320 km north of Adelaide on Rt I. By the 1980s, Port Augusta had become rather a run-down spot. The docks had largely closed down, the railway business was dwindling, and the place was gaining a nasty reputation for crime. But the image of ‘Port Gutter’, as it came to be known, has been getting cleaner. Port Augusta is, and always will be, a transport centre of strategic importance. Australia’s main east–west road and rail links pass through, as do the main links with Alice Springs and the north. Also, its location at the head of the Spencer Gulf makes it the logical port for much of the hinterland region. This all makes Port Augusta about as interesting as it sounds. And yes, you too would probably be best passing on through.
     

The most interesting spot in town is the Wadlata Outback Centre on Flinders Street (www.wadlata.sa.gov.au). This is particularly good on the trials and tribulations of the intrepid (or mad) Victorian explorers of the outback. It also has some excellent displays which elucidate the Aborigine dreamtime and creation myths.