We meet at our campsite in Birdsville around lunchtime. In
the afternoon we'll have our main Tour Briefing where we cover the formalities
and all-important safety information so that we’re set for the days ahead.
We'll head out to Big Red for a lesson in sand driving. We relax at the summit
of the tallest dune in the Simpson and take in our first desert sunset!
Then it’s back to the Birdsville Hotel for our welcome dinner as we get to know
our fellow travellers.
With Birdsville behind us, we head back to Nappanerica (Big
Red) and start our journey west. Only 1140 dunes to cross!
Following the QAA line today, we soon arrive at Eyre Creek.
Depending on earlier rains, there may be some water and a show of wildflowers.
As we get into our rhythm, we cross into our first national park - Munga Thirri.
We camp off the side of the track for our first
night in the desert.
We make a turn to the south today as we track along the
NT/QLD border. When we meet the SA border, we have arrived at Poeppel Corner.
We’ll learn about some of the history of exploration in the area and get a
chance to take photos at the marker post.
As we head along the French Line, we notice a unique feature
of this part of the desert are the dry lakes. The first is Lake Poeppel and as
we cross it, we get an idea of the conditions we’ll face for the rest of the
day.
We check out the unusual Approdinna Attora
Knolls before finding our campsite for the night.
Staying in the swales for a while, we head to an abandoned
oil well. Having a look around, we’ll find out more about the history of
petroleum companies in the desert.
Next up we go in search of the Lone Gum Tree. It has no
obvious reason to be here, we’ll see if we can work out why that is!
We continue on the Rig Road, zig-zag across the desert, and
find ourselves on the WAA line. Parallel to the French Line but with a lot less
traffic, we drive on until it’s time to set-up camp.
Continuing our journey west, we’re really in the groove now!
The scenery is spectacular, our driving skills improved, and the camaraderie is
high!
Back on the French Line, it’s a straight run to Purni Bore.
A leftover from the oil explorations, it has been left to flow and has created
a waterhole oasis in the middle of the desert.
We’ll camp nearby and be happy to make use of the hot shower!
As we get towards the edge of sand dune country, we arrive
at the remote Alka Seltza airstrip and wonder why it’s there, and where it got
its unusual name from.
The landscape really starts to change now and we make our
way along and across a dry lake before arriving at Dalhousie Springs where we
will camp for the night.
We’ll spend the afternoon exploring the nearby ruins and driving
to a lookout. When back at camp you can take a swim in the thermal springs and
wash off the desert sand. At a constant 38 degrees, you might like to take an
evening dip too!
Today we make our way through Witjira National Park,
stopping to check out a creek, see some unusual trees, and enjoy some bird
spotting at a waterhole. We’ll also see a couple of ruins from the original pastoral
properties.
Arriving at the Mt Dare Hotel, we set-up camp. Fuel, showers,
food, and a bar, what more could you ask for after a successful desert crossing?
Fully replenished, we drive north towards Finke, in search
of more adventure.
We stop at the Lambert Centre, the geographic centre of
mainland Australia.
Moving on, we travel to Chambers Pillar, a towering column
standing 50m above the Simpson Desert plain. We have the option to walk around
the base of the pillar and enjoy the views.
We camp at the base of the pillar for the night, and watch
the changing colours as the sun sets.
It’s a short drive into Alice Springs this morning and you
have the rest of the day to yourselves.
Theres’s plenty to see and do, and you
may need to pick up some supplies whilst you have the chance!
Departing Alice, today’s drive is through the spectacular East
MacDonnell Ranges.
We stop in at Yeperenye to see some colourful rock art, Trephina Gorge for a
swim, and Arltunga for a look around the ruins of Central Australia’s first
town.
We drive along the dry riverbed into Ruby Gap
and set-up camp somewhere on the banks.
Driving north we wind our way through the East Macs on a
section of the Binns Track before reaching the Plenty Highway.
Along the highway (actually a dirt road), we check out the “Outback
Gallery”, a series of billboard sized artworks with scenic views as a backdrop.
Jervois Station is our destination tonight and
we top up the fuel tanks ready for the desert tomorrow.
Driving into Batton Hill Camp we turn on to the start of the
Hay River Track and are back in the desert once more.
The journey south, in contrast to our East/West crossing, is
mainly in the swales between dunes. This makes for an entirely different
experience and a different driving style.
We stop for a celebration as we cross the Tropic of
Capricorn, before heading for Dingo Well. Camp tonight will be somewhere near to the unusual Lake
Caroline.
Continuing south, the Hay River and Madigan Line share the
track for a short section between Madigan’s camps 15 and 16.
We take a look at
the camps, one of which has a blaze tree, and we can sign the visitors book.
Leaving the convergence behind, we keep on
travelling until we find a suitable spot to pull up for the night
For our last full day in the desert, we take it easy as we
look for two abandoned oil wells, and join back up with the QAA line before
crossing the border back into Queensland.
Crossing the dunes West to East this time, each should have
a gentler slope in this direction due to the prevailing westerly winds.
We’ll camp up for the final night and regale each other with tales of our
adventures.
With a final push along the QAA line, we find ourselves back
at Big Red. We’ll test our improved sand driving skills and see if we find it
any easier to get to the top after two weeks in the desert!
We find ourselves back on the bitumen as we drive
into Birdsville in the afternoon.
We say our final goodbyes and say farewell to
new friends.
Please contact us if you have any questions and we'll be able to help!