Birdsville track ferry

Submitted: Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 11:56

ThreadID: 79699 Views:3865 Replies:2 FollowUps:13

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Birdsville Track

The Birdsville Track runs south from Birdsville to Maree and passes through the Sturt Stony Desert. It is an extremely remote region but is strikingly beautiful in its harshness.

Birdsville Track

Section: Treks

The Birdsville Track runs south from Birdsville to Maree and passes through the Sturt Stony Desert. It is an extremely remote region but is strikingly beautiful in its harshness.

Member - Henry L (SA)

G'day to,

there has been a lot of talk about the Birdsville track ferry. I have one question, and I know it will depend on the day ect. but does anybody know how long it is taking to get on to the ferry, is there a queue coming from the south?
It won't worry me as I will have time on my side, but a mate of mine needs to be in Birdsville on Sunday night and will be travelling up there next Sunday.
I will be in Marree for the camel cup then heading up to see the ferry.

Thanks for your help.

Henry.

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Reply By: Member - Lotzi (QLD) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 12:06

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 12:06

Gday Henry

It takes about ten minutes for the punt to cross, they only operate from sunrise to sunset and the waiting time all depends on the Q.

Note: the maximun length on the punt is 7.8 metres and NO trailers.

The road from Maree to Birdsville is pretty good as of last week.

Cheers

AnswerID: 422358

Follow Up By: Malleerv - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 12:48

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 12:48

You can take a trailer over as long as the total length of vehicle and trailer is not more than 7.8mtr.
You cannot take caravans.

Cheers Matt

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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 12:59

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 12:59

There are farm gates on each end of the ferry and the car and trailer must be able to fit in between these gates, it's a tight squeeze. It takes exactly 8 minutes for the punt - sometimes there are 5 cars waiting and sometimes some of the cars are only visiting. The punt operators are very obliging and as long as they can see the other side of the creek in the dusk light they will come and get you. The camp is on the southern side so they are mostly there anyway. Have fun - we did for a week there.

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Follow Up By: Member - Lotzi (QLD) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 13:58

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 13:58

My blue, yep total length 7.8 meters, opologies.

Cheers

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 14:30

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 14:30

Hi Henry
You have received the answers to what you need from the above. When we were up there, we used it 4 times, 2 from the south and 2 from the north. The northern side usually has very little traffic. The first time from the south, we only had to wait for the ferry to return from the other side and then that same day 2 hours later there were 6 vehicles in front of me and it was about an hours wait. Even though it was an hour, the time did pass very quick.

Do not get put off from the vehicles there. Below are 2 pictures. The first was the second time that we crossed and the next pictures shows far more vehicles, BUT of all the vehicles there, only 2 crossed , the rest were there just for a look. It will be a different matter with the coming school holidays and they are expecting large number of vehicles then.

Cheers

Stephen
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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:26

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:26

Gday Stephen
I was just wondering how deep the water was at the crossing ? I am not there , just interested as i have been reading your input for some time now and cant remember if the depth has ever been mentioned.
Murray

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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:40

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:40

4 metres under the ferry - expecting it to rise to 5 metres. Somewhere there is a photo (from Stephen) of the 4 metres board - check in his recent posts.

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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:46

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:46

Thanks Ruth.
Nice of you to answer.
Murray

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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:58

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 19:58

Hi Murray and Ruth
Hi Ruth, you beat me to it, but this is the picture of the water depth gauge, which like Ruth has just mentioned, is expecting to reach the 5 metre mark on this marker.

Cheers

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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 20:42

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 20:42

Ruth and Stephen
At 5 mtrs, how wide will the crossing be ?
Murray

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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 21:06

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 21:06

Hi Murray
If it gets to the 5 metre depth, at the ferry site it would only make it about another 40 metres or so wider from the current 280 metres wide, but further towards Lake Eyre it will make it many more kilometres wide.

Cheers

Stephen

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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 21:16

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 21:16

Stephen
At 6 mtrs, will we need an ark ?
Murray

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Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY(Vic) - Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 21:20

Monday, Jun 28, 2010 at 21:20

Stephen
Thanks to you and Ruth for your information. I was told by my wife and daughter that my last reply was totally unnecessary. Sorry .
Murray

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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Jun 29, 2010 at 07:32

Tuesday, Jun 29, 2010 at 07:32

Murray, at 5 metres our camping spot will be very wet and we would have to move up the sandhill away from our nice trees. At 6 metres - mightn't need the ark but whew, what a site. There would be a possible problemo with the ferry though I think the cables would then need to be moved back each side. My technical assistant, Stephen, would be able to advise more on that aspect. You would have time, though, to build an ark - but at the northern end where the camping is better, the timber of which there is more - but I would be inclined to design it out of old bottles and old tins.
Ruth

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