How do you rate this road ?
Submitted: Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 12:29
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True Blue
Hi, looking at taking my 18' Coromal van from Noccundra Qld. to
Broken Hill via the Silver City Highway.
Whilst my van is not rated as an off roader, it does have 4 wheel independent
suspension.
I am an experieced outback traveller but would appreciate your comments from those of you who have travelled the above highway fairly recently.
I am
well aware that it is very remote but have an excellent tow vehicle. Just wondering if I take it slow and steady, should this get me from one end to the other without problem. It has the 'normal' on road van road clearances. I do remember years ago doing the
Birdsville and Strezkecki tracks and thought at the time that any on road van could travel on them with care if the conditions were right.
I am looking at doing the trip late September.
thanks in advance.
True Blue (Wayne)
Reply By: Member - McLaren3030 - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 13:26
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 13:26
Hi True Blue,
I haven’t travelled that road for a few years, but last time I was on it, there were some pretty bad sections with loose rocks (not stones) and a couple of badly corrugated sections. Of course, this is old information (4 years ago), so it may have changed since then, particularly if the grader has been over it just before your trip.
Macca.
AnswerID:
637458
Reply By: Andrew B31 - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 14:24
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 14:24
Hi True blue
the Silver city Highway has been sealed between
Tibooburra and
Broken Hill so that is now an easy trip (if no floods have gone through, which did happen recently. so need to check if repairs have been done). I would imagine that the section upto Noccundra would be ok for you to travel on. When I did that area 2.5 yrs ago they were starting the sealing process but the unsealed sections were really good unsealed road and would be ok for most vehicles and vans if you travel to the conditions. A friend traveling with me was towing a jayco and we did some side roads without any issues.
cheers
Andy
AnswerID:
637460
Reply By: True Blue - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 16:02
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 16:02
Thank you Macca and Andrew for your replies.
Just the sort of info I was after.
Many thanks and happy travels to you both.....
True Blue. (Wayne)
AnswerID:
637462
Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 23:35
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2021 at 23:35
The border gates have been locked during the Covoid period. Check with the
Thargomindah whether the one you wish to used has been unlocked or not.
AnswerID:
637469
Reply By: Member - shane r1 - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 10:01
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 10:01
Hey Macca,
What’s the difference between rocks and stones??
Reminds me of a motorcycling mates definition he gave another rider on sand and rocks
He said “sand is just little rocks and rocks are just big sand”
And you do ride them similar. But yes it’s different on 4 wheels.
Found this when I googled if there was an actual definition

Rocks
Cheers Robbo
AnswerID:
637473
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 14:11
Reply By: Phil G - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 14:30
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 14:30
If your aim is to get to South Australia, I'd suggest you don't. I have friends and family currently stuck for weeks in NSW and not being granted an exemption. I think accommodation at
Broken Hill is pretty full.
We came down the Strezlecki last month - road from
Thargomindah is now bitumen all the way to
Innamincka. The first part of the strezlecki was smooth claytop, the middle couple of hundred k's was gravel and the last 73km into
Lyndhurst is now bitumen.
AnswerID:
637480
Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 17:19
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 17:19
The road into
Innamincka from the east is also closed by Qld Health in both directions.
The only open road from Qld to SA currently open is the
Birdsville Track.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
FollowupID:
915600
Follow Up By: Phil G - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 19:31
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 19:31
Gday Peter,
Yeah I forgot that the border restriction was extended to the whole of Qld a few days ago. That means you can't come in via
Birdsville as
well. Might find the
police at
Marree do a few random checks.
FollowupID:
915602
Reply By: True Blue - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 14:37
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2021 at 14:37
Thank you Phil G. Lots of info. there. Very much appreciated.
I was hoping to do a bit of Qld. outback travel mid september and then come down to the Barossa for a month or so in spring.
I will have to rethink everything unfortunately.
Thanks again Phil.
Cheers and happy travels,
True Blue (Wayne)
AnswerID:
637481