Hi Wondering if anyone has travelled this road lately. I know if it gets a lot of rain not to use it, but not sure about its normal dry weather condition.
Cheers
Kim
Possum3 said
07:44 AM Nov 17, 2021
We did it Sept last year (2020) very dusty but pretty good - plenty of places to camp and watch the birds.
Fortunately not too many corrugations as not used much by trucks (other than sheep/stock carriers) - as you already alluded to; avoid in wet weather.
ONE PLUS ONE said
08:17 AM Nov 17, 2021
Thank you.
Peter_n_Margaret said
09:00 AM Nov 17, 2021
ANY rain will stop you.
60 second clip, September 2019, at the height of the drought. youtu.be/IAhIFdZ8p80
Cheers,
Peter
Whenarewethere said
09:24 AM Nov 17, 2021
In 2016 we got out of Mutawintji NP before the roads were closed & got to Wilcannia. We wanted to go that road but it was closed due to rain.
At Wilcannia end the local Council were very helpful with road information, even though everything was closed.
Drop into Bourke Council if you are there during office hours.
Rob Driver said
05:11 PM Nov 17, 2021
Last time I was on that road there were signs clearly asking to report to Police prior to travelling that route. Probably about 5 years ago.
Council and police information is imperative when leaving sealed roads in remote areas, as is abiding by that information and recommendations.
Peter_n_Margaret said
05:54 PM Nov 17, 2021
Rob Driver wrote:
Last time I was on that road there were signs clearly asking to report to Police prior to travelling that route. Probably about 5 years ago. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I have been travelling the bush for 60 years.
I have NEVER seen such a sign.
Cheers,
Peter
Rob Driver said
06:29 PM Nov 17, 2021
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Rob Driver wrote:
Last time I was on that road there were signs clearly asking to report to Police prior to travelling that route. Probably about 5 years ago. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I have been travelling the bush for 60 years.
I have NEVER seen such a sign.
Cheers,
Peter
I have tried to be polite to you Peter with most recent dealings but you are so self opinionated that I am finding it impossible.
There is nothing more rude than to insinuate that someone is lying.
I too have travelled the bush and most roads for most of my working life mainly in heavy vehicles but you know better or maybe you just ignored direction because you know better.
Peter_n_Margaret said
06:36 PM Nov 17, 2021
I said nothing about what you see or saw, only what I have seen or not.
If you take offence at that, I'm sorry, but that is your problem.
Cheers,
Peter
Rob Driver said
06:48 PM Nov 17, 2021
Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
I said nothing about what you see or saw, only what I have seen or not. If you take offence at that, I'm sorry, but that is your problem. Cheers, Peter
By quoting my post you actually did.
Anyway sign or no sign, we are on a public forum and anyone who needs accurate and current information on outback road conditions is far better to contact local authorities which are Council, RTA or Police for that information. Information from a has been tourist or a has been trucker who both havent been on that road for several years is quite dangerous and not helpful to anyone who needs current information.
Peter_n_Margaret said
07:12 PM Nov 17, 2021
In my experience, in SA, the "authority" for road conditions is the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. They decide (after consultation with locals) which roads are open to all traffic and which are restricted or closed. https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads
This is what the full report looks like in hard copy (this particular one was displayed at Oodnadatta, so the "locals" simply quote that report if you ask for road conditions there.
They may give you a guess as to when the restrictions may lift, or they may not, but what the DPTI says in their report is "the law".
One more observation. Coming from Birdsville to cross the Simpson is complicated from a road control authority perspective. The first section is Queensland public road, then somewhere that changes to private pastoral track to Big Red and then for another about 36km west. Then you enter the Queensland National Park on the QAA Line for 70km, followed by about 24km in the NT (but not in a NP). Only then do you enter NP in South Australia at Poeppel Corner. SA National Parks control the access to the NP and the roads in the Park, not the DPTI.
A camping permit is required for the Queensland Park section, but maybe you don't stop and a Desert Parks Pass is required to use the SA sections. HEMA map. Cheers, Peter
Kim, I was born and raised in North Western NSW and regularly travelled all of the roads and tracks in the Qld Border Regions (Family of Miners, Shearers and shed cooks), since WW2.
