ADVENTURES PINK ROADHOUSE, SA
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“ t’ s a bit isolated,” said Neville Jacob, the new owner of the iconic Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta, SA. His resistance to hyperbole is fairly typical of the no-bullshit folk you’ re likely to meet out here. About 1000km north of Adelaide, Oodnadatta is Australia’ s hottest, driest town, with a population of just 80 people. It’ s a bit isolated, yes.
But Neville is quick to point out that he meets a great many people as the proprietor of the much-loved Pink Roadhouse, and that’ s hardly surprising, given its location on the popular Oodnadatta Track, at the southern gateway to the Simpson Desert. For those who don’ t like tarmac, it’ s the logical way to get from Adelaide to the Red Centre and the road is usually in good condition, making the trek perfect for beginners and suitable for the towing brigade. With that in mind, Neville reckons there’ s never a dull moment at the Pink Roadhouse.
It was certainly hopping when we pulled in, stinging for a taste of the famous‘ Oodnaburger’ after three days of meat and tinned veg in one dry creek bed or another along the track. We found a flurry of activity as mudcovered cars and motorbikes lined up for fuel, ladies lined up for the loo, and hungry mouths lined up for namesake burgers.
Punters shared stories of Simpson shenanigans and Oodna mudslides, the diesel bowser a scuttlebutt where advice and warnings were received by excited wide-eyed travellers only halfway there. There had been a lot of rain the week before and the track had only just reopened. The layers of mud on each vehicle were assessed with admiration, like fully displayed peacock feathers, as visitors rolled into the unlikely pink oasis. We might’ ve been in South Australia’ s most remote town, but compared to the vast expanse of vibrant nothingness we’ d been traversing for days, this was the height of civilisation.
FRIENDS OF THE OUTBACK
Neville purchased the Pink Roadhouse with his wife Adriana three years ago and they relocated to Oodnadatta, but the two were no strangers to outback life, having lived 200km south at William Creek. By outback standards, that’ s just down the road and, as such, the Jacobs were friends with the previous owners, Adam and Lynnie Plate. After Adam’ s tragic death in a car accident in 2012, Lynnie sold the business and relocated to Adelaide. That’ s when the Jacobs made the decision to carry on the legacy of this outback icon, much-loved by travellers and locals for decades.
THE MAKING OF AN OUTBACK ICON
So why on earth is there a bright pink roadhouse in the middle of the outback, anyway? That’ s a valid question, and to answer it, we have to travel back to the 1970s.
Adam and Lynnie were selfconfessed hippies on a soul-searching sabbatical, walking the desert down the tracks of the old Ghan with camels, donkeys and horses. In 1975, they rolled into the little Aboriginal community of Oodnadatta and, after some tension in their touring party, the couple decided to CLOCKWISE FROM stay on for a while to TOP: In times of strife this man might be your regroup, and they best mate; better make never left. that ' world-famous '; smart
The town was travellers make a note of the numbers casually rowdy but the people painted on a 44-gallon
were friendly, and drum lid, just in case. there was some activity and vibrancy as the Whitlam government of the day poured money into Aboriginal housing. Aboriginal people here were allowed to drink and vote, and Adam and Lynnie quickly became a welcomed part of the community.
Adam set up a motorcycle repair business in 1978 to service the nearby
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ADVENTURES