Outback SA towns cut off after flood

Outback South Australian towns could spend Christmas isolated by flood waters after heavy rains in the state's north.

Roads closed include parts of the iconic Birdsville Track - the road between Coober Pedy and William Creek - and the Oodnadatta and Strzelecki tracks, SA's Department of Transport says.

Transcontinental Hotel manager Brad Sedman, based in Oodnadatta, says the town received more than 30mm of rain over the past two days but locals were taking it in their stride.

"It's probably a pretty good possibility we might be cut off [for Christmas]. There's probably a few people who want to get out of town," he told AAP on Tuesday.

"It's a way of life out here for us. We learn to live around this sort of thing.

"In fact, as far as the locals go, it's a welcome relief. In the lead-up to the rain we've got now, we had days tipping 50 degrees."

Marree Hotel manager Rebecca Turner said French tourists and out-of-town workers had been stranded overnight after the town received about 37mm of rain this week.

The Outback Highway has since reopened to four-wheel drives but the road north remains closed.

"They [the tourists] were really hoping to be at Ayers Rock for Christmas Day but it depends on whether the roads reopen," Miss Turner said.

She didn't expect the Oodnadatta Track to reopen until Christmas Eve at the earliest.

"We'll have enough supplies. Possibly not the fresh niceties we would have liked - I was hoping to get some fresh fruit and that - but we'll make the most of it."