Strzelecki Track

Template:Short description Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template other Strzelecki Track is a mostly unsealed outback track in South Australia, linking Innamincka to Lyndhurst.

History

In 1870, the track was pioneered by stockman, drover and cattle thief Harry Readford. He stole 1,000 head of cattle from a remote cattle station in Queensland. He drove them down the track, and sold them at Blanchewater Station. He then fled to Adelaide. Pastoralists then used the track as a stock route in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

After gas was discovered by Santos in the 1960s, it started carrying more traffic as a route to Moomba. Some sections were sealed.

Description

The track links Innamincka to Lyndhurst through the Strzelecki Desert. It is mostly unsealed, but with a few short sealed sections to facilitate overtaking. It is passable to conventional vehicles during the dry season, although caution is required.

The track is prone to flooding after heavy rains. At other times the surface can be corrugated, with loose stones and dust.

The Strzelecki Track is linked with the Birdsville Track via the Walkers Crossing Track. It is closed in summer and only traversable in dry weather.

A shorter route is available via a public access road between Moomba and Innamincka, making the distance .

Heritage listings

A number of isolated heritage-listed sites are located nearby to the Strzelecki Track:

• Tinga Tingana Homestead Ruins
• Gray's Tree
• Well and Whim, Coochilara Waterhole, Merty Merty Station
• Old Mulga Bore, Merty Merty Station

See also

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in South Australia
• Stock route

Further reading

• Lewis, Craig and Savage, Cathy (2005) Australia's top 4WD getaways Prahran, Vic. Explore Australia Publishing. Template:ISBN
• Flinders Range Research – Historical information about South Australia and the Northern Territory

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