Birdsville Strzelecki Legendary tracks of the Marree-Innamincka District Created by the local Marree-Innamincka NRM Group . a R ‘Durrie’ QUEENSLAND tin an Big Red Diam Poeppel Corner Birdsville K1 ‘Pandie Pandie’ Haddon Cadelga Corner Outstation (Ruin) Strzelecki Simpson ‘Alton 422 K Downs’ AC Desert LINE TR E Goyder Desert Cordillo Downs ID S Lagoon (Historic Woolshed) N I Simpson Desert ‘Arrabury’ W CORDILLO RD Regional Reserve ‘Clifton alke r s Hills’ C r o s s i n g k Warburton P C Crossing A Coongie Lakes R n PAR Innamincka 0 N 100 o National Park rt 308 Regional bu Sturt km Reserve QUEENSLAND ar W Walkers Stony Burke And Wills ‘Cowarie’ Crossing K Dig Tree ‘Gidgealpa’ ‘Innamincka’ Nappa Merrie C A C Bridge R k T Desert Innamincka Strzelecki ‘Mungerannie’ Desert Tirari Mungerannie Kati Thanda- Moomba Hotel r Desert e (No public Lake Eyre p o access or o North C services) Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre ‘Mulka’ Lake K ‘Epsilon’ Mulka H.S. (Ruin) C k Lake A C National Park Hope R i Killalpaninna T k lec Bethesda e z Mission Ruins M.V. Tom tr Elliot S Brennan Mem. ‘Merty Merty’ Price 205 Strzelecki ‘Etadunna’ Con. Regional Park E L L Reserve I Lake ‘Bollards Cameron V ‘Dulkaninna’ S Gregory Strzelecki Lagoon’ Corner D I R K Crossing C BI E L E Sturt Nat. Kati Thanda- ‘Muloorina’ ‘Clayton’ Strzelecki ‘Lindon’ Z River Lake R Park Lake Eyre T Desert F S r Clayton o Blanche THE South m e Montecollina COBBLER O Blanchewater O Lake Harry Bore D N Homestead ADA H.S. (Ruin) Station (Ruin) TTA 469 TRAC ‘Murnpeowie’ Major road – sealed K Marree ‘Mount Lake Major road – unsealed ‘Mundowdna’ Dog WALES Hopeless’ ‘Finniss Fence Callabonna Birdsville Track Springs’ R i v e ‘Mt Freeling’ Strzelecki Track r ‘Moolawatana’ Main Town Farina Ruins ‘Farina’ s Arkaroola Distance MarkerSOUTH e g Wilderness n Camp Grounds Ochre Pits a R Sanctuary Lyndhurst s ‘Old Quinyambie’Toilets r Arkaroola Lake e d Vulkathunha - n Torrens i Copley l Gammon Ranges F National Park NEW Lake Leigh Creek Frome NATIONAL PARKS: Areas considered to be of national significance due to wildlife, natural features of the land, or Aboriginal or European heritage. BIRDSVILLE CONSERVATION PARKS: Areas protected for the purpose of conserving wildlife or the natural or INNAMINCKA historic features of the land. MARREE REGIONAL RESERVES: Conservation areas which allow for multiple use including pastoralism, mining, and tourism. Page 1 Page Birdsville Strzelecki Legendary tracks of the Marree-Innamincka District Travellers Welcome to Country. We acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we are travelling on today. We acknowledge the deep feelings of attachment and relationship of Aboriginal peoples to country. We also pay respect to the cultural authority of other Aboriginal groups whose country we may travel on during our journey in this region. The Birdsville Track, Pumping and discharge from bores over the last The Strzelecki Track 100 years has also added a significant level of discharge. Recharge occurs around the margins The Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks became of the basin with most of the current recharge legendary stock routes in the latter half of the occurring on the eastern margin. The western 19th century and early 20th century as pastoralism margin currently receives very little local recharge established itself in the arid centre of Australia. and only partial recharge from the east. However, Long before that, however, they were part of the basin is vast and it is this reserve of water ancient Aboriginal trails for trade, custom and that maintains the springs through these dry their existence. In a land where all human activity periods. depends on the presence of water, both routes have been defined by a succession of watering places. The springs have been discharging GAB water for at least one million years during which the The region resonates with images of the colourful climate has changed dramatically around them. and legendary tales of explorers, adventurers and The Lake Eyre Basin They occur in the driest parts of Australia and pastoralists who pioneered this country. Lying over the GAB is yet another basin… the provide oases for unique aquatic life forms. The Lake Eyre Basin, which covers approximately one ecological communities dependent on natural The Great Artesian Basin sixth of Australia. To the south is a long stretch of GAB discharge are listed as ‘endangered’ under dry salt lakes dominated by Lake Eyre lying 15 Beneath the inhospitable surface lies an ancient the Australian Environment Protection and metres below sea level. water source that sustains wildlife, a significant Biodiversity Conservations (EPBC) Act 1999. pastoral industry, a strong mining industry, These communities include the amazing diversity This basin also contains one of the world’s last Australia’s largest inland oil and gas field, towns of unique and relict flora and