Roads open from Innamincka to Birdsville

Thanks for looking that up for me Cookie!
Appreciate it!

Thanks Peter!

Thanks William!
We’ll be in Innamincka tomorrow and will spend a few days, then off to Birdsville.
So should be a bit drier again by then.
Thanks again, gives me confidence that we’ll get through ????

Use this Link as your guide.

As of last Saturday, the roads were open to 4x4 and heavy vehicles, with caution for creek crossings and ponded water.

Thanks Stephen. As I said, I have studied the various state traffic resources, including the SA one, and so I know what they say.

My real problem is QLD. I'm not inclined to believe their traffic site. I just drove the Donohue Highway from the NT border, and with its mix of bitumen and freshly graded dirt, it has to be one of the best outback roads around, with no sign of water. But you wouldn't know that from their traffic site, which still has long term flooding warnings amd a 4wd ony restriction on it. What a load of old cobblers!

So can I believe their silence on the Arrabury Road, which is the one I'm more inclined to take, even though it's longer? Anyone driven it recently?

From what I recall of the Arrabury road, Briste, it’s mostly on elevated terrain, so unlikely to be subject to long term flooding. I travelled it in Nov 2015, and apart from the ambient temp, had no trouble at all.

Friends are to travel it today or tomorrow, so maybe I can check with them………if I don’t forget.





Bob

Thank you Bob, that's a kind offer, although it may ahave been overtaken by events. I spoke to some people this afternoon who a day or two ago towed their Jayco Journey Outback (admittedly towed by a 'Cruiser) up the Cordillo Downs Road from Innamincka to Birdsville via Betoota without issue. They gave me a detailed description of current conditions and it sounds eminently doable. Sounds like the SA Outback Road Report is a little behind the times, although not by as much as the Qld one.

Briste,

Friends at Innamincka now. He reports: “Arrabury road really good, usual small floodways and corrugations but nothing too drastic.”

He is driving an LC 79 series with a slide on camper fitted.

Bob

Thanks Bob, that's helpful. Sounds like Arrabury may be slightly easier drive, but perhaps not by enough to warrant the extra 85kms.

I conversation I had with neighbours here in Birdsville illustrates the challenges of interpreting road reports, even first hand ones. These neighbours were advised at Immamincka to take the Arrabury Road in preference to the Cordillo Downs one, and both copped damaged to the plumbing of their vans and lost all their water. They regarded the road as roughish, whereas Bob's friend found it ok.

Now these vans didn't appear to be particularly offroadish, and there is the question of what speeds and tyre pressures they were driving at, but if a Jayco can make it up the Cordillo Road with no trouble and these vans had both had issues om the Arrabury, then that suggests Cordillo may be the better option and shorter too. I suspect there isn't actually much difference other than distance.

I drove from Birdsville to Innaminka after the Big Red Bash via Cordillo road in my Prado 120 towing a jayco pop top caravan 17.58-3 outback and found it a easy drive with diversions around the boggy sections. A far different road from the last time I drove down it 10 years ago.
William

Yes Briste,

What one person thinks is horrendous, another person will just say it was OK if you drive to the conditions.

I saw a couple vans at Fitzroy Crossing last year, both Off Road, both had come off the Gibb River Road in the past couple of days. One guy said the road was one of the worst he had ever driven. The other guy said it was OK, a little rough in a couple of places, but not really that bad. I put it down to the first guy not being very experienced in outback roads.

Macca.

These are all very valid points Macca, and why I'm wary of such simplistic descriptions as good or terrible. The people I spoke to who towed the Jayco over the Cordillo road were able to provide detailed descriptions of its condition, and that's what's really valuable. Also they discussed their towing history, so that provided context. The people here in Birdsville who copped some damage don't seem as experienced, and so I treated their report with some caution. Hence my comment that the two roads were probably similar at present, which Bob's friend's report confirms.

The reason I'm fussing over all this is that my travelling companion has had a flare-up of some conditions, and I can't afford subject her to too much more rough road driving on this trip. Tyres will be down further and speeds slower.

"Bad roads" are only "bad" if you are driving too fast for your vehicle and experience.
Cut your speed in half and they will suddenly become OK. :)
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Peter's point is well taken, although think there is a little more to it than that.

To close this out, we found the Cordillo Downs Road ok. Not a bad as I feared, but not quite as good as I hoped.

. The short Qld section was a dream - smooth as silk despite some loose stuff on top
. The short section from the border to the Caldega ruins was slow and rough.
. South from the ruins to our camp on Marianna Creek was generally good. No corrugations and you could mostly sail along at a moderate pace, with only occasional rough and/or twisty bits to keep you on your toes.
. The southern section was slower and not as smooth. The road through the Innamincka Regional Reserve had corrugations, mostly on the northern section.

Not particularly difficult at the right speed and pressures. Thanks for all the advice.