Yes, Local Police do monitor, restrict and register travellers during wet weather or other significant road conditions and they display appropriate "temporary" signage, which possibly explains their apparent invisibility to some. Regular travellers in these districts are aware of the fact.
Disregard the ego trips and p1ssing contests. The road you asked about is part gravel/dirt and can turn into a boggy impassable track with a minimum amount of precipitation - usually it is quite passable with most vehicles - as ruts and corrugations can come up with no prior warning it is best travelled at moderate speeds with pressures lowered in tyres, more so if towing a caravan or trailer.
Rob Driver said
09:12 AM Nov 18, 2021
In case some members on here are confused, the areas that Peter and Wawt arent in NSW they are in SA.
From memory the road that Kim is asking about comes under the Shire of Cobar.. I could be wrong but that info is easily found.
Peter said this above:
I have been travelling the bush for 60 years.
I have NEVER seen such a sign.
Cheers,
Peter
Thank you Possum3 for clarifying the existence of Police signs on some outback NSW roads and tracks.
I was using the Wilcannia to Bourke road back in the mid 1990s and those signs requesting contact with local police were most definitely erected on the Wilcannia end.
I am sure I have seen them out around the area of Broken Hill, and Tibooburra as well. Probably seen them on other roads in western NSW.
I didnt think there was a pissing contest in this topic as Peter suggested. He openly stated that he had not seen such a sign and that is fair enough.
I would imagine that any truck driver working in outback areas for part of his working life would cover 10s of thousands of more kilometres in a few years than a happy tourist in a 4 WD getting out and about during holidays, long service leave and the odd long weekend in his lifetime.
To the OP, Kim, travel the road with care, obey road closure signs, watch the weather particularly if you arent doing the road in the one day and be cautious of trucks with dust and stones and I should include weekend warriors in their 4WDs.
-- Edited by Rob Driver on Thursday 18th of November 2021 09:15:00 AM
Possum3 said
11:24 AM Nov 18, 2021
Rob Driver wrote:
From memory the road that Kim is asking about comes under the Shire of Cobar.. I could be wrong but that info is easily found.
Bourke Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Darling River, which is known as the Barwon River upstream from Bourke; and located adjacent to the Mitchell Highway. The northern boundary of the Shire is located adjacent to the border between New South Wales and Queensland.
Yet: Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire (north western) New South Wales.
Peter_n_Margaret said
11:44 AM Nov 18, 2021
There are 2 roads that go between Wilcannia and Burke that follow the river. One each side of the river. They are "similar" from a driving perspective. The video clip I posted earlier was from the northern side.
We were camped on the southern side 25km north of Wilcannia in the early '90s when it started raining at 1am. We left immediately and just made it back to the bitumen. The roads are black soil and turn to grease with a shower.
Hi Wondering if anyone has travelled this road lately. I know if it gets a lot of rain not to use it, but not sure about its normal dry weather condition.
Cheers
Kim
see; www.youtube.com/watch
Hi Possum3
Not too much corrugation?
Fortunately not too many corrugations as not used much by trucks (other than sheep/stock carriers) - as you already alluded to; avoid in wet weather.
Thank you.
60 second clip, September 2019, at the height of the drought.
youtu.be/IAhIFdZ8p80
Cheers,
Peter
In 2016 we got out of Mutawintji NP before the roads were closed & got to Wilcannia. We wanted to go that road but it was closed due to rain.
At Wilcannia end the local Council were very helpful with road information, even though everything was closed.
Drop into Bourke Council if you are there during office hours.
Council and police information is imperative when leaving sealed roads in remote areas, as is abiding by that information and recommendations.
I have been travelling the bush for 60 years.
I have NEVER seen such a sign.
Cheers,
Peter
I have tried to be polite to you Peter with most recent dealings but you are so self opinionated that I am finding it impossible.
There is nothing more rude than to insinuate that someone is lying.
I too have travelled the bush and most roads for most of my working life mainly in heavy vehicles but you know better or maybe you just ignored direction because you know better.
If you take offence at that, I'm sorry, but that is your problem.
