The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive

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The Towns

When you're here during The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive in 2010, why not extend your travels around our Outback and take in some of the legendary surrounding towns.

William Creek
William Creek is one of the smallest towns in Australia and sits on the world's largest working cattle station - 24,000 square kilometre Anna Creek Station.

It's just one of the fascinating destinations you can explore during The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive.

Quench your thirst at the timber and corrugated iron William Creek pub. Dating from 1887, the pub is like a giant visitors' book. Over the years it has been adorned with business cards, hand scrawled notes, bras, jocks and anything else not nailed down. What will you leave behind, to make your mark?

Across the road is a little museum established and the friendly William Creek Store (take the time to learn the intriguing story of the Burtt Stone).

William Creek also offers a roadhouse, campsite, racetrack, air field and 'rocket park' which makes for a very special stop.

Other highlights are charter flights over Lake Eyre, a 30-minute walk along the railway line to Breakfast Time Creek and camel safaris operated by Explore the Outback Camel Safaris. Every April the town plays host to the William Creek races.

Marree
Marree is the starting point for Outback adventures, including trips up the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks.

The Arabunna Aboriginal people still have strong ties to the area and celebrate their heritage and culture at the Arabunna Aboriginal Community Centre. Also worth a visit is Marree's replica mosque, all that remains of 'Ghantown' which was once home to more than 60 cameleers, their families and 1500 camels.

Once known as Hergott Springs, Marree has a rich history. It was a staging post for the large camel trains carrying wool and supplies in the early days, it became an important railhead from 1940 to 1980.

Museum Park features the old mail truck used by Outback mailman Tom Kruse on his run from Marree to Birdsville.

Coober Pedy
The frontier town of Coober Pedy is one of the main access point on route to The Great Australian Outback Cattle Drive tours.Opal Capital of the World Coober Pedy consists of 4000 residents from 50 countries who have made an art form of all things quirky.

With half the population living in underground dugouts to escape high temperatures in summer, only in Coober Pedy will you find an underground church, underground hotels and a golf course without a blade of grass.

Taking its name from the Aboriginal word "kupa" (uninitiated man or white man) and "piti" (hole), Coober Pedy produces most of the world's opals. Its opal fields, discovered in 1913 by 14-year-old Willie Hutchison, cover an area of 4,954 square kilometres and consist of 70 individual fields.

Roxby Downs
Roxby Downs is a mining town set among rich red sand dunes and native pine.

It's the most modern of Outback towns and has flight access via Olympic Dam airport, 15 kilometres from town. Roxby Downs has all the facilities a traveller will need to relax, replenish supplies and gather information before heading bush.

While in Roxby Downs, tour of the giant Olympic Dam Mine, the largest mineral ore body of its kind in the world. Also visit Arid Recovery, a giant conservation reserve, which has been restored to a semblance of its pre-European state. The recently completed cultural precinct is a must see. This complex houses the visitor information centre, art gallery, cinema, interpretive display, auditorium and Dunes Caf.

Located 550 kilometres north of Adelaide, Roxby Downs is connected to the Stuart Highway by 90 kilometres of sealed road. The well maintained Borefield Road connects Roxby Downs to the famous Oodnadatta Track.