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Car Forum / Australian Car Forums / 4x4 Cars (Australian group) / November 2004Birdsville and Strzelecki Track condition
Anyone been on the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks recently? I'm heading up that way next week to spend a bit of time, and wondering what the roads' conditions are like. (I'll be in a Subaru Forrester, if that matters.) Thanks, Nick > Anyone been on the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks recently? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Thanks, > Nick Haven't been for a couple of months, but have a look at http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklinks/northern_roads/area1.asp for current conditions. peter > Haven't been for a couple of months, but have a look at > http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklinks/northern_roads/area1.asp > for current conditions. > peter Thanks for that, Peter. Nick Nick, it will be a) bloody hot and b) possibly wet Unless you are an experienced summer traveller I would stay away for the following reasons. Even a shot tyre can be most challenging in 40C Frequent stopping to re hydrate will mean it takes longer to go the distance. Dehydration , particularly children, is a problem in summer Rain can turn any dirt road into a wait a while situation at the best. There are far fewer fellow travellers to come along and winch you out of the poo. Tempers seem to flare in the heat. Even with air con and a fridge, fluid consumption can be way up. To give you some idea, years ago I shot through to corner country a few weeks before xmas. It was 32C at 9am and climbing when I got my first flat tyre. Without air con and a fridge, and with a young family I turned around and headed for the closest big town, Broken Hill. We were all young and fit and stuffed from the heat. Every km seemed like 100 in the heat. We went cross country to push the cows out from under any shade...and found out where the flies go in the heat :)) Even if you are well prepared, have plenty of time, communications and supplies and patience summer WILL provide an interesting experience. IMHO moving around the bush during Dec/Jan is not recommended. You could have a great trip. But the alternative is much more common during summer. Cheers Jim > Anyone been on the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks recently? > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Thanks, > Nick Appreciate the feedback Jim. I am experienced, but that was 20 yrs and 15 kgs ago. I'm travelling alone, so kids aren't an issue, but the wet certainly is. The Forrester is pretty good on the gravel and sand, but I haven't tested it in really muddy conditions, and don't want to. The Birdsville and Maree cops say both tracks are fine at the moment, so I think I'll still go, and keep a weather (!) eye out. Nick > Nick, it will be > a) bloody hot and [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > Cheers > Jim > Appreciate the feedback Jim. I am experienced, but that was 20 yrs and > 15 kgs ago. I'm travelling alone, so kids aren't an issue, but the wet [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Nick Ok Nick, take plenty of water. Good luck, hope it goes well. Cheers Jim >> Nick, it will be >> a) bloody hot and >> b) possibly wet We absolutely screamed down the Birdsville track one hot January afternoon quite a few years ago, reaching a top speed of 340km/h! TRUE Story! Truth is though, we were flying a twin engine aircraft and buzzed coopers crossing just 100 feet off the ground scaring the crap out of some road maintenance guys! Seriously though, when we stopped at Birdsville pub for lunch it was just over 50 degree's. It gets ridiculously hot out there in summer and I personally would not like be doing it in a vehicle. At least in a plane, once the heat gets too much, you can climb to 10,000 feet and into the cooler air. It's actually 20 degrees cooler at 10,000 feet. Good luck with the trip Nick. Garry > >> Nick, it will be > >> a) bloody hot and [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > over 50 degree's. It gets ridiculously hot out there in summer and I > personally would not like be doing it in a vehicle. Newbies often don't understand the influence that seasons have in the bush. Not uncommon a few years back for everyone in Birdsville to head to the pub, not for a drink but to get out of the weather. The early explorers learned a bit with their fingernails coming out etc. One trip can be uneventful , and the next one a week later can be hell. One day in the Simpson (Sept!) it started to get a bit on the warmish side around 2pm, 43C. I was drinking from the waterbottle every 45seconds, and all I was doing was driving. Mob that came through two days later had nice weather. Interestingly the oil drilling teams out that way used to go home and stay there over the hot season. And those guys had refridgerated stores and mod cons. It only takes one mistake, one wrong turn, one flat tyre in the Australian sun to turn your air conditioned refridgerated trip into a potential disaster. Sadly such discussion brings to mind the Page family. That couldnt happen in this modern age I'm told. Oh yeah ? Sun stroke is more common than you can imagine. Even the locals (who tend to stay at home in hot weather) can get themselves into strife. Breaking down in the summer is much worse than in the cooler months. Apart from the obvious effects on your mind and body, the heat means that traffic is sparse indeed. Totally agree, I'd not like to be travelling in those areas in a vehicle either. Cheers Jim >Anyone been on the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks recently? > >I'm heading up that way next week to spend a bit of time, and wondering >what the roads' conditions are like. (I'll be in a Subaru Forrester, >if that matters.) I'm not able to give advice, but I'd like to ask some of you, Nick. I also have a Forester, and after enjoying the way it handled some 4WD tracks in Central Australia had considered installing a lift kit as I'd like to do the Birdsville and Strzelecki tracks. I'm still getting over my paranoia that it doesn't have enough ground clearance to do those conditions. I'd be really keen to hear where you've taken your Forester and how it handled it. Geodyne > I'd be really keen to hear where you've taken your Forester and how it > handled it. Back in '95 one of our convoy vehicles was a stock standard EA82 (3rd gen) Subie wagon --- up and over the French and A1 lines. After the owner learnt how to handle the first 5 to 10 dunes at Poepells corner end, the rest were a cinch all the way to big red. >>Anyone been on the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks recently? >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > over my paranoia that it doesn't have enough ground clearance to do > those conditions. Dunno about the Strzelecki track, but ground clearance shouldn't be a problem on the Birdsville 'track'. You could do it in a Ferrari (as long as it hasn't rained). It's one of the nicest graded roads I've ever been on. Rob > I'm not able to give advice, but I'd like to ask some of you, Nick. I > also have a Forester, and after enjoying the way it handled some 4WD [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I'd be really keen to hear where you've taken your Forester and how it > handled it. I'm probably at the same point you are. I've only done main roads like the Oodnadatta Track and the road from Ivanhoe to Menindee (E of Broken Hill), and local forestry trails, nothing hard. The car handles very well on dirt and gravel; the AWD seems to make a big difference. I'm doing these two tracks because they're really 2WD suitable in dry weather, according to the police at Birdsville. Interested to read about ground clearance. What have you heard that makes you think you need more ground clearance? I don't want to get stuck... These two articles seem to indicate a Forester should be fine. http://www.exploroz.com/TrekNotes/Deserts/Birdsville_Track.asp http://www.exploroz.com/TrekNotes/Deserts/Strzelecki_Track.asp Nick |
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