Birdsville Track

Hi Buzz,

We travelled the Birdsville in 2011. You will find no sand dunes along the Birdsville Track. What you will find is a lot of corrugations and gibber along with dips were water crossings occur. Would strongly suggest protecting the undercarriage of the van (plastic water pipes, tanks wiring etc. If you have a tap on your tank remove and place a bung in it instead. Other wise you may have no water when you reach your destination. Ensure you have a stone guard protector.

Cheers and have a great trip.

Kerry

The last time there were sand dunes over the Birdsville Track was when Tom Kruse did the mail run. But as previously said you will find plenty of gibber, washdays and dust to start with. So if your van is not an off-road version and I mean a real one, then strongly recommend looking at protecting underbody parts like pipes, wires and drain outlets/connectors as the rocks will kill them.

The BRB is on in July so there will be thousands of people and cars flying up and back so would not recommend being anywhere near it until that bit of chaos has gone away.

As far as road conditions go the regular update site is here https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads

Rob

Plenty of sandhills along the Birdsville Track Bill, predominantly in the north near "Pandie Pandie", but they have all been sheeted with other road base.

Take care in any floodways, as there are often large rocks, hidden amongst the gravel that can damage tyres. No doubt the rocks can damage your van, but take your time and enjoy. Work on 2 days. Good camps are at Clayton Wetlands, Mungerannie, and at Warburton Crossing turn off.

Bob

Hi Bill

Tell your so called "informed neighbour " he is about 60 years behing the screen .

Yes they would catch out old Tom north of Etadunna Station in his film, The Back of Beyond, but today it is a very easy drive when it is dry.

If it is wet, then keep well clear of it.

Check out my blogs, as I have done one on the Birdsville Track.

Take your time, and do it over 2 days and stop over at Mungeranie for a great drive.



Cheers




Stephen

It is as the other posts have described it. It does get regular maintenance but the condition of each section depends on whether the graders have just been through or they are due to go through. All of the major unsealed roads like the Birdsville, Oodnadatta etc, all have their danger spots so you must be constantly on the lookout for them. Keeping your speed down all times is vital.

Never decided to go from A to B in a certain time. That may be fine on a good sealed road but not on dirt. You must be prepared to take as long as it takes and make unexpected overnight roadside stops if necessary.

If you do that then you are not going to have to make sudden panic stops to avoid things like deep dips or soft patches of sand and rocks are not going to fly up fast enough to do any damage.

Wife n I drove it last September, the day they opened it, after rain... "4x4 high clearance, not towing" they say that.. and they mean that.. 320km of mud.. rutts.. and lakes... drive around trailers left in bog holes by trucks that go stuck.. got 100km into it, and started to rain.. 40km out of BV I nearly turned around.. so like has been said.. if wet, stay away from it.. other wise great drive.. enjoy.. Odog

Thanks for the help guys. Its as I expected.

Will be going slow and enjoying the scenery. At least 2 days and probably 3 to get to Maree.

Appreciate the advice

bill

We had to cross a couple of soft sand dunes in 1977 when I first drove the Birdsville track. Its a highway now!
Enjoy your trip. We'll be coming down there next month with our van too.

Drove down the Birdsville Track 2 weeks ago and it is in excellent condition the whole way. Seriously, you could take the family Camry down / up it no worries at the moment. Now if it rains, that's another story.