Pink Roadhouse. Painted to colour to attract the attention of people, both local and others.
At the time, the town primarily existed to service outlying cattle stations and also the local Aboriginal communities. The Ghan railway line passed through the town, keeping it socially and economically busy. Sadly, however, the railway line closed in 1980 and this almost spelled the end for Oodnadatta. But as with most Outback towns, their resilience has kept the town going until present times.
Oodnadatta has a human population of approximately 200. It is surrounded by an area of approximately 7800 sq kms (3000 sq miles) mostly made up of cattle stations. The nearest major town is Coober Pedy which is located 189km (117 miles) away. Access roads to Oodnadatta are all outback gravel roads. Regular grading of the road takes place, but depending on traffic corrugations can be horrendous at times.
Today, tourism, in the form of 4x4 overlanders travelling on the Oodnadatta track, plays a big role in sustaining this town. To me, this is much to the efforts of Lynnie and Adam who's iconic roadhouse has become a must visit location for just about every overlander. The roadhouse also offers accommodation, a caravan park, a post office and roadside assistance.
Perfectly located for those travelling between the Flinders Ranges to Alice Springs to The Simpson Desert or to the Painted Desert, Oodnadatta and more particularly the Pink Roadhouse provides a place to refresh, spend a few days, stock up and fuel up.
The roadhouse changed hands in 2013 and though Lynnie and Adam's personalities will be hard to replace, the current owners are carrying on the spirit of this icon.
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Duncan Udawatta
We stopped there on a family outback holiday way back in 1982. I was in high school at the time. The roadhouse was nowhere near as fancy on the inside as it appears now. We didn't stay for long in town, we had camped overnight somewhere along the Oodnadatta track.
I did a 14 day trip to the outback a few months back. Took the Oodnadatta track all the way to Dalhousie springs then crossed the Simpson desert. It was such a memorable trip.
I will do a full post soon.
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