"Bicycling the Outback - South Australia" Beltana by Intrepidduck

Old Beltana, as it is known, lies off the beaten track on the western flank of the Central Flinders Ranges. A gravel road leads from the Beltana Roadhouse, making its way for some 12KM off the sealed Marree Road. Old Beltana is a most rewarding side trip when travelling into the South Australian Outback. Here the village boast one of the half a dozen remaining Overland Telegraph Stations, it a well preserved reminder of days long past. Technically a ghost town Old Beltana has several redidents, including the Telegraph Station's caretaker Marion who sometimes takes in travellers and WWOOFers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms). She is a proud gardener and has helped to maintain and preserve the historic c1871 station buildings. The word Beltana means "running water", however precious little of it flow here as the wide creek bed is dry much of the year.

Drew Kettle and dog Emma

In 2002, I and my cycling companion Carsten, spent one night at the Old Beltana Telegraph Station as a guest of it's caretaker Marion. The following morning I had the great pleasure into meeting 80 something Drew Kettle, a well known Australian charature who for the past two decades had walked the Outback in aid of charity. When I met him he had clocked up over 30,000KM on foot around this wide brown land.