Cooper Creek in 2 weeks

Hi Gossy
At this stage of the year, only mother nature will have the correct answer. If we do not get any further heavy rain up north, then 2 weeks will be ample for the roads to reopen. The biggest factor in your favour this time of the year is the warmer days and the wind that will dry the tracks out. Below is from Transport SA and yes, all roads north of Lyndhurst are closed


Outback Roads Temporary Closures, Restrictions and Warnings Report

Strzelecki/Birdsville Tracks

Area: Strzelecki/Birdsville Tracks | Oodnadatta Track | Gawler Ranges | Flinders Ranges
Issued Monday 6th September 2010 at 2:59pm
A new report will be issued when any road conditions change.

Status:

Strzelecki Track (Innamincka to Lyndhurst) - Closed - Due to rain, Creeks flowing
Birdsville Track (Marree to Birdsville) - Closed - Due to creeks flowing - will be reassessed late Monday afternoon. Note: the ferry does not operate when this section of road is closed, Due to rain damage - ReassessTuesday
Marree to Muloorina - Closed - Due to rain
Marree to Lyndhurst - Closed - Due to creeks flooding - reassess Wednesday

Have a great time and keep your fingers crossed.

Cheers

Stephen

It will dry out pretty well within a few days as long as there is no more rain.
The problem is that the weather patterns over the last few months have been such that every 10 days or so there is another front bringing more rain to the area. As fast as it dries out it then gets wet again, the problem is that as the ground is pretty well saturated now in the north of south Australia that it only takes a few mm of rain to make it boggy again.
Really great fro the country but not so good for all those that rely on the tourist dollar to survive for the rest of the year.
Keep plans flexible until you are in the area and then make a decision taking into the current and forecast weather.

More rain building now isolated tommorow then the dump Thursday - Friday how much is the gamble. Road in really bad way . Marree and Leigh Creek the worst hit. Marre to Lyndhurst is proably your biggest problem with Farina pouring water on to the road still. But very rarily are these main roads closed for more than 4 days but it's been a very very long time since anyone has seen rain in this area in these kind of falls. But Lake Eyre has now 90 - 95 percent coverage and it's approx. 1.8m deep and very shallow on the edges. This is were all the rain comes from or it generates the larger falls from the evaportion of the Lake.

If you go Elders SA northeast pastoral 28 days give you an idea of the long range forecast for here

There is a creek about 2 kms north of Marree (Frome Creek), that can be deep.
Most of the year you wouldnt even know it was a creek.

Check out thread number-80159