moment you traverse a barren spot that makes you think it is the end of Things to see include the Mud Hut, one of the first buildings, and the Royal Hotel that opened in 1886. But wait, theres more! Have a fun trip. However, I imagine it would be horrendous after the Birdsville races or Big Red Bash. We are planning to drive from Victoria to Windorah Qld within the next week or so. And this was on the red soil slopes of the hills! Weve compiled these as if youre driving from Tibooburra to Innamincka. Admire the Royal Hotel Ruins 9. Deep in the heart of wild and isolated country, Birdsville is situated between the eastern edge of the Simpson Desert, the vast gibber plains of Sturt's Stony Desert to the south and rich Channel Country . Driving from the East: We are 382km west of Windorah, roughly 250km is an unsealed road. Right now there are no problems, but as you know, conditions can change any day. Youll notice that the rolling grazing country becomes wild mulga scrub edging the road as you drive further west to Charleville. Preferably bitumen . After this, its a long trek east to Windorah. Very optimistic settlers started a pastoral venture in 1877, however, Carcory homestead was already abandoned in 1906. just drive to the road conditions. So on top of nearly every dune is a mix of rock-hard clay and deep bull dust holes. One such stately building is the restored Old Town Hall, now home to the Ipswich Art Gallery, an interactive art gallery and social history museum worthy of a visit. Some of the bull dust holes at the top of the sand dune crests are big enough to swallow a small car. Windmills have become iconic with Australias outback and Boulia has a grand dame standing right in the main street. A project to reconstruct and widen 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) of road immediately north of Boulia, at a cost of $1.025 million, was completed in April 2021. These people are usually easy-going, and should be able to help. Youll need decent tyres. Think of Miles and think of wildflowers. A 4WD Kluger should be OK, as long as it's in good shape, and you have paid particular attention to the tyres, which should be as-new, and you've made sure that tyre pressures are lowered to around 20psi for the rough stuff. West of Cameron Corner, you drive over hundreds of sand dunes. Secondly the road becomes Warri Gate Road. The famous Birdsville Racesand Big Red Bash bothattract thousands of people to town each year. Low jump-ups, shimmering mirages and stony plains as far as you can see. Visit the extremely rare Waddi trees, which only grow in three places in the world and, if youre lucky enough to time your visit with one of the many annual events, witness incredible displays of horsemanship at the gymkhanas, rodeos, bronco branding and race meets in the Diamantina shire. Then go here. As I said earlier, we didnt see another vehicle the whole trip. Did this stretch in one winter day in a Mazda Tribute towing campertrailer. The Grey Nomads is an informative website about open-road travelling and holidays within Australia. The sand dunes surrounding Bedourie are very photogenic, especially in Rex Airlines flies to Boulia on their Western 2 Route from Brisbane to Toowoomba (Wellcamp) to Charleville to Quilpie to Windorah to Birdsville to Bedourie to Boulia to Mount Isa and return. On that road your vehicle clearance and good tyres are a must. Having warned you about the poor state of the roads, it does depend entirely on when the graders been through. Do you think that I will only need one tank of fuel? The bike was a BSA 250cc, four-stroke. Mungerannie is the last . The scenery was worth the trip alone. A new road report will be issued when any road conditions change. country is considered very isolated, remote, empty. That afternoon, the sun put on a classic desert sunset for us. So it sort of lives up to its name, Silver City Highway. Not what we expected! Road conditions from Brisbane to Birdsville Brisbane 26C Broken Clouds Feels like 78.76 Wind speed 11.5 mph Pressure 1010 hPa Dalby 27C Broken Clouds Feels like 80.73 Wind speed 16.2 mph Pressure 998 hPa Chinchilla 28C Broken Clouds Feels like 81.45 Wind speed 18.1 mph Pressure 1008 hPa Jackson 29C Scattered Clouds Feels like 82.09 How good/bad are the Diamantina Development and the Birdsville Development Roads, (Windorah to Birdsville)? The road is arrow straight and you feel like youre on a giant rollercoaster. For an appreciation of life in the outback, visit the Charleville School of Distance Education