Birdville Inside Track is open

According to SA Road Conditions , the Birdsville Inside Track is open. It's been a long while...
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Reply By: Les - PK Ranger - Thursday, Sep 24, 2015 at 15:48

Thursday, Sep 24, 2015 at 15:48
Map only shows it down to New Alton Downs turn off, so can't be sure as the written PDF report is just weird looking . . . Northern & Western Road conds
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Thursday, Sep 24, 2015 at 20:37

Thursday, Sep 24, 2015 at 20:37
Travelled the Birdsville Track 4 weeks ago. Yes, the inside Track is open but the Track is in the worst condition I have seen it.
Was my third trip and the loose rubble surface is a hazard to traverse.

Amongst three vehicles, two towing camper vans, we experienced one broken rear side window from approaching mongrels who just won't slow down and six punctures along the route.

In startling contrast, the Strezlecki Track is in top condition, especially the old track, as far as Merty Merty. The surface is mainly sandy, or smoothly packed dirt and is a delight to drive on.

We drove from Adelaide, up the Birdsville Track, then further north to Boulia, east through Winton to Longreach, then down through Windorah to the Planet Arrabury turnoff and through to Haddon Corner, Innamincka and down the Old Strez to Merty Merty, back onto the "new" Strez until the turnoff through to Arkaroola and home to Adelaide.

Despite $700 for two bloody Cooper tyres at Birdsville, (all they sell) and a repaired one for $40, the broken side window in the ARB Canopy, (covered by insurance), but caused by someone obviously not driving their own vehicle, a destroyed power supply in the Engel fridge due to a squashed and shorted power lead ($425 to repair) and finally an 18 month old starter battery that failed on the penultimate day at Clare. ($230 to replace), in time, the whole trip will be remembered as an outback adventure.

The only bad surface was the Brirdsville Track itself, especially across the Gibber Plains between Mungerannie and Birdsville.
I'm now going to wait until the bloody track is sealed before driving it again. It's the second time I have experienced a broken window. My two mates following me in convoy and at a respectable distance, both had stone chips to their front windscreens, one reparable with resin in Longreach and one that lasted the distance, but with a big enough chip to require full windscreen replacement.

Bill


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Follow Up By: Les - PK Ranger - Friday, Sep 25, 2015 at 08:33

Friday, Sep 25, 2015 at 08:33
Good to see it open again I suppose, but not tempted to go that way anytime soon, want to get across the desert without the ned for pricy repairs beforehand.

You're right about idiots not slowing down Bill, especially annoying are those towing, because they throw rebounding stones out too !
We had 4 windscreens go on a Simmo trip in July, 3 on that section of BV Tk going north from Mungerannie.
All bad star cracks that would need replacement back in town.

We also had 2 punctures at pretty much the same spot just past Mung, mine was a tek screw, most likely rattled out of a camper :/
Or maybe Phil throws a box out there now and then ?? Nah :)

We also pulled off near the Inside Tk turn off for a break, there was a caravan with blown out windows, result of a gas explosion (no one hurt thankfully) getting loaded onto a flat bed RAA truck, and a convoy of towed campers came through at estimated 80 + ks.

Didn't slow to minimise for us and the other party parked off the side.
Just inconsiderate.

Second vehicle and camper slowed down, probably to look at camper being loaded, the one behind near ran up his ar$e not paying attention.
He had to pull out to the side and had to overtake him unintentionally, otherwise he would have hit him.

Love the Old Strz Tk, a bit if a secret (was), as it's a nice alternative to the trucks, corros, and bulldust patches of the main track.
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Follow Up By: ExplorOz Team - Michelle - Friday, Sep 25, 2015 at 17:21

Friday, Sep 25, 2015 at 17:21
Hey Sandman, would you mind please posting your comments into the Roads Report please? See http://www.exploroz.com/SA/SA_Deserts/Birdsville/Roads.aspx#r117

It really helps people - you have provided such great info, but people specifically looking in the report won't necessarily see it tucked away here in the Forum.

Thanks!!
Michelle Martin
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I.T. Beyond Pty Ltd / ExplorOz

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Follow Up By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Sep 25, 2015 at 20:07

Friday, Sep 25, 2015 at 20:07
Sure will Michelle.

One other gripe I have.
I was running a set of TPMS Australia external monitors I have owned for a couple of years.
On the first day, traveling to Farina for an overnight stop, both left front and rear sensors stopped registering with the monitor.
Unable to resolve the problem and subsequently removed all four sensors when I aired down for the long trip along the Birdsville Track, etc. and didn't refit them because only two were working.
Then bloody Murphy bit me with three subsequent punctures the second day on the northern section of the track.

I cannot recommend these monitors.

I did consider purchasing a new TPMS system using internal monitors ( I like the Inawise TPMS-203 system) but at $650 a set, decided against this investment before our 4 week trip.)
Bugger. Would have possibly paid for itself in one trip, As 2 new tyres cost $350 each and the one repairable one at $40 for repair in Birdsville.
Worst of all, I now own two Cooper Tyres:-)

Bill


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