Birdsville Track
About the Birdsville Track
The Birdsville Track is a notable outback road in Australia. The 517-kilometre (321 mi) track runs between Birdsville in south-western Queensland and Marree, a small town in the north-eastern part of South Australia. It traverses three deserts along the route, the Strzelecki Desert, Sturt Stony Desert and Tirari Desert.
History and Heritage
The track was opened in the 1860s to walk cattle from northern Queensland and the Northern Territory to the nearest railhead in Port Augusta which was later moved to Marree. The pioneering drover who is credited with establishing the track was Percy Burt. Burt set up a store at Diamantina Crossing, today known as Birdsville, and used the path to bring cattle out of the Channel Country to the railhead at Marree that was completed in 1883. This stock route was at least 1000 km shorter than the alternative path to Brisbane
Places to stay
The accommodation options on the Birdsville track are very limited, there are a few hotels and tourist parks.
Of course there are endless camping spots…..
Things to do
There are plenty of things to do, you could go for a paddle at the Birdsville Billabong, Climb the sand dunes at Munga-Thirri National Park. Catch the sunset from Big Red.