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Strezlecki & Birdsville Tracks


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Hi everyone, We are currently planning our first Off Road Trip in our New Van. We are going to do the Strezlecke track to Lake Eyre then come back on the Birdsville Track and we were wondering if anybody can help us as to what pressure we should put in our Caravan Tyres to do the off road trip. Gordon & Chris

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Hi Paul & Cheryl, Thank you for your reply on tyre pressures. Can you tell us what the road from Cameron's Corner to Innamincka was like and when you did the Strezlecki did you do the old route or the new route and are then any places of interest to see. Thanks Gordon & Chris

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Hi Gordon & Chris

We did the track from Cameron Corner to Merty Merty, this part was like a rollercoaster up and down, just had to be cautious of large bull dust holes over some crests which popped up without warning. From Merty Merty we took the Old Strzelecki Track until it meets the New Strzelecki and then up to Innamincka. It was very pleasant camping in the town common right on the banks of Cooper Creek. A donation of $5 a night was requested to stay, the only facilities were long drop toilets. But outside the pub and store there are showers & toilets if needed. From there we went out to the Burke & Wills Dig Tree which is on Nappa Merrie Station and is $11 a night to stay again very nice on Cooper Creek, no facilities. If you wish you can visit Burkes Grave and also Wills Grave. We then took the New Strzelecki Track from Innamincka to Lyndhurst, there is not much to see, just wide open spaces, we drove past the Moomba Gas & Oil Field. About half way along the track is the Montecolina Bore, you can camp there and there were lots of Corella's and you can have a dip in the bore, we didn't stay. The New Strzelecki Track isn't a bad road, its nice and wide but has a few bull dust holes to be careful of and the Old Strzelecki Track is a far better road even though it says it is a 4wd track.

Hope this info is helpful with your travels

Cheers

Paul & Cheryl

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Greetings Gordon and Chris.

Mavis and I have just returned from doing part of the Darling Run on dirt from Eulo to Menindee.

We ran 30psi in the van and had no problems.(our little van would be a tad lighter than yours though :smile: )

Not so successful with car tyres though. Blew two one cooper (staked) and the never used dunlop spare lasted about 50km before a major blowout staked again on the run from Comeroo Camel Station to Bourke ouch bit pricey replacing them. We did learn a valuable lesson about tyre plug kits DON'T USE CHEAP ONES.

If it hadn't been for our travelling companions Ivan and Gloria one of us would have been walking to Bourke.

We had a plug repair kit but a cheap version with plastic handles. The handle broke while trying to insert the plug, narrowly avoiding hand damage.

Ivan and Gloria had a pearler of a kit with solid alloy handles that could handle the pressure no problem and the repair was effected to get us to Bourke.

Good luck with your travels and hope to see ya soon.

Mavis and Rod.

P.S. anyone know where to aquire a decent plug kit :helpsmilie:

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Hi Rod & Mavis you can buy complete kits from ARB. Bought mine when i had the old 80 series kitted up for offroad work. It comes in its own canvas type bag. not sure of the price.

King.

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Thanks for the direction King.

Regards to Deb from both of us oh and to your good self as well. :thumbsup:

Mavis and Rod.

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Hi Paul & Cheryl, Thanks for the info but we forgot to ask which way did you go to get to Camerons Corner and also the section that you mentioned was a bit like a roller coaster was that the dunes near Camerons Corner, if it is how did you go towing the van up and down them. Gordon bumped into a chap we know from home and he was telling us about the dunes just outside Camerons Corner. Cheers Gordon & Chris

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Hi Godon & Chris

We went from Broken Hill to Tibooburra along the Silver City Highway and then west to Cameron Corner. These dirt roads weren't too bad at all. The rollercoaster ride we referred to would have been the dunes near Cameron Corner. These weren't too bad towing the van. You do own a Kedron not a Bushtracker :laugh: , so you shouldn't have any problems. No seriously steady as you go, drive to the conditions. You did mention Lake Eyre well from Lyndhurst we went north to Marree then took the Oodnadatta Track up to William Creek and then west to Coober Pedy, I don't know whether you are going this way but there is a good camp spot just north of Lyndhurst called Farina Ruins camp ground, we found this very interesting exploring the ruins and nice grassy campspots for $10 a night. The Oodnadatta Track was better than the Bruce Highway, a good dirt road.

Cheers

Paul & Cheryl

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

High Gorgon and Chris,

We did a similar trip (form Brisbane to Birdsville, down the Birdsville Track, out to Lake Eyre back up the Strezeleki Track ti Innaminka and back home) two years ago. Stupidly I thought that higher tyre pressures (40 psi) would be better but I soon found out that this was the wrong thing to do.

I split a tyre on the gravel surface before we even reached Birdsville. When I got it repaired at Birdsville, the mechanic there told me to run them at 28psi and I never had another problem for the next 3500 km

Be prepared to get underneath of the drawbar and chassis of your van sand peppered with stones though. It sandblasted all the gajvanizung off the drawbar.

Hope this helps,

Fieldsie :thumbsup:

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