Travel to Birdsville with caravan

Submitted: Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 18:03

ThreadID: 99202 Views:4884 Replies:4 FollowUps:3

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bridgee

Planning to travel to Birdsville mid 2013, from Broken Hill, north to Innaminka and on, and then return via Birdsville track. Should we camp (tent, dongas etc) or could we tow and on road Avan Tayla? Appreciate advice.

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Reply By: Member - There Yet - Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 18:15

Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 18:15

Hi Bridgee,

check out thread 99044.

Cheers Kerry

AnswerID: 499263

Reply By: Dammit01 - Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 18:43

Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 18:43

I was out that way early this year around July I would suggest a tent or off road van

AnswerID: 499267

Reply By: Robyn R4 - Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 20:27

Monday, Nov 26, 2012 at 20:27

We just did that road 6 weeks ago in a Kia Sorento with souped up suspension.
Did Thargomindah to Tibooburra (lots of bulldust and very bumpy on the second half of the road past Bulloo Downs), then out to Cameron Corner (easy drive), to Innamincka via the Strzelecki Track (slippery loose rocks in parts but not bad), north to Birdsville via the track that runs near the Qld border (very loose gravel in spots and some hairpin bends that suddenly come with no warning...! That was the worst track we encountered, to be honest).
The untarred road from Birdsville to Windorah (and tar again!) was ok-we lifted the tyre pressure to keep the tyre wall up and away from the billion sharp stones.
We went with a tent (and came back with half a tent thanks to a ripper of a storm-pun intended- at Innamincka!!) but chatted with a few different caravaners in Birdsville. They just took it slowly and carefully.
When our tent was shredded, we had a lot of k's to ponder what our next purchase would be! Even though we'd love a small van, we're also loving the outback and off-road travels and reckon our budget won't stretch to an off-road van just yet. So, we'll perhaps be doing some sort of off-road camper trailer for a while...
Suppose the short answer to your question (sorry 'bout the long answer!) is: I'd tent it. Vans offer soooo much, but through this part of Oz...I'd say "tent", or "good off-road capabilities".

AnswerID: 499272

Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 at 16:17

Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012 at 16:17

Most of the caravans you saw in Birdsville would have come in via Windorah or Bedourie. There is no challenge on either of those roads, any van would survive them with careful driving on the few rough bits and creek crossings. My journey in via Windorah would have averaged 80 km/h on the gravel sections (Spaceland Sydney Jupiter pop-top.)

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FollowupID: 775287

Follow Up By: mijango - Thursday, Nov 29, 2012 at 21:53

Thursday, Nov 29, 2012 at 21:53

I fully agree with this statement. I travelled the Windorah (one of our favourite places we visited btw) to Birdsville about 2 weeks ago. i was towing a Cub Brumby camper trailer and the road was in superb condition, especially the white section nearer Birdsville. We even met one of the road graders in the Birdsville Hotel, and I told him so.

Qld often gets a lot of stick for its roads, which I struggle to understand. Taking the Dongohue - Plenty Highway from Boulia to Alice was a different story - a least when I crossed into NT it was. The corrugations there are the worst I've experienced

FollowupID: 775477