[QLD] Road from Eromanga to Noccundra fully sealed?

Does anyone know if the Cooper Developmental Road from Quilpie via
Eromanga to Noccundra is fully sealed? If not, how many kilometers are
still unsealed?

Reason for our question: We will be renting a 2WD campervan and rental
companies do not allow their 2WD vehicles to be driven on unsealed
roads.

Early March, we want to drive from Charleville via Quilpie, Eromanga,
Noccundra and Thargomindah to Cunnamulla.

We have a map [1], which is printed in 2005, which still shows part of
the Eromanga to Noccundra road - specifically part of the road between
Bellalie HS and Kihee HS - as unsealed, but a lot can happen in two
years, hence our question.

We have looked at the road with Google Earth and Google Maps, and those
also show unsealed parts, but we don't know from which year the satellite
data (which Google uses) is. (Does anyone know how to determine that?)

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

[1] HEMA Regional Map Queensland's Outback.

Does anyone know if the Cooper Developmental Road from Quilpie via
Eromanga to Noccundra is fully sealed? If not, how many kilometers are
still unsealed?

I went to the Qld Main Roads site

www.mainroads.qld.gov.au

to their Trip Planning section and they provide their "Guide to Queensland
Roads" with this preamble:

The Guide to Queensland Roads shows types of surfaces, distances, travelling
times and rest areas on principal roads through Queensland. The Department
of Main Roads produces the publication and provides it free of charge. To
order a printed copy of the map or provide feedback call +61 7 3306 7254.

The map is he

http://tinyurl.com/yrdak2

You have to zoom it out a bit (it's a PDF file) to be able to read it, but
once you've done that, it's very clear. According to my reading of it, the
road you are asking about is shown entirely in various shades of red and not
in brown or grey, so according to the legend (bottom of the map) it is
entirely sealed, although at different standards in different parts. In
contrast, the more direct road from Quilpie to Thargomindah (the north-south
road) does show both sealed and unsealed sections.

However, a phone call to the number above might be worthwhile, if you want
further information or reassurance.

Kerry

Kerry Raymond wrote:
Does anyone know if the Cooper Developmental Road from Quilpie via
Eromanga to Noccundra is fully sealed? If not, how many kilometers are
still unsealed?

I went to the Qld Main Roads site

www.mainroads.qld.gov.au

to their Trip Planning section and they provide their "Guide to Queensland
Roads" with this preamble:

The Guide to Queensland Roads shows types of surfaces, distances, travelling
times and rest areas on principal roads through Queensland. The Department
of Main Roads produces the publication and provides it free of charge. To
order a printed copy of the map or provide feedback call +61 7 3306 7254.

The map is he

http://tinyurl.com/yrdak2

[Just in case the tinyurl ever expires:
http://www.mainroads.qld.gov.au/web/AttachStore.nsf/allobjects/Guide%20to%20Queensland%20Roads/$file/gqr_map1.pdf]

You have to zoom it out a bit (it's a PDF file) to be able to read it, but
once you've done that, it's very clear. According to my reading of it, the
road you are asking about is shown entirely in various shades of red and not
in brown or grey, so according to the legend (bottom of the map) it is
entirely sealed, although at different standards in different parts. In
contrast, the more direct road from Quilpie to Thargomindah (the north-south
road) does show both sealed and unsealed sections.

Thanks a lot, Kerry!

Sadly enough, as viewed on my new laptop, there are small brown parts
where I expect/fear the unsealed parts to be. Part of the brown parts
are 'open' brown lines, i.e. two narrow brown lines with white in
between, and other parts are solid brown lines.

According to the legend the open brown lines are "Gravel road", so that
is clear: unsealed.

But the solid brown lines are "Formed road". What is a "Formed road"? If
it is sealed, then why isn't it in one of the sealed categories, i.e.
red or purple?

BTW, early this year we drove (in a 4WD) the road from Hughenden to
Muttaburra. On this map that road also has open-brown and solid-brown
parts, but I wouldn't know what was what. To me the whole road looked
the same! :-)

However, a phone call to the number above might be worthwhile, if you want
further information or reassurance.

Yes, that's probably best. I forgot to mention that I already e-mailed
the Tourist Information in Quilpie and Thargomindah, but without a
response. So calling the above number is probably best (and cheap
nowadays).

Thanks again. Whatever the outcome, I'm sure 'your' map will come in
handy.

Sadly enough, as viewed on my new laptop, there are small brown parts
where I expect/fear the unsealed parts to be. Part of the brown parts
are 'open' brown lines, i.e. two narrow brown lines with white in
between, and other parts are solid brown lines.

I didn't believe it, so I took another look at 400% zoom, and yes there are
a couple of small brown spots that I had not seen. Sorry about that. I think
the phone call is the best idea. Main Roads build the roads, surely they
must know what is and isn't sealed.

Kerry

Kerry Raymond wrote:
[...]
I think the phone call is the best idea. Main Roads build the roads,
surely they must know what is and isn't sealed.

And they do! Good news! I contacted them via the "Contact us" form on
their website and already the next day I got a response: The road from
Eromanga to Nockatunga [1] is now fully sealed. The final link was only
sealed this year, so we are lucky!

So all is well.

Thanks again Kerry, for pointing me to the horse's mouth! And thanks
to PE (DD SW) of Main Roads!

[1] Nockatunga is the homestead on/near the turn-off to Noccundra, so my
question was really about the road from Eromanga to Nockatunga, instead
of to Noccundra (because the road from Nockatunga to Noccundra has been
sealed for a number of years).