Strzelecki Track

Thanks Rod. Good info in the caravan forum.
Thinking of March or April. Depends on the Covid issue.
Don’t want to leave if our dear leader in Victoria won’t let us come back in.
Maybe by the time we are able to travel without COVID issues, the Strzelecki Track will be sealed and a four lane highway.

Thanks Shane. Certainly understand that road conditions can change with rain. No concerns with changing/repairing tyres either. .
Tend not to take tyre carcus’s any more though. Getting too old to break beads and have done enough in my lifetime.

Thanks Allan. Agree it’s most important to drive to the conditions and not to even think about it in the wet. Can always be caught out though if it rains while you are half way along.
Yes. Aware that the bore track is now closed. Pity. It was a good run for us back in 2003.

Thanks Cuppa. Did the old Strzelecki with the kids way back in 1983. Coming over the dunes from Cameron’s corner we were amazed to see rabbits with an orange fur. Blended in with the sand. Camped up around Merty Merty.
Haven’t visited Coongie Lakes. Headed north from Innamincka via the Dig Tree and Nappa Merrie. Sounds like a great spot.

mepevic,
we drove Camerons Corner to Merti Merti back in 1978 - the Big Yellow double decker bus was occupied by rabbiters back then - they drove the dunes in Suzukis and had a big refrigerated van there. I expect the bus was there in 1983.

Big yellow bus had gone when we passed that way in 2017.

We didn't see it back then either. Pity. The kids would have thought that a hoot.

This link with a little info on the bus may be of interest

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/dazzlerplus.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/outback-landmark-disappears/amp/

I did see another yellow double decker behind the Betoota pub in 2009. Anyone know if is still there? It had suffered neglect & vandalism back then.

And there was a green one in relatively good condition alongside the pub at Hungerford in 2017 which I expect would still be there. It had an open rear entry point IIRC , same as the one I used to catch to school each morning in the late 60’s /early 70’s back in blighty.

Thanks Cuppa,
Yes, I spent many a bus trip in Sydney on one of those.
The Link from Web Urbanist was a great read.
Pity all the photos are more recent and just show a wreck that has been trashed. Might have to go through my old slides from 1978 and see what I can find. There were about 10 people living in it - so the inside was mostly occupied by beds but towards the rear door they left some seats and benches and had a gas stove. They slept by day and shot rabbits by night. The Suzukis were the little 360cc 2-strokes which were indestructible in their day and did not look pretty.
There were many soft dunes between Camerons Corner and the bus so I suspect it got there via Merti Merti. Mind you, we were in a Corolla wagon at the time and with a runup were able to skid across the top caps on the dunes.

Here are a couple of pics of the doubledecker at Hungerford. (2017). My memory of it being all green were incorrect. The 'Eastern National' bus company ones of my childhood were all green. :)

Thanks Peter and Margaret. Great clips. Father Christmas gave me a dash cam. Hope to get some good shots also.
Tracks don’t look too bad. Have travelled on worse corrugations.
Will probably take the Strzelecki from Lyndhurst. Have been to Arkaroola a couple of times. May even try the Cordillo Downs track from Innamincka. We went into Cordillo Downs from Arrabury and up to the Birdsville road but have not travelled on the track up from Innamincka.

Thanks Michael. Interesting that the road was closed to trailers last year. Will definitely check outback SA road conditions.

https://dpti.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Yes , I noticed also. Put in to provide passing/overtaking places. Very welcome by all I'm sure.

Cheers
Jim