Cheers,
Peter
By quoting my post you actually did.
Anyway sign or no sign, we are on a public forum and anyone who needs accurate and current information on outback road conditions is far better to contact local authorities which are Council, RTA or Police for that information.
Information from a has been tourist or a has been trucker who both havent been on that road for several years is quite dangerous and not helpful to anyone who needs current information.
In my experience, in SA, the "authority" for road conditions is the Department of Infrastructure and Transport. They decide (after consultation with locals) which roads are open to all traffic and which are restricted or closed.
https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads
This is what the full report looks like in hard copy (this particular one was displayed at Oodnadatta, so the "locals" simply quote that report if you ask for road conditions there.
They may give you a guess as to when the restrictions may lift, or they may not, but what the DPTI says in their report is "the law".
Most other States have similar publications.
Cheers,
Peter
The road sign with contact details at the bottom.
One more observation.
Coming from Birdsville to cross the Simpson is complicated from a road control authority perspective.
The first section is Queensland public road, then somewhere that changes to private pastoral track to Big Red and then for another about 36km west. Then you enter the Queensland National Park on the QAA Line for 70km, followed by about 24km in the NT (but not in a NP). Only then do you enter NP in South Australia at Poeppel Corner.
SA National Parks control the access to the NP and the roads in the Park, not the DPTI.
A camping permit is required for the Queensland Park section, but maybe you don't stop and a Desert Parks Pass is required to use the SA sections.
HEMA map.
Cheers,
Peter
Yes, Local Police do monitor, restrict and register travellers during wet weather or other significant road conditions and they display appropriate "temporary" signage, which possibly explains their apparent invisibility to some. Regular travellers in these districts are aware of the fact.
Disregard the ego trips and p1ssing contests. The road you asked about is part gravel/dirt and can turn into a boggy impassable track with a minimum amount of precipitation - usually it is quite passable with most vehicles - as ruts and corrugations can come up with no prior warning it is best travelled at moderate speeds with pressures lowered in tyres, more so if towing a caravan or trailer.
In case some members on here are confused, the areas that Peter and Wawt arent in NSW they are in SA.
From memory the road that Kim is asking about comes under the Shire of Cobar.. I could be wrong but that info is easily found.
Peter said this above:
I have been travelling the bush for 60 years.
I have NEVER seen such a sign.
Cheers,
Peter
Thank you Possum3 for clarifying the existence of Police signs on some outback NSW roads and tracks.
I was using the Wilcannia to Bourke road back in the mid 1990s and those signs requesting contact with local police were most definitely erected on the Wilcannia end.
I am sure I have seen them out around the area of Broken Hill, and Tibooburra as well. Probably seen them on other roads in western NSW.
I didnt think there was a pissing contest in this topic as Peter suggested.
He openly stated that he had not seen such a sign and that is fair enough.
I would imagine that any truck driver working in outback areas for part of his working life would cover 10s of thousands of more kilometres in a few years than a happy tourist in a 4 WD getting out and about during holidays, long service leave and the odd long weekend in his lifetime.
To the OP, Kim, travel the road with care, obey road closure signs, watch the weather particularly if you arent doing the road in the one day and be cautious of trucks with dust and stones and I should include weekend warriors in their 4WDs.
-- Edited by Rob Driver on Thursday 18th of November 2021 09:15:00 AM
Bourke Shire is a local government area in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located adjacent to the Darling River, which is known as the Barwon River upstream from Bourke; and located adjacent to the Mitchell Highway. The northern boundary of the Shire is located adjacent to the border between New South Wales and Queensland.
Yet: Wilcannia is a small town located within the Central Darling Shire (north western) New South Wales.
There are 2 roads that go between Wilcannia and Burke that follow the river. One each side of the river.
They are "similar" from a driving perspective. The video clip I posted earlier was from the northern side.
We were camped on the southern side 25km north of Wilcannia in the early '90s when it started raining at 1am. We left immediately and just made it back to the bitumen. The roads are black soil and turn to grease with a shower.
Another map from HEMA, with their permission.
Cheers,
Peter
But again. Thank you all.
Cheers
Kim