Dozens of desperate Victorians are risking their lives driving a long desert dirt track in an almost 4,000km journey home from Queensland.
Holidaymakers found themselves trapped in the Sunshine State when Victorian Premier Dan Andrews closed the border to NSW.
Facing the prospect of driving all the way to the border only to be denied entry, they instead headed west then south to go the long way around.
The route takes them along the Birdsville Track, a lonely dirt trail cutting 517km through barely-populated desert where temperatures can top 50C.
A couple are pictured with their 4WD in Birdsville after travelling through the outback town to avoid New South Wales
Australia s Covid Highway: Dangerous outback road swamped by ill prepared drivers
12 Jan, 2021 07:49 PM
2 minutes to read
Covid Highway: A 4x4 safari takes on the unsealed roads outside Birdsville, central Queensland. Photo / Getty Images
Covid Highway: A 4x4 safari takes on the unsealed roads outside Birdsville, central Queensland. Photo / Getty Images
NZ Herald
Police in Queensland and South Australia have been issuing warnings over a particular stretch of desert road which desperate travellers are turning into an interstate express way.
The 500km Birdsville Track which bypasses the quarantine restrictions in New South Wales has seen an influx of drivers, many of which are unprepared for tough driving conditions and summer heat.
A tiny outback town 22 hours from Brisbane is reaping the benefits of Victoria s hard border closure with New South Wales as desperate holiday makers take the long way home. But locals and Queensland s peak motoring body have warned Victorians could be risking more than their vehicles if they re not properly prepared for the journey. Since Victoria closed its borders to NSW on January 1, hundreds of travellers enjoying the Queensland sun have opted for an alternate route home, which takes at least 30 hours longer. Instead of the direct 18 hour, 1776 kilometre trek down the Pacific Highway through hotspot Sydney, many have driven west instead, clocking up 4000 km through outback Queensland and South Australia before re-entering Victoria.
7th Jan 2021 7:10 AM A tiny outback town 22 hours from Brisbane is reaping the benefits of Victoria s hard border closure with New South Wales as desperate holiday makers take the long way home. But locals and Queensland s peak motoring body have warned Victorians could be risking more than their vehicles if they re not properly prepared for the journey. Since Victoria closed its borders to NSW on January 1, hundreds of travellers enjoying the Queensland sun have opted for an alternate route home, which takes at least 30 hours longer. Instead of the direct 18 hour, 1776 kilometre trek down the Pacific Highway through hotspot Sydney, many have driven west instead, clocking up 4000 km through outback Queensland and South Australia before re-entering Victoria.