Marla's
a bore
Well
it used to be.
Marla was opened as a township in 1982
It was originally know as Marla Bore, a watering place for
stock.
This location was chosen in 1979 by the Oakley Family because it
was close to the route of the new Ghan line,
the re-aligned Stuart highway and a reasonable supply of
underground water.
Marla lies on the western extremity of the Great Artesian
Basin,
one of the largest groundwater basins in the world
It underlies almost 22% of Australia (that's about 1.7 million
square Km),
and extends beneath the arid regions of the outback where water is
scarce
Marla is situated between Coober Pedy and Alice Springs.
Access to the Oodnadatta Track is available from this town.
This track is 619 km long and runs from Maree to Marla following
the route of explorer McDouall Stuart.
It is an unsealed road with sandy patches which can become
impassable after rain.
