Boulia to Alice Springs

by Glen
(Adelaide)

Is it possible to safely make the trip from Boulia to Alice Springs in a 2WD sedan (new and about 50,000 km on the clock) travelling in August.
Any idea how long this trip might take given the need to slow down on certain road conditions? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,Glen.

Hi Glen,

I am afraid I am going to repeat myself, but as I said to other readers, it is hard to predict road conditions on unsealed roads, so I also can't recommend that you'll be safe in a 2WD sedan. I have my doubts.

It is a long drive from Boulia to the Stuart Hwy, and apart from the last 70 or 100 km, the road is unsealed.
The Donohue Hwy on the Qld site is usually very rough with corrugations and bull dust patches. There are a few creek crossings, and you never know in advance if there's water or severe washouts.
The Plenty Hwy on the Northern Territory site is often in better condition. It always depends on the weather, and when the roads were graded the last time.

When you check the road conditions on the RAQC website, you'll see that the Donohue Hwy is closed at the moment (March 2010), due to the heavy rain they had in south east Queensland recently.
Over the border on the Plenty Hwy, road reports say that high clearance 4 WD vehicles are recommended.
It is hard to say how long it takes until conditions improve.

It's approximately 740 km from Boulia to the Stuart Highway, so you might need 12 to 15 hours.

Before you go get the latest track conditions from the Boulia Shire Council Phone: (07) 4746 3188, or the RACQ Phone: 1300 130 595 for 24-hour road reports.
Here's more advice I gave another reader for this route

Rita

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