Walkers Crossing short cut

Why doesn't that surprise me.

Thanks Peter.

Aaaaah Phil, you're such a spoil sport. I was out playing Grannie, so you beat me to saying no, even though you said yes. If you know what I mean.

Hi Ruth,
Yep, I phrased that badly. Should have started with No and then said its possible if you're Houdini :-)
I've heard that being a grannie is pretty good - Kathryn and I get to try it out in a few months time! Don't think we'll get to Birdsville this year - might be a quieter year for trips this year :-((

Phil - wonderful news for you and Kathryn - I was at my first granddaughter's first birthday party today - every one had a good time but Caitlyn - she was over tired and getting another lot of teeth and just wanted to go home! A brother or sister arriving in 6.5 weeks - and talking about a third already.

Hi Phil,
So is this track in a position where I will actually need permision? ie. locked gate or office buildings or does it go thru a gas field ?
Was wondering if I found it and then just sorta "got lost" :-)

Cheers
Pezza

Hi Ruth,
You enjoy that bit of rain down your way recently ?
Am assuming you escaped unscathed ?

Cheers
Pezza

Pezza
I'd imagine that it would be pretty much unused unless it goes past or to a well site.
Any tracks that are in use all have no access signs where they join to the PAR route.
From memory (very faint these days) it crossed the floodout watercourse not far from the outstation on the way to coongie.
When we used to cross that way from Coongie to the Birdsville track we would camp up at Coongie and then come back to the outstation then head west for a k or so and there was a natural causeway across the watercourse. If coongie was full you couldn't get across as the water was too deep. We came across a bloke and his wife who had tried in a cruiser once, he had slid it into deep water and spent three days diving for the tirfor and accessories to winch it out. When we cam along he had been drying it out for two days and was about to try and start it.
It was basically an old rabbiters track which the Walkers crossing track follows for part of its route.

Pezza. when the big rain happened down here over one night, I was due to fly back from Norfolk Island and arrive in Bne at 8:00 a.m. At 4:00 am I'm ringing from Norfolk to say the plane wasn't able to take off due to fog and they are yelling at me from here to say they can't come to get me because Laravale was flooded (Logan River) and that stage they didn't know there'd been 15 inches up the top of Running Creek and Rathdowney was also flooded. Up in Rathdowney Heights here was o.k. but bit wet down the front. As it was I ended up with an extra week on Norfolk due to 10 days of cyclonic wind and rain and then another week of heavy fog. Who cares - it was fantastic and I'm going back later in the year to see it in the sunshine as well.

"So is this track in a position where I will actually need permision?"

Pezza, I haven't ever travelled that track. I just know from friends who have tried, or worked for Santos that its not on.

"Was wondering if I found it and then just sorta "got lost" :-)"

To do so, and then get caught, damages the reputation of 4wders and leads to more track closures. The 4wd Association in SA (and others) fought long and hard to get Walkers Crossing reopened and become a Public Access Route (it was closed to travellers for for many years, and reopened about 6 years ago). Its a shame for travellers to undo that work for the sake of a couple of hours driving.

"damages the reputation of 4wders and leads to more track closures. "

Mate if they want to close them, they will, regardless, but I do take your point.
Am with family so won't be taking any chances, will go via Innaminka.
Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Cheers
Pezza

Peter 2,

Sounds like an interesting track, I don't think I've got enough "desert experience" yet to be trying tracks like that, and as I said to Phil, will have my family with me.
I was hoping to do pretty much what you did then, slip into the lakes and camp there for a couple of days on the way from Birdsville, save doing a day trip back out there again after setting up at Cullymurra. Seems like we're going to have to do the latter.

Cheers
Pezza

Geez Ruth, an extra week on Norfolk, I feel so sorry for you.....NOT!! Lol.
I will be taking Phil's advice and going via Innamincka, knowing a little about both of your backgrounds I hold any advice from either of you in high regard.
No, we will be going in late may, I go to these sort of places (Nth QLD till now) for the solitude and peace and quiet, having 2 boys of 3 and 2 yo, ( yes, I know, solitude, peace and quiet and a 3 & 2 yo are contradictory, lol) there is no need to go to these places during peak season or school holidays, unfortunately the gathering is smack bang in the middle of both.
Comes from growing up in the country I suppose, 3hrs west of Rocky.
As we didn't have our regular QLD members day BBQ, hopefully we will get to meet at another gathering one day soon.

Cheers
Pezza