Simpson Desert SA, NT, QLD

We have now uploaded details and a photo slide, and when we get a chance we will upload some of the video footage we filmed while on the Desert. (Note: turn up the volumn on your computer to listen to the slide show)
   

We loved our trip across the Simpson, all 1100 sand dunes!! It was very hot but it was incredible!

Day One: We left Mt Dare early in the morning on our first day across the Simpson Desert. Our first stop along a very rough rocky road as was at 3 O’Clock Creek where there was a water tank we were recommended to use for stocking up on our  water supply for crossing the desert. From there we went into Dalhousie Springs and enjoyed a dip in the natural thermal pool which is the largest thermal spring in Australia. The temperature in the water was between 34 and 38 degrees, so it was pretty similar to the air temperature. As a result it wasn’t exactly a refreshing swim as you don’t feel like a really warm bath on a hot day, but it was a beautiful place all the same. Interestingly there are some fish species that actually live in the water at Dalhousie which are found nowhere else in the world.

We left Dalhousie heading along the French Line and the road soon changed from rocky and corrugated to sand and before we knew it we had started to head over small sand dunes. Interestingly the countryside looked amazing. There was thick grassy vegetation everywhere, so it wasn’t quite the desert look we thought we would be seeing but we knew that we were also seeing the desert in a state that is not seen very often.

We should mention that it isn’t actually a road but rather a sandy track and when the desert does not have much vegetation you often need a compass or GPS to help you find the track as it simply disappears.  

Our next stop was at a place called Purni Bore, this bore was put in by a French Exploration Company who were looking for Oil, but hit water instead.  There was a picnic table and a shade shelter here so it was a perfect place to stop for lunch. We all enjoyed a cold shower there was well, which was water from a water tank filled by the bore and left to cool off. Although artesian water smells bad it was nice to have a quick wash and cool off as this was the last we would have for a few days!

As the temperature was in the mid to high 30s and there is no shade across the desert we agreed that we would continue to drive until very late in the afternoon before finding a campsite for the night.

Day Two: Once again we were up early so that we could pack up and be on the road before the day got too hot, we knew that this day was forecast to be a scorcher and it didn’t disappoint!! As the day went on our travel companions said the temperature in the cab of their car was reading 42 degrees, and they were trying to run the air con, obviously without much success!!. We didn’t bother with the air con as it was proved they wouldn’t work properly because we were driving so slowly and all it would achieve is burning up fuel.

We were driving very slowly because there was sand dune after sand dune, which had been getting progressively bigger since we started. We actually never went above 2^nd gear across the desert and travelled between 15 – 20 km/hr. So it was slow. The sand dunes were great fun and the red sand looked spectacular. We saw hundreds of sand goannas and small speedy lizards which would run across our path. We also came across a large herd of camels, which had a lot of babies with them and a couple of dingos.

During day two we drove through a large section of the desert which had been burnt out. In fact we did not think we were going to be able to do this trip across the Simpson for a long time because at first it was shut due to flood waters and then it was shut due to the large bush fire which had roared through it. The desert track only reopened a couple of weeks before we got there. The good thing about seeing the burnt out section was that it gave us the opportunity to see what the desert normally looks like, very bare both in vegetation and animal life through that section.

We only had two short stops during the second days driving as it was much cooler to be in the car moving than standing out in the sun, and we didn’t stop until just after 6pm that night.

Not long before finishing the second day we arrived at Poeppel Corner which is where SA, NT and QLD meet. This was the end of the French line, we then travelled for a short stretch of road through NT before we began the Queensland line.

Day Three: This day proved to be a lot cooler with the temperature having dropped to about 35 degrees and was far more comfortable to drive in. We had a lot of fun on this day, everyone had a turn of driving over the sand dunes, including Cody and Aidan! Cody proved to be a bit of a wild driver at first by trying to drive us through the bushes on the other side of the sand dune rather than down the track. In his defence the track does often quickly change direction once you go over the crest of the sand dune and you can’t see over the bonnet at first to see which way the track goes, but he did take his hands off the wheel when he couldn’t see the track, hoping that Dad was holding the wheel and would steer it in the correct direction! Luckily he improved dramatically on his second attempt!

We were all excited on Day 3 as we knew we would be reaching Big Red. This is the biggest sand dune right near the end of the desert not far from Birdsville. Big Red is 40m high and it did not disappoint. We had to let our tyre pressure down quite a bit more and use low range in order to get up Big Red, and we were greeted with more than we expected when we got to the top!. We had heard that we may have to take a diversion track from Big Red as their might be some water on the other side, but we weren’t expecting much as we were told the same thing about Eyre Creek, but we drove straight through Eyre Creek as the water had nearly dried up. So it came as a big shock when we reached the top of Big Red to see a massive expanse of water on the other side! It was a stunning view from up the top but it didn’t take us long to head down to the water’s edge and enjoy a refreshing swim! What a way to finish the desert!

From Big Red there were a few more smaller sand dunes before we arrived in Birdsville having completed a great 3 days across the Simpson. We all agreed we rated the Simpson Desert as one of the hi-lights of our trip.