and the visitor centre of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. . Quilpie is a 210 kilometre drive from Charleville along the Warrego Way. From up here, youll see how the water flows vaguely south towards Tibooburra. Bedourie's artesian water supply is of good quality, it even feeds the Tag TrulyAusin your adventures @trulyaus on Instagram and Facebook if you ever happen to travel Boulia. Those ready for action can spend the day fossicking for opals, climb and explore Baldy Top and Table Top Lookouts or go for a drive through the endless landscape that is Australias outback. www.desertskytours.com. New events are defined as any event entered since 8am the previous day. Public Toilets. Permalink. Birdsville-Bedourie road sealing work moves ahead Published: March 6, 2021. The above ruins are a good example of the kind of homesteads built by early settlers in Australia's remote regions. Any personal "report" will be out of date and meaningless within 24 hours. It doesnt really matter which road you take between these towns, each one is special in its own way. We travelled parts of this route again and some of it was in great condition. It is been a while since I drove the route that is also known as the Bilby Way. Leaving Tibooburra, the road is tar for a short distance. Turn right then go through Fortville Gate. No 4wd towing a camper too, I was up in that area in 2014 and passed many 2wds including small hatch backs with low ground clearance and huge overloaded motorhomes full of grey nomads. Driving through the Diamantina Shire is a surreal experience, passing extensive plains of red gibber on both sides of the road and intersected with flat flood plain areas that would be grasslands after a wet season. This takes you past Moomba, a strange sight in the desert. View all. The channel country at its best. Above all, enjoy the remoteness. sections are usually in good condition. About 132km west of Windorah Timing Works started in late May 2021 and was completed in November 2021 Status Completed More than 5km of the Birdsville Developmental Road has been sealed to improve safety, efficiency and wet weather access for all road users. Enjoy these tips and articles in the Outback Guide. Some parts are smooth, but theyre few and far between. Its roughy 380km from Windorah to Birdsville. Current and upcoming forecast for Birdsville, courtesy of WillyWeather. Restrictions apply due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Please click here for the latest travel advice from the Australian Government. Our Long Search For The Best Mosquito Repellant Is Over. An abrupt climb spits you out on top of the jump-up. With a few days to spare, Arrabury Road looked like a good option and the last dirt road wed be able to travel on for a while. Arrabury Road is well worth the drive. Weve also done some of the alternative routes. The first @130km is bitumen then the fun kicks in. We fitted new tyres A/T to both before heading off which included the Birdville and Oodnadatta tracks and The Plenty Highway (Track) then back to the Tropics. It's a little under 400km between Windorah and Birdsville, and while much of the road is unsealed, it's a beautiful drive, achievable in a single day. For what it's worth I'd carry 20 liters of water and 20 liters of fuel plus a second spare tyre if you have room. Recommended road trip circuit from Brisbane: St George; Cunnamulla; Thargomindah; Innamincka; Birdsville; Birdsville to Brisbane via Windorah and Roma; Things to Pack: Enough bottled water to last at least 3 days (plus some extra) Snacks for the road trip; At least 3 days of dry food for meals that will keep in the car. So what are your choices? Alternatively, catch your own feed of fish. After trudging through the ankle-deep mud and water, we took the obligatory photos, turned around and headed back to camp. Transport and motoring. The distance between Windorah and Birdsville is 335 km. Any issues with ground clearance?My belief is that even the best 4WD is only as good as the nut behind the wheel. Hi Interested in driving to Birdsville Races in April 2022. Or you can go West from Tibooburra towards Cameron Corner, dont turn off to Cameron Corner, but continue to the NSW/QLD border. As the sky turns black, take in the panorama of the thick blanket of stars that is a typical outback sky. The gravel road was generally in good condition. You can research more about outback Queensland with our other story on Bedourie. . Just wondering what te condition of the road, Hi, Just wondering