Birdsville Track closed 400 days in two years as outback businesses count the cost

Largely unsealed road between Queensland and South Australia has stayed shut longer than ever before, cutting cattle movements and tourism trade

By LineZotpaper

Published12 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources2 outlets

One of Australia's most iconic outback roads, the Birdsville Track, has been closed for 400 days out of the past two years because of rain damage, and remote businesses along its length say trade has collapsed.

One of Australia's most iconic outback roads has been closed for 400 days out of the past two years because of rain damage, and businesses along its length say they are feeling the pinch.

The Birdsville Track stretches more than 500 kilometres, connecting Birdsville in south-west Queensland with Marree in far-north South Australia. It provides access to pastoral properties moving cattle, allows stock to flow to the South Australian market and has become increasingly popular with outback tourists.

The track is largely unsealed, meaning flooding and heavy rain have periodically closed it over the years, but never for this long. Images supplied by the Department for Infrastructure and Transport show significant damage to the road from rain events, including sections washed away.

Marree Roadhouse owner Lyall Oldfield said his business was "probably one third of what it normally is".

"My family [has] been here since 1934 and it's never ever happened that the Birdsville Track has been closed any longer than a month," he said. "It's just dreadful what's happening with the roads. It's not even a joke."

About 230 kilometres north of Marree, the Mungerannie Hotel has not opened at all this year, three years after new owners took over in 2023. Road closures have stopped the daily water deliveries the business relies on.

Co-owner Andrew Norman said 2025 was already bleak, with "no sort of season whatsoever".

"Last year we thought it was devastating, but we didn't know this year was coming," he said.

Mr Norman said the closure of the stretch north of Mungeranie was the biggest problem because it deters tourists from making the trip.

"Nobody's really coming up to Mungeranie to turn around and go back," he said.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The track is a working route for moving cattle to the South Australian market, so the closure disrupts pastoral properties and stock flows, not just travel.
Roadhouses and hotels along the route depend almost entirely on through traffic; with the road cut, their customers disappear.
The closure has already lasted longer than anything the local community has seen in the family's near century at Marree, raising questions about how long businesses can survive.

Background

The Birdsville Track is a largely unsealed outback route running more than 500 kilometres between Birdsville in south-west Queensland and Marree in far-north South Australia. It has long doubled as a stock route and has become increasingly popular with outback travellers, but its unsealed surface makes it vulnerable to flooding. While rain has periodically closed the road in the past, the current stretch of closures is without precedent in the memory of long-time operators.

Key Perspectives

Lyall Oldfield, Marree Roadhouse: Trade is down to about a third of normal, and his family, at Marree since 1934, has never seen the track closed for more than a month. Andrew Norman, Mungerannie Hotel: The hotel has not opened at all this year because daily water deliveries cannot get through, and the closed stretch north of Mungeranie stops tourists from even attempting the drive. Pastoral and tourism industries: The closure blocks cattle movement to the South Australian market and removes a growing draw for outback tourists, cutting income across the region. Critics/Skeptics: The source material contains no critical voices, but the obvious risk is that the closure extends further, that businesses cannot ride out another lost season, and that the track will need substantial repair work before it can safely reopen.

What to Watch

Whether the track reopens when conditions dry out, and how long repair work takes.
Whether the Mungerannie Hotel can resume daily water deliveries and trading once access is restored.
Whether cattle movements to the South Australian market recover ahead of the next season.

Sources

Ongoing Birdsville Track closure hits outback businesses — Latest business news
Ongoing Birdsville Track closure hits outback businesses — Just In