fauna that are found unregulated great river systems where there is like Birdsville and Marree, and a thriving tourism in the springs of the Oodnadatta track. no significant intervention by dams, weirs or other industry. man-made structures. Rivers are filled with water The Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is one of from peak monsoonal rains in Queensland and the largest groundwater basins in the world, drain towards Lake Eyre. The passage of water underlying 22% of the Australian continent. into Lake Eyre takes many months, rarely filling Groundwater naturally discharges from the basin it completely; although on average some water via diffuse upward leakage and spring discharge. reaches it every eight years. GAB SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE (GABSI) Most open bores similar to this one have now been replaced by pipes. The first artesian flowing bore was drilled into the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) in 1878, and at one stage there were some 4700 of these bores, many flowing openly into drains. Flows peaked at more than 3000 megalitres per day in 1915. In 1999 Australian and State Governments began a 15-year program known as the GAB Sustainability Initiative (GABSI) to cap free-flowing bores and replace open drains with pipes. As this program heads towards completion, it has achieved by mid-2013, the capping of over 1,143 wells, the removal of more than 24,843km of bore drains that have been replaced by around 27,000km of piping. This has resulted in an annual water saving of 191,862 megalitres. Apart from conserving water the program has delivered many benefits to the environment, pastoralists and the broader community. 1 Page 2 Page The BIRDSVILLE TRACK 6 Grave at Lake Killalpaninna Pastor Vogelsang’s grave is one of the few remaining reminders of the Lutheran Bethesda Mission, its 21 buildings and handsome mud brick Church that once occupied this site. Although Vogelsang tried to give the Mission a commercial backing to Mirra Mitta Bore help it survive by running sheep and cattle, Marree Hotel drought and wild dogs continually took their toll, 10 Mirra Mitta Bore was sunk in 1901 and by 1920 the Mission was effectively closed. and is 1,076m deep. As you can see, the water 1 Marree is a town where three cultures have The Dieri Aboriginal people dispersed. Some went is HOT! You might see the endangered grown together bound by transport and travel. It to Marree, some to Hermannsburg and others Grey Falcon here. has the most multi-cultural heritage of all outback went to the mission at Finniss Springs established towns hosting Aboriginal, Muslim Cameleer and by Francis Dunbar Warren to provide a refuge for 11 Mount Gason Bore Look here for European communities during the latter part of his family and other displaced Aboriginal people. Mt Gason Wattle, Australia’s rarest acacia. the nineteenth century and much of the twentieth. Teamsters, cameleers, stockmen, hawkers, railway workers and explorers passed through here to travel the Overland Telegraph line, the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks and the Ghan railway. 2 Lake Harry Homestead ruins are the lingering reminders of the failed, labour-intensive experimental plantation of 2,000 irrigated date Mt Gason Wattle palms planted in the late 19th century. 12 3 Warburton Crossing Public Access The Dog Fence crosses the track here. Grave at Bethesda Mission Route (PAR) 4WD This PAR leads to the It was built to protect sheep Simpson Desert and is closed in summer in line from wild dog attacks, 7 Dalgety & Co Ltd provided this punt to ferry with the summer closure of the Simpson Desert. extends for more than supplies and mail across the Cooper Creek when it 5,600km from Jimbour in 13 The Inside Track Monsoonal rains in flooded in 1949. Now when the waters from Queensland to the Great Queensland can bring floodwaters down the Queensland’s Channel Country reach the Cooper Australian Bight and is the Diamantina River and across Goyder Lagoon, Dingo Creek and cut the Birdsville Track, a detour leads longest man-made structure closing this track for weeks at a time. Here you can you to a ferry that operates during daylight hours. in the world. In spite of the fence wild dog control see the shy elusive Grey Grass Wren hiding or is still needed and occurs in many parts of South flying low, or running along the ground between Australia south of the fence to protect livestock. dense Lignum clumps or among Old Man saltbush. Listen carefully, you may hear their soft calls – a 4 Clayton spa and wetlands Here you high pitched cricket or insect sounding ‘tsit-tsit’. can enjoy a walk, a dip in the warm spa or bush camp in the designated area. Tom Brennan’s Ferry Clayton Spa 8 Naterannie Sandhills The Tirari and Strzelecki Deserts meet in this 10km stretch Grey Grass Wren Graeme Chapman 5 Dulkaninna Wetlands Artificial artesian of long and narrow sand dunes.