An Uber in the Outback? Yep you read that right. It even has a catchy motto – “No matter how many or how few, Ooda Uber is there for you”.
Need a trip from the Transcontinental Hotel to Pink Roadhouse? No problem! However, I’m not sure if the Pub Truck does pick-ups from Marla, a mere 250kms up the road, but anything is possible in the outback.
In true Outback style, the Oodna Uber has offered its services to others too. After a big day at the local medical clinic, the Uber Crew can be seen helping out the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) by taking the Nurses and Doc’s back to the aerodrome with all their gear. Oodna Uber, the brainchild of Peter Moore from Pink Roadhouse, has taken on a life of its own. From Pizza deliveries to town tours for visitors, carting people between the pub and the roadhouse, ferrying flying visitors to the aerodrome, the ‘Pub Truck ‘ is fulfilling a unique role.
The home of the Uber, the Transcontinental Hotel, made a spectacular reopening earlier this year after being closed for over 5 years following an incident where a disgruntled desert rat, who was told he couldn’t buy any more booze for the night, took revenge. Explaining at his court appearance that he wanted to “make his own drive-through”, he rammed his car through the pub, narrowly missing the people inside.
Since then, negotiations, repairs, renovations, and a lot of hard work have seen the community-owned pub come to life again, providing a space for locals and an alternative for travellers and tourists.
The single street town, on the aptly named Oodnadatta track, consists of the Pub, General Store, and the legendary landmark Pink Roadhouse. Created by Adam Plate and Lynnie Trevillian in 1983 as ‘Oodnadatta Traders’, it was Adam who painted a 1969 Dodge Phoenix in a bright shade of pink and parked it out the front of the store. The duo soon took the next step and painted EVERYTHING pink, and ‘Pink Roadhouse’ was born.
Providing tourists and locals with fuel, 24-hour recovery service, mechanics, and welding, you can also eat, sleep and do the proverbial at Pink’s as well as send an outback postcard which will probably arrive home after you.
But there’s a lot more to this little outback town, which is heralded as holding the record as the hottest town in Australia. With the last Ghan train departing from Oodnadatta in 1980, the old railway station was converted into a museum and is a step back in time, showcasing the town’s unique history, aboriginal artifacts, and geological information.
For those who would prefer more action, the free “6×4” amateur loop track, is designed to provide some practice for adventurers considering crossing the Simpson Desert. If you don’t understand the value of low tyre pressure, you will after that challenge.
Day trips from Oodnadatta include Dalhousie Springs, The Painted Desert, and Algebuckina Bridge. To finish off your evening in Oodna, the top of the Roadhouse is the perfect spot for sunset viewing!
So next time you’re up for an adventure, consider heading to SA’s remarkable outback, drive the track to Oodnadatta, meet the locals, and UberEats yourself a legendary Pink Roadhouse Pizza.
