While flooding has transformed parts of Outback into a relative oasis encouraging many grey nomads and other travellers to get out to places like Lake Eyre, the waters have also brought with them significant challenges.
Not least of these has been a series of road closures that have left some places inaccessible. The Birdsville Track is one major route that have been heavily affected, with the road south of Mungerannie, for example, only just re-opening.
For the owner and operator of the Mungerannie Pub, that is excellent news.
Phil Gregurke’s normal supply truck has not run in months, and he told the ABC it has also meant a very slow start to his season.
“At Easter, normally we would have four people here at the pub working,” he said. “At the moment, it’s just the one and I don’t expect anybody here until the end of next week.”
While no travellers are stuck at the pub at the moment, Mr Gregurke said that it had happened in the past and being trapped at Mungerannie could be fun … at least to start with!
“Everybody that does get stuck here, eventually they all want to leave and it’s a bit of a nuisance when people are stuck here,” he told the ABC. “Usually it’s only for two or three days at the maximum and we make our own fun … we go out and play golf, we go play in the puddles, we all sit around and have a few quiet drinks, some silly card games.”
William Creek has had better luck with flood events said to be less likely to close the Oodnadatta Track.
Local publican and pilot Trevor Wright said this year’s flooding is the biggest he has seen in decades.
“It’s not normal and I think having that follow up with that initial water going into the lake and the greening along the Channel Country has made a difference,” he told the ABC. “We’re just noticing the temperatures are starting to drop, the evaporation rate will decrease so we should see much greater amounts of water staying in the lake for longer.”
He said with the massive amount of floodwater in the area had inevitably had an impact.
“You’ve got to remember that this water flowing into the lake is coming down through the Channel System, the big ones that it has had the effect on is the Birdsville, coming up the Birdsville Track,” he said. “Hopefully that track will be open in the near future and also for people going across the Simpson Desert with the Eyre Creek actually flooding there and making it impassable.”.
Warrnambool to Marla, William Creek, lake Eyre then home 22/6/10 onwards. How’s the track?