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With heavy rainfall through the Northern Territory, including Central Australia, roads are being cut in many areas. Be prepared for delays of a day or two if stranded by flooded roads. Many other minor roads are also closed. A number of other flooded roads have restrictions or cautions.

The Stuart Highway was closed between Mataranka and Elliot due to flooding 28th December 2015. Update 30th December 2015 OPEN with restrictions, high clearance four wheel drive only. See update above.

The Tablelands Highway is CLOSED due to flooding 28th December 2015.

Victoria Highway is CLOSED due to flooding between Flora turn off and the Northern Territory / Western Australia Border. Update 28th December 2015 Katherine to Timber Creek section OPENED this afternoon. An 8 tonne limit load restriction is in place and caution advised due to road damage and straying cattle. The Victoria Highway between the Stuart Highway and the Western Australian Border has RE-OPENED with restrictions 30th December 2015. See update above.

Access to the flooded and evacuated township of Daly Waters remains CLOSED.

Leliyn (Edith Falls) in the Nitmiluk National Park and the access road to Leliyn and the park have been closed due to heavy rainfall in the area. Update: Late in the day 27th December 2015 the access road to Leliyn has OPENED. The walk to the top falls is open on the north side with caution.

Updating Leliyn (Edith Falls) 30th December 2015: The Sweetwater track leading from the Leliyn Loop Track is OPEN. Hikers should note that the last creek crossing before Sweetwater is at or just below knee level. Sweetwater is OPEN for swimming. The Top Pools at Leliyn (Edith Falls) are still CLOSED FOR SWIMMING as currents are still very strong and water levels high.

See separate report for Kakadu and for Litchfield National Parks on the page.

TheRoper Highway is impassable at the Wilton River and Roper Bar crossings and the Nathan River Road is CLOSED between Ryans Bend Road Intersection and Roper Highway. 28th December 2015 the Roper Highway is also cut at Strangways Crossing 80 kilometres east of the Stuart Highway.

Other closures and impassable roads in the Northern Territory include the Barkly Stock Route, Keep River National Park main access road, Duncan Road at Negri River, Port Keats Road, Austral Downs Road, Kurundi Road between Canteen Creek and Murray Downs Roads, and the Ranken Road.

The Thermal Pools in Elsey National Park near Mataranka have been CLOSED due to flooding and the increased risk of saltwater crocodiles entering the area 23rd December 2015. All road access into both Bitter Springs and sites on John Hauser Drive including the 12 Mile and boat ramps has been cut 27th December 2015. Update: John Hauser Drive has RE-OPENED 29th December 2015. Mataranka Homestead Road RE-OPENED 1st January 2016. Other roads are still closed and NO SWIMMING due to crocodile risk. See update above.

In central Australia the Owen Springs drive is CLOSED, the Finke Gorge National Park is CLOSED due to flooding 23rd December 2015. See update above.

Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs has CLOSED 18th December 2015 and will remain closed for the duration of the wet season and is expected to open April/ May 2016. Butterfly Gorge Access road is closed due to flooding.

Buchanan Highway: Due to recent heavy rains a weight restriction of 4.5 tonne is in place from the Buntine Highway (Top Springs) to the Victoria Highway intersection. Motorists are urged to exercise caution at floodways and creek crossings 16th December 2015. Dashwood Crossing is currently impassable 16th December 2015. 27th December 2015 impassable at Illawarra Bridge. Closed between Stuart Highway Intersection and Buntine Highway Intersection 29th December 2015

Buntine Highway is impassable at Armstrong and Townsend Bridges. See update above.

Keep River National Park access road is CLOSED.

Updated 1st January 2016

As waters subside and roads are opened, drive with caution and be alert for road works, damage, and debris on the roads.

The following updates supercede those given below where relevant.

Arnhem Highway at Adelaide River Floodplains, high clearance only due to water on the road.

Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park is now OPEN with caution. High clearance four wheel drive needed at all times.

Owen Springs Reserve is OPEN with caution. High clearance four wheel drive needed at all times.

Carpentaria Highway CAUTION: Water approximately 0.3 to 0.4 metres deep around 119 to 121 kilometres from the Stuart Highway. Also water on the road east of the Tablelands Highway intersection (Cape Crawford).

Buntine Highway - OPEN with CAUTION, due to road damage in a number of locations.

Stuart Highway - CAUTION 20 kilometres north of Carpentaria Highway junction due to water over road. High clearance four wheel drive recommended.

Sandover Highway IMPASSABLE between Ammaroo and Queensland Border

Wollogorang Road (Savannah Way) IMPASSABLE between Borroloola and the Queensland Border. For beyond the border see Queensland.

Plenty Highway CLOSED between Jervois Station and Queensland Border.

Barkly Highway CAUTION between Soudan Rest Area West Entrance and Ranken River Bridge due to water over the road

Swimming in the thermal pools at Mataranka Homestead has RE-OPENED 2nd January 2016, and Bitter Springs has RE-OPENED 5th January 2016

Updated 5th January 2016

Western Australian Bushfires - see more on main news page

With a bushfire approaching the coastal town of Guilderton 1st January 2016, the Indian Ocean Drive is closed between Military Road to the north of Two Rocks Road, and Gingin Brook Road, near the Moore River. The has been closed to the public. Update: The bushfire is now contained, but the closures remain in place. Update: The Indian Indian Ocean Drive has been RE-OPENED opened evening 2nd January 2016, while the Wilbinga Conservation Park RE-OPENED 4th January 2016

There is a fire in the Two Peoples Bay area near Albany, which started 2nd January 2016 at Norman's Beach. This is now contained but not controlled. While the South Coastal Highway has remained open, local roads may have restrictions. Nanarup and Two People's Bay Road have RE-OPENED late in the day 4th January 2016 . Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve RE-OPENED late in the day 4th January 2016.

