Description
This Trek has been prepared as a leisurely, interesting, 3 day trip allowing plenty of opportunity to see and experience this area. Starting in Nhill, the
trek notes head north to Lake Hindemarsh and to the dry Lake Albacutya before picking up the Murrayville Track near the
Wyperfeld National Park. You will then skirt the Big Desert Wilderness Park and briefly enter the
Murray-Sunset National Park and then follow the Old Mail Route where your trip ends in Mildura.
Note - it is possible to start the Border Track literally anywhere along the border, however note that some sections operate one way restrictions from North to South.
Interactive Route Map

Loading
Base Map

Zoom & Scale 
Customise 
Upload
Currently only GPX files are supported
Cancel
Border Track 
From: Nhill
To: Mildura
Distance: 726.98 km
Direction: 11 °
Average Speed: 47.66 km/hr
Travel Time: 15 hours 15 mins
Using the Map
Our treks have a moving map facility, to take a virtual tour click on the Play button in the Moving map control (see Moving Map help)
Mouse Position:
Moving Map 
Speed (5 secs)
Live Tracking
Auto Refresh (1 min, next 60 secs)
Permits
Permits are not required for this trek note.
Things to See & Do
Preparation
Fuel Supplies & Usage
 | Nhill, Rainbow, Pinnaroo, Merbein, Mildura |
Diesel | 4cyl 102 litres |
ULP | 4cyl 118 litres |
LPG | 4cyl 145 litres |
| 6cyl 112 litres | 6cyl 131 litres | 6cyl 128 litres |
| 8cyl 114 litres | 8cyl 121 litres | |
Usage is averaged from
TrekFuel (* specific to trek) submissions and calculated based on trek distance.
Fuel can be obtained at Nhill, Pinaroo and Mildura as well as Murrayville and Cullulleraine. Following the route as indicated should not require carrying additional fuel.
Best Time To Visit
Early or late summer is the best time to visit, although avoid mid summer as it can be quite hot.
Closest Climatic Station
Walpeup Research
Distance from Trek Mid Point 17.72km NE
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
31.6 | 31.2 | 27.8 | 22.8 |
18.3 | 15.1 | 14.6 | 16.3 |
19.4 | 23.0 | 26.5 | 29.7 |
| Mean Min. °C |
15.2 | 15.3 | 13.1 | 10.0 |
7.7 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 5.3 |
6.9 | 8.8 | 11.2 | 13.4 |
| Mean Rain mm |
21.3 | 24.5 | 21.2 | 23.0 |
31.3 | 30.0 | 33.4 | 35.4 |
31.8 | 34.7 | 26.7 | 23.1 |
Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended
Camp Sites & Accommodation
Environment
The environment is typical Victorian desert – Mallee country. Expect some scratching from Mallee scrub particularly in the Wyperfeld section and some parts of the Northern Border Track may be overgrown. Soft sand is to be found on the tracks as well as corrugations and hard gravel. Carrying a compressor may be useful due to the changing
road conditions although keeping the speed down on deflated
tyres will enable travellers to get by. If intending to camp along the Murray take a
fishing rod and enjoy a break along this beautiful stretch of river at the end of a very sandy and dusty trip.
History
The border track is steeped in history largely due to the dispute which arose from the original survey completed between 1847 and 1850. The result is that the border is actually sighted some 3kms too far West. A fascinating account of this can be obtained from John Deckert at Westprint Heritage Maps if you manage to visit whilst in Nhill.
There is an abundance of wildlife to enjoy whilst undertaking this trip, so watch out for
Emu and Kangaroo. Aboriginal rock holes can be found close to the junction with South
Bore Track.
Driving Directions
| Nhill to Woorak |
12.48 km |
NE |
60° |
N/A |
| Woorak to Four Mile Beach Camp Ground |
26.04 km |
NE |
42° |
15 min |
| Four Mile Beach Camp Ground to Jeparit |
6.66 km |
E |
101° |
15 min |
| Jeparit to Rainbow |
32.01 km |
N |
2° |
1 hr 12 min |
| Rainbow to Albacutya |
8.93 km |
N |
358° |
20 min |
| Albacutya to Western Beach of Lake Albacutya |
7.58 km |
NW |
305° |
37 min |
| Western Beach of Lake Albacutya to Billy Bore Camp |
123.54 km |
NW |
298° |
8 hr 51 min |
| Billy Bore Camp to Border Track & FireBreak Track |
54.02 km |
NW |
293° |
48 min |
| Border Track & FireBreak Track to South of Red Bluff Reserve Tk |
56.79 km |
S |
180° |
N/A |
| South of Red Bluff Reserve Tk to Pinnaroo |
80.21 km |
N |
356° |
N/A |
| Pinnaroo to Pheenys Track Camp |
87.54 km |
N |
22° |
1 hr 6 min |
| Pheenys Track Camp to Border Track & Pheenys Tk |
20.35 km |
W |
273° |
1 hr 37 min |
| Border Track & Pheenys Tk to Customs House - Murray River |
85.19 km |
N |
3° |
6 hr 48 min |
| Customs House - Murray River to Ned's Corner |
63.04 km |
SE |
113° |
5 hr 2 min |
| Ned's Corner to Merbein |
50.24 km |
E |
85° |
32 min |
| Merbein to Birdwoodton |
2.98 km |
S |
179° |
1 min |
| Birdwoodton to Mildura |
9.36 km |
E |
100° |
6 min |
| Nhill to Mildura |
726.98 km |
|
|
15 hr 15 min |
Distance is GPS recorded driving distance (not straight line), Direction is straight line from start to end, Time is calculated from actual GPS driving data.
