Birdsville residents and tourists are stranded in the township as the weather bureau warns of rising levels along the Diamantina River.
The Diamantina River has reached 6.89 metres and is risingDozens of marathon runners who took part in the Simpson Desert Ultra on the weekend are stuck in the township just north of the South Australian border with Queensland, while others have been able to get out by boat.
Local police officers helped participants, who had to wade through floodwaters and road closures to get to the start of the race.An aerial photo of the flooding at Birdsville. "People thought they could get across the river in a boat; they now can't get out past Windorah because that's flooded," he said.
The State Emergency Service ferrying stranded people from Birdsville to the other side of the Diamantina after the flood.