The eastern parts of Fitzgerald River National Park are closed due to a bushfire 2nd January 2016. Update: The fire has been brought under control, at the Park RE-OPENED 3rd January 2016.

Updated 4th January 2016

Road closures due to flooding in far north Queensland

Closures include these roads and many other minor roads.

As the flooding occurs further south, the following roads are closed or have cautions 5th January 2016. Many of these roads are OPEN with restrictions 12th January 2016. Those in red remain CLOSED

Jundah Quilpie Road, Jundah - CLOSED to all vehicles

Wills Street, Boulia, also known as Donohue Highway - CLOSED to all vehicles

Blackall Adavale Road, Blackall - Multiple locations flooded. Restricted to Four Wheel Drive vehicles only

Blackall Jericho Road, Blackall - Multiple locations flooded. Restricted to Four Wheel Drive vehicles only

Duchess Dajarra Road, Dajarra - Duchess to Dajarra Restricted To Four Wheel Drive Vehicles Only

Cloncurry Duchess Road, Cloncurry - Cloncurry to Duchess also known as the Cloncurry Dajarra Road CLOSED. Between Cloncurry and Dajarra restricted to four wheel drive vehicles only

Wills Developmental Road, Julia Creek - Julia Creek to Burke & Wills Junction flooded in several places closed to all vehicles

Cooper Developmental Road, Eromanga - CLOSED at Bellalie Creek to all vehicles

Hungerford Eulo Road, Hungerford - from Hungerford to Eulo CLOSED to all vehicles

Diamantina Development Road, Bedourie - CLOSED to all vehicles

Eyre Developmental Road, Birdsville -CLOSED to all vehicles

Birdsville Developmental Road, Birdsville - CLOSED to all vehicles

Diamantina Developmental Road, Quilpie - CLOSED to all vehicles at Winbin Creek

Adavale Black Road, Adavale - CLOSED to all vehicles

Adavale Road, Adavale -CLOSED to all vehicles

Adavale Blackall Road, Adavale - CLOSED to all vehicles

Quilpie Adavale Road, Quilpie - CLOSED to all vehicles

Quilpie Thargomindah Road, Quilpie - CLOSED to all vehicles at Comigin Creek

Whille most of these roads are now passable with CAUTION, restrictions and/or weight limits may apply.

Boulia Mount Isa Highway, Boulia - OPEN with CAUTION 1st January 2016.

Landsborough Highway, Winton - OPEN with CAUTION 1st January 2016. Landsborough Highway, Mckinlay - Cloncurry - Mckinlay between Winton and Kynuna status unclear. Update 30th December 2015: Hughenden to Winton is OPEN with caution but Winton to Boulia OPEN with caution from 6th January 2016. Some streets in Boulia are flooded.

Julia Creek Kynuna Road, Kynuna - Multiple Locations of flooding on the Julia Creek Kynuna Road OPEN with caution 29th December 2015

Flinders Highway, Cloncurry - OPEN with CAUTION 1st January 2015. From Cloncurry to Julia Creek Road OPEN with CAUTION 1st January 2015. Flinders Highway, Richmond OPEN with CAUTION 1st January 2016 - Richmond - Julia Creek OPEN 4th January 2016.

Updated 12th January 2016

Roads remaining CLOSED include: See updates above where relevant

Richmond Winton Road, Richmond - CLOSED to through traffic.

Winton to Kynuna CLOSED to through traffic.

Gregory Downs Camooweal Road, Camooweal - Gregory to Camooweal CLOSED to all vehicles do not drive in flood waters. Gregory to Burke Shire Boundary is closed Burke Shire Boundary to Thorntonia - Yelvertoft Road turnoff is CLOSED Thorntonia - Yelvertoft Road turnoff to Camooweal is CLOSED

Cloncurry Duchess Road, Cloncurry - Cloncurry - Duchess also known as the Cloncurry Dajarra Road between Cloncurry and Dajarra CLOSED to all vehicles

Flinders Highway, Richmond -Richmond - Julia Creek CLOSED to all vehicles. Water over road at Corella Creek, Boundary Creek. Road is also impacted by derailed train carrying hazardous substance.See updates above

Wills Developmental Road, Gregory - Gregory-Burketown CLOSED to through traffic. Due to replacement bridge works, Gregory to Burketown is closed to all through traffic at Beamsbrook Bridge (approx 30 kilometres south of Burketown).

Burke Developmental Road, Howitt - Walkers Creek to Mareeba Shire/Tablelands regional boundary CLOSED to all vehicles observe signage. Heavy rain in area and boggy conditions.

On the Savannah Way, Nicholson River Crossing CLOSED east side of Doomadgee due to flooding. Also Gregory Crossing CLOSED west of Nicholson, between Doomadgee and CLOSED.

Updated 12th January 2016

Daly River Road in the Northern Territory is now OPEN

12th January 2016

There is a total fire ban in southern Tasmania for Wednesday 13th January 2016

12th January 2016

New South Wales has a Severe Fire Danger in the Lower Central West Plains and Northern Riverina fire areas. Wednesday 13th January 2016

13th January 2016

Ruby Gap Nature Park in Central Australia in the Northern Territory is currently CLOSED due to flood damage to roads.

13th January 2016

The Great Ocean Road in Victoria is now OPEN to the public. A number of local roads close by remain closed. Fires in area are still burning.

6th January 2016