Dalhousie Springs – 6 and 7 August 2009

We drove from Oodnadatta to Dalhousie Springs passing the Perdika Siding and ruins, once a stop on the old Ghan and the ruins of the old Dalhousie Homestead. These places were truly remote although they had their own racetrack. Picnic races were very much a part of the social scene on these Stations.

Dalhousie was made a National Park when it was found that grazing was degrading the Springs. The old homestead is like an oasis with its date palms and springs.

The road in can only be described as "ordinary". As we drove into Dalhousie a man came up to Tricia and said I knew it had to be a Bushtracker when it came around the corner. Dalhousie is the beginning and end of the Simpson Desert track and our neighbour who had just crossed the Simpson in both directions seemed more impressed that we had brought the van in.

There are many mound springs in this area which can be visualized as an upside down shower head, formed by water being forced at pressure from the Great Artesian Basin.

Dissolved chemicals precipitate to form the mounds. The Basin is recharged from rain water in Queensland which moves south percolating through limestone rocks.

Dalhousie Spring comes from deep down and is very warm [37 to 43 degrees Centigrade] and beautiful to swim in. The water is thought to be about 3 million years old.

 

John thinks we would pay a lot for this anywhere else, a massage on the road in followed by a hot spa.

The main spring is about 100 metres by 50 metres and although the water is deep in many places you can also stand with just your head out.