Birdsville Track

Hi Rick,

Either direction will be OK, depending on weather conditions of course.

The Track is gravel or rubble based for much of its length and easily navigable when conditions are dry.
Once rain has affected the surface however, the track surface can change to slippery sections and sometimes the track is closed due to floods at the river crossings.
At the moment the track is closed at the Cooper Creek crossing and a bypass to a ferry surface is in place. This is unusual however and the majority of time the track is easily drivable in either direction.


Bill.

Drop your tyre pressures and keep the speed under 80k. In my opinion anything faster just invites tyre problems.

just got back. It's a freeway in regard to condition of the road. I don't travel any faster than 80km/h anyway as I like to drop my pressures a little bit for a softer ride and look after the tyres.

have to assume the worst though. A couple of years ago we were on it and it was a mud pit. high range 2nd gear for about 3 straight hours. I was surprised it was open but I think they were keen to get us out of birdsville before the next front came thru.

Hi Rick,
There are 3 main ways from Adelaide.

The first and longest and the most boring is up Highway 1 to Port Augusta, then to Quorn, Hawker etc.

The next two options will take you through the Mid North and my home town of Clare. From Clare you then have 2 options and are 2 very different drives.

Option 1 and a very pretty drive is to head from Clare and travel through Yacka, Georgetown, Laura, Melrose and from Wilmington turn right and head for Quorn and there to Hawker.

Option 2 and the quickest is from Clare travel through Spalding, Jamestown, Orroroo, Carrieton, Cradock and Hawker.

From Hawker you will now have 2 options.

If time is no problem and you have never travelled through the Flinders, then head north east from Hawker and travel via Wilpena Pound, Blinman and then to Parachilna.

Option 2 from Hawker is to head straight north to Parachilna and beyond.


All of the above routes offer many varied and great things to see, and would take a lot of writing to fill you in on everything. Depending which way you travel to Parachilna, you then head due north towards Leigh Creek.

While you are driving past, take the small detour to Aroona Dam and see the great volume of water that is used for the Leigh Creek Township's water supply. The next stop just after Copley is to have a look at the Leigh Creek Coalfields from the lookout. Back on the main track and not very far out of Lyndhurst drop in and inspect the Ochre Pits. Next stop and still before Marree is the old ruins at Farina and the cemetery. From here you are nearly at Marree, with main sights to see.

Once on the Birdsville Track there are a number of good places to see including Lake Harry ruins, Clayton Bore for a Hot Spa if you are camping there.
Again if you have time the old Killalpaninna Mission ruins (You will have to collect the key from my friends, Patsy and Jason Dunn from Etadunna Station)
the old Brennan punt on the Cooper Creek, Mungarannie including the old graves behind the sand hill where campers stay, The old Mulka ruins, Mirra Mitta Bore, and many more locations.

Like I have said above I could keep on writing, but the above will give you a very good start to your planning.

Cheers

Stephen

I have just returned (yesterday) from a trip up the Birdsville Track. Thanks to Stephen L for good accurate advice.

The track from Marree north to Dulkanina Crk is in pretty good condition. The bypass track to the ferry is very wet and slow going but passable as long as you take your time and have a good look before commiting yourself to a route.

Camping near the ferry is excellent and it is truly amazing to see that much water where there really should not be any. It is so beautiful my great regret is that I did not have more time to spend there.

We were the first people north out of Mugeranie after the track opened. Most of it is still pretty good but there are places with deep water across the road. An area through Pandi Pandi about 100km south of Birdsville is still very chopped up. It is wet in patches and there is a long bypass which has soft spots that require some care.

Having said that it is all passable at the moment but there are storms about and conditions do change very quickly.

Duncs

Thank you everyone for your feedback, great to hear the place is looking a treat. We are now thinking we might head back via the French Line after doing the the Track. How will we go doing it east to west.
Cheers
Rick P