BIRDSVILLE TRACK, SA-QLD TRAVEL
Is the Birdsville track still a hard slog for travellers from Birdsville to Marree? Or has the number of caravans heading to Birdsville for the Big Red Bash and Birdsville Races done what Tom Kruse couldn't do to make the journey a lot less challenging?
The Birdsville Track was established by drover Percy Burt in the 1860s as a stock route. By 1916, bores had been sunk at roughly 40km intervals, making it a reliable route.
It's been nearly 15 years since I last drove the Birdsville Track, so it will be interesting to see if my perception of it now being a Sunday drive holds true.
At the start of my journey in Birdsville, I crossed the Diamantina River, passing the racecourse on my left. This is where the Birdsville Races are held on the first Saturday in September and the town becomes inundated with 7000 racegoers. Crossing the border into South Australia, the landscape opens up as the track follows a dune past Pandie Pandie Station. Beware of cattle
