These roads are gravel or earth formed, so conditions can change by the hour. My memory is that each side is generally similar.
Some, like in this short clip from 2019 during the drought, is black soil, so do NOT be out there if there is ANY rain.
At this time it was smooth, fast and very dusty. North side travelling north.
www.youtube.com/watch
Cheers,
Peter

-- Edited by Peter_n_Margaret on Wednesday 4th of June 2025 04:51:39 PM

I've just done significant parts of the DRR a couple of weeks ago. I was a bit constrained in that there had been a rain event a few weeks before and at the time I went through not all roads where open. They did subsequently open up, but there was another event a few days ago, and I gather there are currently road closures in place again. This is the problem with doing the DRR. My advice is to wait until the roads are open and the forecast is clear and then go for it, but local showers can be hard to predict. The shires close the roads at the first few spots and reopen them slowly.

The roads are reasonable outback dirt roads, which some sections of bitumen, esp in the north. Local advice at the time is the best way to pick which side to travel on, but in practice which stations you plan to stay at will determine which side you choose. You don't actually see all that much of the river just from driving, station stays are the best way to get a close look, other than the bridges at various towns. Heading south from Bourke, if you take the east side it will take you past Rose Isle Station, then at Louth switch to the west side to go past Dunlop and Trilby. From Tilpa to Wilcannia I don't think it matters all that much.. From Wilcannia to Menindee I'd take the west side as it takes you past an excellent station stay at Nelia Gaari. Plenty to see and good river camping options at Menindee and then it's a sealed road all the way south from there.