Birdsville to Poeppel Corner
Submitted: Friday, Jun 04, 2010 at 17:58
ThreadID:
79070
Views:
11922
Replies:
5
FollowUps:
4
This Thread has been Archived
skylion
Hi Forumites, we are planning a trip from
Brisbane to
Birdsville in August. Once in
Birdsville we plan a day trip to
Poeppel corner, assuming the road is open etc. I am looking for information regarding how much fuel other people have used. We have a 3.5lt Pajero SWB petrol so am expecting to burn around 35lt per 100km worst case on that section.... yipes. Approx 350km return sees 125 litres. Is this a fair assumption? Any advice welcomed.
J
Reply By: Gossy - Friday, Jun 04, 2010 at 18:51
Friday, Jun 04, 2010 at 18:51
yep overkill IMHO. You'll do mid to high 20's in the Pajero. I have done the crossing both wet and dry (desert closed but we were allowed out).
It's easier when it's wet/damp on the sand but not on the salt pans. Our last trip had a new Pajero petrol and this is what he averaged.
Enjoy.
AnswerID:
419570
Follow Up By: pmk03 - Friday, Jun 04, 2010 at 20:08
Friday, Jun 04, 2010 at 20:08
Hi, Have also crossed the Simpson ina 3.5 ltr Pajero & got around the same Mid to high 20's. & our fuel pump was on the way out at the time so I guess our consumption might have been up a bit.
PMK
FollowupID:
689753
Follow Up By: skylion - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 07:51
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 07:51
Appreciate the
feedback Gossy
FollowupID:
689791
Reply By: Member Brian (Gold Coast) - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 07:24
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 07:24
Not sure on the fuel figures for a Pajero, but I just wanted to ask why you want to do a day trip to
Poeppel Corner, do you intend to return to
Birdsville the same day?
It is possible to do, but it would be a big day, and you may not experience it as
well as you would like. I base my response on our trip out there in 2008, when we took 2 nights and 3 days to travel from
Birdsville to
Birdsville via the
Birdsville Track,
Warburton Track, the K1 Line, and the QAA Line. We left
Poeppel Corner at 12pm and arrived in
Birdsville at a little after 6pm, after only stopping for "nature" breaks along the way. Why not pack a tent/sleeping bags/food etc and make it an overnighter? And experience the area in all it's glory!
Just a thought.
Cheers
Brian
AnswerID:
419604
Follow Up By: skylion - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 07:53
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 07:53
Sounds like a worthwhile thought, thanks Brian. No point rushing it
FollowupID:
689792
Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 08:34
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 08:34
It is a long way Skylion - we like to go more for the drive than others things and our 4800 petrol patrol can really keep up but I wouldn't make it to Poeppels and back in a day( Sunrise to Sunset.)
Last time towing our trail bike trailer we got our highest ever consumption of 26lt/100km , but we had to keep up with the bikes.
FollowupID:
689797
Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 09:13
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 09:13
Skylion
Rather than what fuel you will require, you should have asked is it a days Trip??
If you have no Simpson experience, which sound like you have not, then knock this one on the head, as there is no way in hell a novice to the Simpson will get to the corner and back in one day. Are you interested in taking in the beauty that the Simpson has to offer or are you on a Dakar type mission, because that is what is sounds like.
I am not being cynical, but people look at a map and it is only a few inches from
Birdsville to Corner on the map, so they presume than it is a 5 minute trip.
Do yourself justice and make this one day trip into at least three, as you will be doing yourself a very big injustice.
And yes for the record, I have travelled the Simpson countless times and know what the desert can through at you.
Please think twice about suck an impossible trip for a first timer.
Cheers
Stephen
AnswerID:
419611
Reply By: brushmarx - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 09:21
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 09:21
We did it in a day trip, Feb 2 years ago.
Left
Birdsville at 7:00 am, and returned at 7:30 pm, and that included nearly an hour stuck on the top of Big Red.
Should have dropped a bit more air out of the tyres. Set them on 20 psi when we aired down before the dunes started, but the heat in the day increased that a bit too much. Learnt about more frequent tyre pressure testing from that.
Saw what we wanted to see, but would have liked to take longer, but time wasn't available, and we treated it as a recon for a later trip.
We were in a 3.5 litre auto Jackaroo, and it took one full 75 litre tank plus a 20 litre jerry can, but the refill at the end was 60 litres. In reality, the trip took 80 litres.
We travelled at 40 to 60 kph between dunes, and maybe a bit faster across the
salt lake. We stopped for two quarter hour stops and one half hour lunch and view at Poeppels Corner. Conditions were good with the top of the dunes soft and windblown from the easterlies all day on the return trip.
We only had two people in the car (but in weight that equals a normal family of 5) and a few days food and water, 2 jerries of petrol, and recovery gear.
If you have more time, try and take it, but if your time is restricted, and the conditions aren't too bad, it's
well worth a long day.
Cheers
AnswerID:
419612
Reply By: pmk03 - Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 09:35
Saturday, Jun 05, 2010 at 09:35
Skylion,
Maybe if you just travel from
Birdsville into the desert as far as Eyre Creek it would easiliy be acheivable in one day. This would allow you to take you time & have a look along the way & on the way back still have time to have a play on Big Red. We have done this on a couple of occasions. It gives a good idea of the desert & you don't have to rush it.
PMK
AnswerID:
419615