Some roads are starting to reopen in South Australia's Cooper Basin after weeks of heavy rain.  But access to heavy vehicles is still restricted in many areas, and that is slowing gas and petroleum activities as well as delaying supply runs to the camps.

The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure says that roads around Innamincka, Oodnadatta, Coober Pedy, William Creek, and Birdsville Track remain closed.  That means most trucks are stuck in place until conditions clear, and supplies are getting in via airplane - such as those operated by Wrightsair.

"There would be half a dozen people stranded in town.  There's a few backpackers that were making their way through at the time last week when the roads sort of closed," said senior base pilot Matthew Hartnetty to the ABC.  "We've got quite a lot of planes based there at William Creek so getting supplies in and out is not too bad of an issue. We've got Coober Pedy that's only half an hour away so all the basics we have to start flying in ourselves."