Related Travel Journals
Easter Ramblings - Wyperfeld NP, Border Track nor
After work Saturday afternoon we headed off for a much anticipated two days meandering through the desert country to our north west.
From Beulah we went west to Rainbow and then via country tracks
Related Pages
Trek Search
ExplorOz Trek Notes are detailed, factual reviews of destinations in Australia to which you can plan a self-drive camping trip.
[Feature Story]
Lindsay Island
Set within the Murray-Sunset National Park with easy access and natural beauty, abundant wildlife and river frontage campsite locations, Lindsay Island is the perfect place for a remote camping and driving
Pyrenees Range
Known as the ‘Natural Garden of Victoria’, the Pyrenees Range has scenic beauty - verdant grasslands and cool running streams, whilst offering wine connoisseurs some of the finest Sauvignon and Shiraz wine
Pink Lakes
The Pink Lakes are just one interesting part of this trek through the Murray-Sunset National Park and adjacent Hattah-Kulkyne NP in the Victorian desert country just south of Mildura.
Murray Valley Hwy
The Murray Valley Highway is one of Victoria's longest thoroughfares and essentially traces the Murray River wholly on the Victorian side of the border.
Otways
A fantastic weekend trip from Melbourne. Great opportunities to engage 4WD, fish, swim, surf and walk. Features the Great Ocean Road, the Otways National Park and the Angahook-Lorne State Park.
Grampians
Located 260 kms west of Melbourne, the Grampians have a lot to offer the traveller. Spectacular rock formations, mountains and scenery make it a popular getaway.
Trek Feedback
Recommended Reading for Border Track
Outback Victoria
Covers several remarkable areas of bushland adjoining the South Australian - Victorian border. Outback Victoria is an area especially suited to bird watchers, four-wheel-drivers and campers.
Victoria East and West
This map covers the whole of Victoria and includes detailed descriptions and photos of major towns and areas. It also shows rest areas, camping areas, wine regions, tourist routes and historic gold mining areas.
Victorias Deserts 4WD Map
Covering the Mallee and northern Wimmera districts of Victoria and far eastern South Australia, this map is aimed fairly and squarely at the 4WD market and covers an area that has little commercial map coverage. Known for its range of beautiful mallee ecosystems, historical sites and wide range of wildlife, Victoria’s deserts are a delight to visit.
Victorias Deserts CD
CD version of Meridians Victorias Deserts 4WD map
Contains: Waypoint data, contiguous map coverage and latest vehicle track information. This CD is suitable for OziExplorer only.
VIC Topo DVD
The ultimate 4WD, bushwalking, hunting & outdoor companion. Includes a comprehensive selection of maps and map data available for Victoria, in addition to Memory-Map's extensive feature set. Chances are you'll never need to buy another bush map of anywhere in Victoria again.
Natmap Digital Maps 2008
NATMAP Digital Maps 2008 is the next generation of Geoscience Australia's popular NATMAP Raster 1:250 000 scale topographic digital maps.
NATMAP Digital Maps 2008 are exact digital copies of Geoscience Australia's NATMAP topographic maps. They cover the whole of Australia at 1:250 000 scale, and are current to 2006.
SI5415 Ouyen
This 1:250K topographic paper map covers an area about 150km from east to west and 110km from north to south (1.5 degrees longitude by 1 degree latitude). The map contains natural and constructed features including road and rail infrastructure, vegetation, hydrography, contours (interval 50m), localities and some administrative boundaries.
Australia Aus Tour DVD
A must have for the long distance explorer. Here, Memory-Map teams up with Hema to bring you their acclaimed 4WD and regional maps together with 13 interactive Map Guides.The Map-Guides provide great information on each region, bushwalking, campsites and 4x4 tracks with text and photos.
Victoria State Map
Great for travel planning, Hema’s State Maps clearly show highways, minor and secondary roads, national and state routes and fully-indexed cities, towns and localities. Detailed road distances are also shown.