William Creek Hotel stands out like a oasis in the desert. Along the Oodnadatta Track, about halfway from Oodnadatta to Maree and halfway from Adelaide to Alice Springs, the William Creek Hotel was built in 1887 to service the Ghan railway line that travelled between Alice Springs and Adelaide.
William Creek is famous for its "William Creek Hotel". You can stop here to have a cold drink or a meal and to look at the unique interior. The William Creek Hotel provides drinks and refreshments for travelling tourists. Meals and accommodation are available for those who wish stay a little longer.
Many of the outback townships were founded with
an ignorance relative to the time. For example, Maralinga and Mirikata
were used for government nuclear testing and rocket tracking before
we new of the potential harm and older towns such as Gordon were laid
to pave the way for prosperous and fertile farmlands. With no regard
for the harsh climatic conditions these towns struggled to survive.
Some were abandoned as late as the 1960’s while others by this time,
were already in ruins and these have become the Ghost Towns of South
Australia.
You can visit libraries whose shelves are filled
with dust covered books and hear the winds howl their way through broken
windows, banging open doors. It is said that some of the old timers
still live in these towns or could these nightly sightings be the hauntings
of lonely prospectors, determined to fulfill their dreams.
Lake Torrens and Lake Frome to the west and east
of the Flinders Ranges National Park are usually found as nothing more
than large dry salt pans.The
majority of town residents live underground in dug-outs. Originating
as mines, these unusual homes continue to improve in size and structure
as the mines become larger. Many run by solar power and they are ideal
in the hot climate of the desert. Natural insulation keeps temperatures
constant and natural lighting is provided through tunnels carved into
the rock with glass panels concreted into the holes. If you have the
opportunity for an overnight stay, take it!
