Mount Hopeless Homestead Water Tank

This concrete water tank sits beside the ruins of Mount Hopeless Station, fed by a reliable artesian bore that’s been flowing since the 1920s. The water runs clean and cold year-round, making it a crucial refill point for Simpson Desert crossings or Strzelecki Track runs. Tank holds several thousand liters, rarely runs dry, and there’s space to pull a full convoy off the track.

Tank is about 2km west of the main Oodnadatta Track — follow the faint wheel ruts past the collapsed homestead buildings. No signage, just local knowledge passed down through decades of outback travel. Water quality is good but taste slightly mineral-heavy from the bore.

Artesian tank at abandoned homestead ruins