if anyone has recently travelled from Windorah to Birdsville and can provide an update on what the road condition is like and how long it took them? Roll on to Charleville, immortalised in Slim Dustys song by the same name. Planning a trip to Birdsville this year. Youre driving through remote sand dune country and the landscape is simply beautiful. Im sure during peak season, thered be several travellers visiting Haddon Corner. The other is Arrabury Road via Haddon Corner. Join Trish McGreil and her husband Ian as they relax on the porch of their station homestead and hear their tales about the lights and many of the possible explanations as to what causes them. I was more wanting to know if anyone had actually travelled along the road to provide some indication of the degree of difficulty. Theres two ways you can travel from Innamincka, SA to Birdsville or Windorah in Western Queensland. Youll see stacks of oil and gas wells, with pipes running everywhere. The first stretch is narrow, ducking and weaving up and around sand dunes. Coober . The journey begins along the Birdsville Developmental Road heading East towards Betoota and Windorah. least it was much lonelier. Be mindful of the soft edges when trying to get off the road. So be careful and be prepared in case you break down. Time to get going, but the roads are still blocked. The fully sealed Kyabra Road will connect you back onto the Warrego Way to continue your journey. We've done many of the Channel country roads in a Forester towing a camper trailer no problems, even when the 'tracks' are classed as 4WD only, after rain. Listen to UHF 40 for instructions. We received a cracked windscreen from a P plate driver that could not be bothered to slow down, but 99.9% of road users out there were great. About This Drive. "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough." - Mae WestOur 379km trek from Windorah to Birdsville had us embark on a journey into Queensland. . With the road being predominantly gibber rock this makes for an extremely uncomfortable and bumpy ride. Derek Barry Then on to Dalby, the hub of Australias richest grain and cotton growing area. The Haddon Corner track continued the theme of black soil and mud. For all other route restrictions use the following link https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au. Road conditions from Birdsville to Longreach Road conditions from Birdsville to Longreach Barcoo 34C Scattered Clouds Feels like 90.75 Wind speed 9.3 mph Pressure 1006 hPa Windorah 35C Scattered Clouds Feels like 92.86 Wind speed 10.8 mph Pressure 1006 hPa Jundah 34C Broken Clouds Feels like 91 Wind speed 6.9 mph Pressure 1006 hPa Longreach 31C RACQ Road Conditions. 12 hours on the bike, 8 hours on gravel to Birdsville. [2] only occur in a few places in the world. I am new to caravanning and am yet to purchase our first van and tow vehicle. Now only about 70 km of road remain unsealed, and the dirt black stump mean"? This is a remote road and cuts through some serious sand dune country. Note: This article contains an affiliate link to Apple. It's roughy 380km from Windorah to Birdsville. Licenses are required to fossick but theyre relatively cheap and readily available at the Information Centre, where you can also get a map to show you the best places for a days exploring and fossicking. So our plan was to go there. Boulia Min Min centre Danielle Lancaster. We would like to travel to Birdsville in our 1988 Coaster Motorhome next year - an oldie but a goody. It really doesnt matter which way you go, theyre all good! Be prepared for remote travel. We are off to the races so we will be travelling late August. By the time we reached the Dig Tree, the sun was low in the sky. The wind has been blowing a gale all morning and has been collecting dust, by late afternoon it was quite brutal. More than a hundred million years ago Boulia lay below a vast inland sea called the Eromanga Sea. