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Inside Track

Start		Birdsville Tk & Birdsville Inside Tk
Finish		Birdsville
Difficulty
Suitable For
Distance	145.45 km
Minimum Days	1
Average Speed	76.19 km/hr
Travel Time	1 hr 54 mins 32 secs

Route By: ExplorOz Team

Page Updated: 21 Oct 2021

Description

Birdsville Track was established during the 1880’s and was the main stock route between Marree in South Australia and Birdsville in Queensland. Back then, the route had taken approximately a month to complete and because of the long and harsh environment, many cattle didn’t survive the trip. The track these days is passable with many conventional vehicles and many people like to undertake the journey to discover the route the old stockman used to take.

There are two routes which heads into Birdsville from the south and that is the Outside and the Inside track. The Inside Track saves considerable distance than the more commonly used Outside Track, however the route traverses through some treacherous soils of Goyder Lagoon and must be undertaken by 4WD at all times. The biggest threat is from the floodwaters of Goyder Lagoon and Cooper Creek -- if northern monsoonal rain is excessive, flooding from Queensland's rivers will close the Inside Track and the Birdsville Track well into winter. Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often.

How to Use this Route

Open the route in the ExplorOz Traveller app to navigate with real-time positioning. Download the app from your device’s app store if you don’t already have it. See the ExplorOz Traveller webpage for more information.

TIP	ExplorOz Traveller now features the NEW EOTopo 2026 mapset!

RouteID: 77

Preparation

MUST READ: You are strongly encouraged to read the following articles prepared by the knowledge experts at ExplorOz for your safety and preparation before undertaking any published ExplorOz Route- Outback Safety, Outback Driving Tips, Outback Communications, and Vehicle Setup for the Outback.

TIP	Please refer to Road Reports published by the local shire and/or main roads for the area you intend to visit. Road/Track conditions can change significantly after weather events. Travellers must be responsible for their own research on current conditions and track suitability.

Fuel Usage

Diesel	ULP	LPG
4cyl 20 litres	4cyl 24 litres	4cyl 29 litres
6cyl 22 litres	6cyl 26 litres	6cyl 26 litres
8cyl 22 litres	8cyl 24 litres

Usage is averaged from recorded data (* specific to this route) and calculated based on route distance.

Best Time To Visit

Closest Climatic Station

Birdsville Airport

Distance from Route Mid Point 63.22km N

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Mean Max. °C	40.2	38.1	35.2	31.8	25.6	21.1	21.8	24.7	29.9	32.9	36.0	38.5
Mean Min. °C	26.4	24.7	21.7	17.1	11.2	7.3	7.0	8.7	13.6	17.0	21.2	23.8
Mean Rain mm	20.9	33.0	40.5	1.3	6.4	11.8	5.4	4.1	7.2	11.4	18.2	8.4

Best time to travel Ok time to travel Travel NOT recommended

Map

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Directions

Birdsville Tk & Birdsville Inside Tk to Warburton Ck, Birdsville Inside Tk

Driving: 25.61 km

Heading: 3°

Avg Speed: 81.11 km/hr

EST Time: 18:56

Warburton Ck, Birdsville Inside Tk to Birdsville Inside Track

Driving: 24.31 km

Heading: 25°

Avg Speed: 85.41 km/hr

EST Time: 17:04

Birdsville Inside Track to Birdsville Inside Tk & New Alton Downs Access

Driving: 20.9 km

Heading: 46°

Avg Speed: 83.14 km/hr

EST Time: 15:04

Birdsville Inside Tk & New Alton Downs Access to Birdsville Inside Tk & QAA Line

Driving: 73.16 km

Heading: 5°

Avg Speed: 81.16 km/hr

EST Time: 54:05

Birdsville Inside Tk & QAA Line to Birdsville

Driving: 1.47 km

Heading: 54°

Avg Speed: 50.15 km/hr

EST Time: 01:45

Distance is based on the travel mode shown (Driving, Straight, Cycling, Walking etc), Direction is straight line from start to end, Avg Speed & EST Time is calculated from GPS data.