Length:

1264 km

Termini:

Northern: Karumba Rd and Karumba Point Rd, Karumba

Southern: QLD-SA Border, Birdsville

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Birdsville, Bedourie, Boulia, Dajarra, Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Three Rivers, Four Ways, Stokes, Normanton, Howitt and Karumba

Current: 83

Multiplexed with: A2 A6 1 84

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

15A (Mt Isa to Cloncurry)

81A (Birdsville to Bedourie)

81B (SA Border to Birdsville)

84A (Howitt to Karumba)

89A (Cloncurry to Normanton)

89B (Normanton to Howitt)

93D (Bedourie to Boulia)

93E (Boulia to Dajarra)

93F (Dajarra to Mt Isa)

General Information:

National Route 83 is the important link between the South Australian outback, Queensland outback and the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The route is unsealed between the QLD-SA Border and Birdsville Developmental Road (SR14) and fully sealed along the remainder of the route.

A2, for 119 km, between Cloncurry and Mt Isa.

A6, for 119 km, between Cloncurry and Mt Isa.

National Route 1, for 2 km, Normanton.

State Route 84, for 1 km, at Four Ways.

February 2006: Work started to widen a 130 km stretch of Burke Developmental Rd from Burke & Wills Junction. ²

October 2007: Work commenced on widening north of Burke & Wills Junction. ²

2008: Completion of widening of 140 km of narrow sealed road between Cloncurry and north of the Burke and Wills Junction, to provide an 8m two-lane road. ³

August 2008: Work started on widening and paving an 11.8 km section of the Diamantina Developmental Road between Boulia and Bedourie. ⁴

2012: Completion of paving and sealing 9.7 km of Eyre Developmental Road between Bedourie and Birdsville. ⁵

SA Border to Karumba

Border Crossing:

Crossing from South Australia into Queensland, near Birdsville, October 2018.

Image © Richard Wardle

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Birdsville, approaching Birdsville Developmental Rd (SR14), October 2018. Note the missing SR14 shield.

Image © Richard Wardle

Distance Sign:

Tourism based distance sign entering Birdsville, October 2018.

Image © Richard Wardle

Donohue Highway:

Diamantina Developmental Rd (NR83) at the junction with Donohue Hwy at Boulia, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Donohue Highway:

AD style sign facing Donohue Hwy at Boulia, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Boulia, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing Urandangie North Rd at Dajarra, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the junction with Gulf Developmental Rd (NR1) at Normanton, August 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Karumba to SA Border

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Howitt, after the Burke Developmental Rd (SR27) and Karumba Dev Rd (NR83) intersection at Howitt, June 2018. Note the incorrect state route shield, several recent signs have been designed with the incorrect shield.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Normanton approaching Gulf Dev Rd (NR1), June 2018. Note the missing NR1 shield.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Normanton, June 2018. Note the incorrect state route shield.

Image © Dean Sherry

Touring Route Sign:

Sign for the Matilda Way touring route, showing which route to follow, June 2018. Note the incorrect state route shield.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Walkers Bend approaching Iffley Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the corner of Burke Dev Rd (NR83) and McAllister Mailrun, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Four Ways approaching Wills Developmental Rd (SR84), June 2018. Note the missing SR84 shield.

Image © Dean Sherry

Wills Developmental Road:

Corner of Burke Dev Rd (NR83) and Wills Dev Rd (SR84) at Four Ways, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Kilometre Plate:

Kilometre plate at Four Ways showing distance to Cloncurry, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Cloncurry approaching Barkly Hwy (A2 / A6), September 2015. The A2 and A6 multiplex begins at this junction.

Image © Richard Wardle

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Camooweal St, Mt Isa, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Dajarra, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Dajarra approaching Urandangie North Rd, September 2015.

Image © Richard Wardle