Following Burke & Wills.

Submitted: Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 14:53
ThreadID: 137958 Views:3889 Replies:7 FollowUps:8
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Hi All,

I am planning to do the above trip in June/July and following the planned route as per the book. I am wondering if anybody here has done the trip recently and if so what are the road conditions like especially the number of back roads that are taken. In particular the route taken between Broken Hill and Tibooburra (criss crossing the Silver City Hihway, and the back road between Innamincka and Birdsville, (ie Via walkers Crossing) I have never done these roads so I am unsure of what they are like.

My vehicle is a Landrover D4 which has some mods (bask plates) discrete winch, 18" tyres with LT AT tyres, LR tank. The van is a single axle off road type which I have taken on a number of dirt roads, ie Old Eyre highway, Old coach Road, GCR (or shortcut Perth to Brisbane), Gibb, so I know it will stand up to "reasonable" punishment.
Any thoughts greatfully appreciated.

David
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Reply By: duck - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 15:45

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 15:45
David
The road between Birdsville & Innaminka "Walkers Crossing" if it rains is just slop & that will test you
AnswerID: 624416

Follow Up By: HKB Electronics - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 16:02

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 16:02
Agree we did it about three years ago, it had rained some sections we bypassed.
Rained overnight at Innaminka had to stay another day till the road dried out.
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FollowupID: 897905

Reply By: rumpig - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 18:41

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 18:41
If you plan to drive Wanaaring to Tibooburra, it's a pretty boring stretch of dirt road IMO, but was in really good condition when we drove it last (September last year, sll that means little now). Do yourself a favour and drive from Tibooburra to Cameron Corner via Sturt National Park, the view from the jump up there is well worth the detour, and it's just a nice drive (though there are some pretty stoney areas along that route also, so good tyres are a must)....a mate with us towed his Lifestyle van through there without issue.
AnswerID: 624418

Follow Up By: David I1 - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 20:20

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 20:20
I am sure there are large sections of "boring stretches". Reading the book even B & W commented on the deserted landscape and nothing to see but rocks and hot sun!!. But thats what I really want to experience... isolation and the vastness of the landscape to fully comprehend what they must have gone through in 1861!!
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Follow Up By: rumpig - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 21:29

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 21:29
Normally I enjoy driving outback roads, but something about that stretch bored both myself and my mate travelling in his his vehicle with us senseless.....it wasn't even vast openess, it was more just a long tree lined dirt road that gave you nothing to look at but the scrub beside the track.
If you visit the camp at the weir of Lake Pamamaroo, do yourself a favour and camp away from the campgrounds down by the lakes edge.... in a sea of drought the Darling River Run was last September, it was a stunning green oasis.
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Reply By: Baz - The Landy - Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 20:47

Thursday, Mar 14, 2019 at 20:47
Be sure to take some time to visit Milparinka, just to the south of Tibooburra. Plenty of history there...

Milparinka - A golden experience

Cheers, Baz - The Landy
AnswerID: 624419

Reply By: Bill P - Saturday, Mar 16, 2019 at 23:51

Saturday, Mar 16, 2019 at 23:51
Hi Dave, I went through Broken Hill to Mootawinji to Tibooburra then Innamincka in Jan this year in a SUV. Not towing. OEM tyres. The stones on the road can have hard sharp edges so LT tyres would be handy.
AnswerID: 624460

Reply By: Member - DOZER - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 11:49

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 11:49
We did the trip many years ago. We started at Menindee lakes for the wills tree blazed tree. On to Mootwingee, then one tree, across to packsaddle. That stretch was the most scenic of the trip....i took the caravan, so have fun. Take good tyres, got a flat out front of the caravan park at Tibbaburra!! Big thorns around, especially off the side of the road. Tibbuburra to Cameron is a slow drive, take care the sand hills have blowouts on the eastern sides...other than that, enjoy your trip, take your time and there are also a few different routes, ie bollards lagoon access is via camerons corner store.
AnswerID: 624478

Follow Up By: David I1 - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 12:04

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 12:04
Mootwingee??? Do you mean Mutawintji??? Also the trek out of Tibooburra (Tibbuburra???) goes east toward Thargomindah and misses Cameron Corner completely. But thanks Dozer
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Follow Up By: Member - DOZER - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 13:55

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 13:55
I got Menindee spelling right thou...there is an awsome re-enactment at the national parks office in Tibbuburra
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FollowupID: 897978

Follow Up By: Member - DOZER - Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 13:57

Monday, Mar 18, 2019 at 13:57
PS, the walkers crossing road is rocky up towards Birdsville, nothing other than using good (new) tyres and rain to worry about
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FollowupID: 897980

Reply By: Member - DOZER - Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 14:55

Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 14:55
Just looked up their route, and it seems they travelled from Menindee nnw to thargaminda before heading n/w to birdsville through sturts stoney desert....is this what the book says?
AnswerID: 624493

Follow Up By: David I1 - Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 17:30

Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 17:30
Hi Dozer,

Book says head out fromTibooburra via the Wompah gate and the Bulloo Downs Rd to Thargomindah. Then head west via the Bulloo Dev Rd (Adventure way) to Innamincka. Then head South west and then north via Walkers crossing and the Birdsville Track to birdsville. On many occasions the route taken in the book criss crosses the "actual" B & W route via back roads as the now new roads do not follow the actual route taken. For example between Medindi and Tibooburra you could take the Silver City highway but the actual route is about 80 Kms to the East, so you miss Broken Hill and work your way on back roads to Mutawintji, and as there is no roads to follow the actual route you are forced to go via Tibooburra. It is a great book and a great read and has very detailed notes and pictures that are dated about 2012. Hence my question on current road conditions, as I travelled that way in 2014 doing the Simpson and heading down to Broken Hill for the way home.
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FollowupID: 897999

Reply By: Member - DOZER - Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 20:51

Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 20:51
We were in Birdsville in June 2018, travelled the walkers crossing road to Innamincka, (congee lakes) then dig tree, Nockatunga, Thargomindah, Hungerford. Found the roads easy going, lots better than my last innamincka to dig tree road experience in 1990. North of walkers crossing is rocky so suggest you invest in the shade cloth stone deflectors that sit horizontal between rear bumper and trailer either side of A frame. These work the best apparently
AnswerID: 624501

Follow Up By: rumpig - Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 21:12

Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019 at 21:12
Amazing how much bitumin is appearing out there now...was surprised how far the black stuff was past the Noccundra Hotel now when we were there in September. All the roads we drove that trip were in great condition, bit different to the Merty Merty was in June July school holidays after the Big Red Bash, it was badly chopped up then...though when we came back through in September it had all been repaired and was a great drive again.
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FollowupID: 898004

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