Big Red Run - Day 6 - Innamincka to Birdsville via Walkers Crossing

Being our first time in this part of the world, we wen't too sure what to expect when travelling in the remoter areas.  The usual route from Innamincka to Birdsville is north, via Cordillo Downs on the Strezlecki Track, but we had caught up with some seasoned travellers at Innamincka who urged us to follow them along the Walkers Crossing Track.

Walkers Crossing is named for Sydney James Walker, who was part of the Santos Field Service who constructed the crossing of the Cooper Creek.  He died on 7th November 1986, just as the crossing was completed, and a plaque on the site is erected to his memory.

It is a great alternative to the main road - but probably not suited to caravans.  We had no dramas towing our camper trailer.  It is sandy in sections - and I had to remember to turn the traction control off, and keep momentum up - but it was essentially pretty easy going.  We found it a neat 350km from Innamincka to Birdsville this way.

So we went - and we had a very pleasant run indeed.  The track ranges from service roads for the gas fields, to single lane track.  The hardest part is ensuring you stay on the public access route - but we found the Mud Maps application on the iPad was excellent.

Quick leg stretch - Walkers Crossing Track

Walkers Crossing - Cooper Creek

One that didn't make the distance - Walkers Crossing Track

We took a little video of the track too!

We wanted to collect some firewood before getting too close to Birdsville... and came just one swale too far before stopping for lunch.  We were confronted with our first real Gibber Plain... and not a bit of timber in site!  One can only imagine what Sturt felt when we first saw this country in 1845 on his search for the inland sea.

Lunch stop - but no firewood collection here!

It took us a bit over six hours to make the run into Birdsville, where we checked into the Caravan park, put on a load of washing, visited the tourist information centre and had a beer at the pub.  We had made it to Birdsville...  the desert beckoned, and our minds turned to the next day's activities...  Could it beat what we had done today?  You betcha it did!

We made it!