The unseasonal rain that has fallen across many parts of the Outback is continuing to disrupt many grey nomad adventures.
Queensland’s Birdsville Track remains closed due to the soggy conditions, with authorities reportedly due to assess the state of the road on Thursday.
However, there was good news for 100 or so travellers stranded at South Australia’s Mungerannie Hotel while on the way to this week’s Big Red Bash music festival.
The ABC reports that the group was allowed to use the track after being granted access to a northern section on Saturday morning.
“The police up at Birdsville sort of arranged and got a special permit for them to be able to vacate,” said the hotel’s publican, Andrew Norman. “So, they sort of created a bit of a caravan trail and they all headed out about 9am on Saturday morning.”
Big Red Bash attendees had a ball last year. PIC: Matt Williams / Big Red Bash
He told the ABC the 40 or so vans were forced to travel at a maximum of about 40 kilometres per hour along the track.
“It’s just a matter of knowing your way around,” he said. “It’s the mud holes and things you’ve got to get through, but they’re quite rocky at the bottom, so it’s just a matter of tracking through.”
The organisers of the Big Bash, which officially kicked off today, said they had been happy to see the rain clearing and looked forward to an ‘incredible three days of rockin’ the Simpson’.
“We know that Outback travel can be challenging at the best of times, and with unseasonal weather thrown into the mix this can create uncertainty and anxious travellers,” they said in a statement. “Your willingness to roll with the punches, and take this experience as it comes is truly inspiring and keeps our team motivated to provide you all with the very best experience (weather included!)”
And Birdsville Hotel owner Courtney Ellis said there was an upside.
“It’s great for the surrounding countryside, it greens everything up, but it’s going to take a little while for things to settle down,” he told the ABC. “That’s part of the experience and part of the fun and everyone’s making the best of it.”
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