You’ve got to stop in Mungerannie because it’s the only fuel stop between Birdsville and Marree!
Apart from temptations like:
- Hot food,
- Hot showers,
- Motel rooms,
- Beer &
- Publican Phil Gregurky’s entertainment value,
Mungerannie has a beautiful hot bush spa!
The desert isn’t known for its ducks but here’s one in Mungerannie! You’ll find plenty of waterbirds on Birdsville’s Billabong too.
Desert wetlands attract heaps of birdlife. Sitting in the spa, I wished I had my binoculars. Here’s Mungerannie’s bird list.
The spa water was beautiful. The Great Artesian Basin’s bore water comes out hot, often around 100 degrees centigrade. (If you’re interested, I explain how the basin formed and why it’s hot in the Mirra Mitta Bore Track of the Birdsville Track Audio Tour.)
The spa temperature is controlled by adding more water! It’s a beautiful place to sit on a winter’s day when there’s a chill in the air, particularly if you’re covered with dust!
I wouldn’t recommend the bush spa in summer – you’re already hot enough! But then I wouldn’t recommend visiting Mungerannie in summer anyway. Best to go between the end of April and early September when the temperature’s cool enough for comfort.
The bottom of the spa is sandy, so there’s no icky stuff. Just take some thongs so you don’t get too dusty when you get out.
For someone who has no interest in cars, I find old truck wrecks strangely fascinating. They have character and speak of a bygone age. Mungerannie has quite a few rusty old trucks.
It also has a shelter containing signs about Mungerannie’s history and geology.
And around the corner in the graveyard you’ll find the grave of William Crombie, the first lessee of Mungerannie Station.
For more info on Mungerannie, listen to the Mungerannie Track of the Birdsville Track Audio Tour.