Across the Simpson to Birdsville was a great trip, but far from being the end of the road Birdsville is the start of the next stage. I used to think Birdsville was the ‘end of the road’ but actually it’s the start. However you get here there’s a great choice of routes to leave; North to Mt Isa the Gulf and the top end, West across the Simpson Desert and into the Centre, East through the channel country and the rest of Queensland and for us South down the Birdsville track to Maree and back to Alice Springs.
Birdsville is a small town in about as far South West Queensland as you can get. Originally a stock route stop-over, Birdsville’s main industry today is tourism. It has a pub, general store/garage, Post Office/general store, bakery, Police Station, Medical Clinic, Art Gallery and that’s about it. Fuel is sold at the general store and at the Post Office. Birdsville also has a big camping ground/caravan park. It covers approx. 10 hectares around a large artesian fed lake. In September for the Birdsville cup there can be 3000 people camping there. If you’re into water birds Birdsville is the place to be. A number of birds are transiting through here to Lake Eyre at the moment including Pelicans, Cormorants, various Plovers, Ducks, Egrets, Dotterels, Herons, Spoonbills and Ibis to name a few.
Just on sunset a flock of about 400 or so Corellas came in to roost only to be chased off by a solitary Whistling Kite. Their perches were immediately taken over by a flock of several hundred Nankeen Herons.



Leaving Birdsville down the ‘Birdsville Track’ to Marree it’s hard to believe that this used to be one of the most feared and dangerous roads in the country. Its come a long way since ‘Tom’ Kruse started his mail run in the 1930’s and the Page family perished there in 1963. It’s now a 500 Km dirt ‘super highway’. I did it at 80 Km/h; most could do it safely at 100 Km/h.
One point of interest along the way is the Mount Gason wattle project. It is not known how these rare and unique Acacias (Acacia pickardii) reproduce so these may be the last.




It’s a fairly desolate and on the day wind/sand swept run stopping over at Mungerannie, a converted station homestead, for the night. The camp ground along the tree line is fairly open to the North West but if you drive along to the Eastern end it drops down to a beautiful sheltered area overlooking a small lagoon with several good campsites.



‘Tom’ Kruse the legendary Birdsville Track mailman did this run fortnightly from the mid 1930’s until 1963. He was awarded a MBE for his efforts in getting the ‘Royal Mail’ through. He assisted with Madigans expedition in the thirties and the mail run was the subject of a movie ‘Back of Beyond’ in the 1950’s. One of his old mail trucks, a 1930’s Leyland Badger, was restored in the 1980’s and a documentary was made by the ABC of the ‘last’ mail run from Birdsville featuring a 80 year old ‘Tom’ Kruse driving to Marree. This truck cabin is all that remains of one of ‘Tom’ Kruse’s trucks on display at Mungerannie.



South of Mungerannie is the remains of the Mulka homestead store, the 5 Km wide Cooper Creek floodway, and Clayton Station Wetlands. Through Etadunna Station is a monument to Ralph Milner a pioneer who took up the South Australian governments challenge to drive stock from South to North across the continent in 1863. Despite seven years of drought, the death of his wife, the murder of his brother by aborigines and the loss of much stock he succeeded. The SA government reneged on the 1000 pound ($2000) reward because of a change of government. Guess some things don’t change.
Re-fuelled at Marree and out to Muloorina waterhole, turn off the Oodnadatta Track about 2 Km North of Marree; its 54 Km on good dirt road. A good sheltered camp spot on a small lagoon it’s on private property and has flushing toilets but no showers.



Again plenty of bird life and access to the bottom end of Lake Eyre and Lake Eyre South. Didn’t drive up as there was no water this far South and the track was a bit ordinary. Had to be careful cutting the firewood though.



From Muloorina waterhole to William Creek and a drive and fly sortie out to Lake Eyre. Kaye took the fly over and reckoned it was OK, I wimped out and stayed on the ground. The drive out to the lake was fairly ordinary and when you get there it’s bleak, barren, and windswept with no shade. The water was about 1 Km out and inaccessible. Not smart walking on damp clay pans. Not worth the drive really and you certainly wouldn’t want to camp there. Camp ground opposite the William Creek pub is a much better bet, though the showers didn’t work, no water pressure. There’s a cairn to ‘Caroline Grossmueller perished 11 Dec 1998’ on the track out to Lake Eyre. You can only wonder what someone would be doing out here in December. I couldn’t help thinking of the nice ‘pommy’ Karen at Old Andado Station who was ‘looking forward’ to spending summer in the desert. What was it Noel Coward said about ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen’ and the midday sun.
It worries me that people come to the outback in summer with absolutely no idea of how lethal it can be. Ultimately I think it’s a good idea that the Simpson Desert will be closed over summer. Death is far too high a price to pay for ignorance.



From William Creek it’s further North up the Oodnadatta Track and into the old Peake Telegraph Station. It’s 15 Km off the road on a fair to rough dirt track, says 4WD only but isn’t, family in front of us had no problem in a Hi-Ace van. Well worth the trip in to look at this piece of history and to camp if you wish. Buildings and relics in quite good nick as is the site of the turn of the century copper smelter. Toss a bit of ore into the camp fire and watch the green flames






It’s 85 Km further up the track to the Painted Desert turn off. It’s about 100 Km in on good dirt road and well worth the trip. Stayed the night at Arckaringa Station campground; firewood supplied and great hot showers. Well worth the $20. Great scenery and photo opportunities.



Back to the Oodnadatta Track and into Oodnadatta itself. A fairly forgettable town, like a big rubbish dump really. Re-stock, re-fuel and move on. Don’t plan on camping here. Next stop Eringa Waterhole. Turn off the Oodnadatta track 17 Km out of town and head through the Pedirka Desert to Eringa. Used to be a Kidman Station but abandoned in the 1950’s as too harsh and uneconomic. Beautiful shady waterhole and ideal camp site. Easy place to spend a couple of days.



From Eringa it’s about 100 Km into Finke. Finke is an aboriginal community and is better known as the starting point of the annual Finke to Alice Springs desert race which was run a month or so previously. The race course parallels the old Ghan railway easement which is now a 4WD track into Alice Springs which is the route we took. Its 240 Km to Alice with 150 of them following the old railway line. This is a very corrugated and pot holed track. It is littered with dozens of old railway spikes and it is due more to good luck than good management not to spike a tyre or two. The terrain is quite interesting with railway ruins and travels through mulga and desert she oak forest. This route has not been graded and still has railway sleepers in some sections.



This is an interesting route but not one I’ll take again. I reckon the Alice Springs auto repairers will want to keep it exactly the way it is.
The last 80 Km into Alice is good dirt road and is being upgraded to all weather dirt.
The flower and plant life has been amazing, enough for a post in Camera corner. I’ll do this as time allows. Here’s a couple to go on with, taken at Peake Telegraph Station. I’ve no idea what the red/green plant is the other I know as a ‘Hop Bush.







A couple of days R&R in Alice Springs and its off to the Kimberley.

As usual the good pics are Kayes the ordinary ones mine.

Deano and Kaye.