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome. After a short stint in Birdsville, and refuelling bike and rider, I made my way back. We covered this part of the journey earlier, so I wont repeat myself here. This drive is just under 40km and takes you into country youd never imagine existed out here. There are plenty of accommodation choices and fabulous bakeries and butchers in Charleville. But believe (Winton to Boulia Council Boundary), Boulia to Winton (to Winton Council Boundary), Morella Ardno Road turnoff to Hypatia Road (Closed At Bradley Creek), Local Road / Urandangi Road / Urandangi South Road, Cornish Creek / Upper Cornish Creek (Barcaldine Regional), from Muttaburra Aramac Rd to junction with Aramac Torrens Creek Rd, turn off from Kennedy Developmental Rd til Crewkerne Rd, Winton to Opalton (junction with Jundah Rd), Pine Hill / Port Wine (Barcaldine Regional), Between Capricorn Highway and Pebbly Creek Road, Boulia / Selwyn / Warenda / Wills (Boulia Shire), Slashers Creek Rd, from Kennedy Dev Rd turnoff, Wills to Min Min (to Diamantina Council Boundary), Captain Starlight's Lookout from Muttaburra Westside Rd, Tenham Rd Turnoff to Keeroongooloo Boundary, turn off from Stonehenge River Rd (Longreach Tocal Rd) to Thomson Dev Road, Warburton to Min Min (Warburton to Cloncurry Council Boundary), Between Landsborough Highway and Olio Muttaburra Road, Winton to Lark Quarry Conservation Park turn off (Lark Quarry Access), Lark Quarry to Jundah (to Barcoo Council boundary), between Corfield Richmond Rd and Landsborough Hwy, Isisford (Longreach Regional) / Jundah (Barcoo Shire). The first is to head West from Tibooburra to Cameron Corner, then across to the Strezlecki Track, turn right, follow for ages, chuck a left and youre there. It might be wise to get out and walk them first. The surrounding flat-topped mesas hinted where the original tableland had been millions of years ago. so now i dont move over till they are almost on top of me and they brake, then i move over and give a friendly wave as they go past at a more windscreen friendly speed. Road Conditions Report & other Travel Information, Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks Road Report. think it is important to lower tyre pressures (20PSI for mine) as road is mostly crushed rock and 80kmph is about as fast as I wanted to go. They have 2 luxurious cottages . For accommodation, other facilities and contact details, check the Queensland travel tips page. Any advice would be appreciated. The mercury is already nudging 40C on a February morning in Birdsville and, walking down the main drag, you could be forgiven for mistaking yourself in the nearby ghost town of Betoota. Others may disagree but from my experiences these are my recommendations. It's a long drive from any direction, but it attracts caravans, 4WD enthusiast and adventure seekers from all over the country. Travel safely. And the road is at least four lanes wide in places. It's bumpy in sections and I'd make sure to have the basics incase of a flat tyre which will be your biggest issue. Its a long journey along this road. So be careful, you never know whats around the next bend! Learn about and the Birdsville Beetle Car 4. And some crests can have nasty bulldust holes over them which you cant see until youre in them. Forlorn places, shimmering mirages, exactly what we expect the Australian Outback looks like. Formerly a pastoral holding, the park features weathered sandstone ranges, Mitchell grass plains and the floodplains and tributaries of the Diamantina River to dune fields. Further to yesterday's comment about camping along the Windora to Birdsville road, have a think about diverging north to "Old Betoota". I always recommend you carry, among other things, a tyre pressure gauge and a compressor to blow them up again once you get back to the bitumen. We have a Land Rover Disco and travelling with another party of 2. The first dune has an easier chicken track just to the north of the main track, so youll generally be okay there. At the Quilpie Museum and Visitor Centre, hear from the horses mouth about the struggles of droughts, floods and isolation of outback life, particularly during the days of early settlers. Most times it would be extremely arid. This one is fun! Boulia Shire is situated in Western Queensland and encompasses an area of 61,635 square kilometres. The Omicron Road joins onto Orientos Road, past Epsilon Station and into oil and gas fields. Porridge with sultanas for breakfast, which is a staple for these trips. i take it you are going to the races, so are we. The Loop Road crosses gibber plains then meanders along a series of watercourses for ages. The Red Stump Tourism and Events Queensland. is the road from boulia to mt isa sealed. For over a century, windmills have generated the means to bring the water of the Great Artesian Basin, the largest and deepest artesian basin in the world, above ground. Take your time and enjoy the unique outback. The next stop on your journey along the Warrego sits right on top of the Great Dividing Range; Toowoomba. 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