Feral pub grub on the menu at Prairie Hotel, Parachilna

An outback pub in the middle of nowhere has defied the odds to become a top destination for thirsty travellers who trek hundreds of kilometres for its craft beer and menu featuring some of Australia’s favourite furry friends.

It’s early in our road trip and we’ve already decided to throw our iron-clad plans to the wind and make a 500km detour following the old Ghan Railway line into the Flinders Ranges to try and find a mystery pub rumoured to offer camel, goat and emu on its menu.

But more to the point, we’ve heard this pub has defied the odds to become a destination-driven gem hidden way out in the South Australian desert – as less likely a success story as you could imagine.

The broad-veranda limestone Prairie Hotel at Parachilna 500km north of Adelaide squarely fronts the remnants of the derelict narrow-gauge railway that once connected Adelaide to Marree – this outpost once a welcome stop-off point for thirsty travellers passing the time while their steam locomotive replenished its boiler from giant overhead water tanks.

Dutchwoman Sanne Brouwer has her dream job, pulling beers in the outback Prairie Hotel. Picture: Toby Zerna

Indeed it’s not difficult to imagine just how horrendous, and lonely, pioneering life must have been out here. Even before construction of the railway began in 1878, some far-flung outback sheep stations’ only contact with the outside world was word of mouth from Afghan camel drivers from whom the Ghan Railway acquired its name.

But today, what was once a run-down frontier hotel that could easily have sprung from a Clint Eastwood-Sergio Leone western is now operating as an upmarket, outback desert experience, an oasis that is part boutique accommodation, part art gallery, part gourmet restaurant and part microbrewery.

For generations Lachy Fargher’s family have been successful local pastoralists and have owned the pub since 1991, where Lachy is Head Brewer for the Parachilna Brew Project - an outback microbrewery producing local craft beers - an initiative he devised during Covid with fellow brewer Jeremy Trewin.

Lachy Fargher is the head brewer at the Parachilna Brew Project. Picture: Toby Zerna

Lachy insists the hotel’s success relies on what he describes as ‘The Holy Trinity’ - the food, the brewery and the experience.

And the experience is not only for those venturing out here to stay overnight - Sanne Brouwer is travelling throughout Australia on a temporary working visa and has been employed behind the bar since May.

Parachilna is as far removed from her native Holland as one might imagine but to have the opportunity to work in the Australian outback has been her dream since she was a child.

“I grew up fascinated by Australia,” she tells me.

“We’d watch TV shows like The Crocodile Hunter, Rex Hunt and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo - and now, to wake up every morning and see the Flinders (Ranges) is just amazing.”

The feral feast at the Prairie Hotel includes kangaroo fillet, emu rissoles and camel sausage.

In between pulling beers at the bar and serving fine South Australian wines in the adjoining dining room, Sanne passes me the wildlife-driven menu I’d travelled all this way to see, where I gamely order the specialty of the house - the feral mixed grill - a challenging plate sporting such non-everyday delicacies as emu rissoles, kangaroo fillet, goat chops and camel sausage.

Dismissing the momentary reservation I might in fact be devouring a petting zoo - when the dish arrived, it was absolutely delicious - beyond delicious in fact - my favourite, I think, was the goat chop.

And it was not lost on me the difficulty in preparing emu rissoles - I mean have you ever been quick enough to catch one?