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Our Simpson Desert jaunt started in the west at Dalhousie Springs and headed east across a combination of the French Line, Rig Road, Colson Track, Erabena Track, WAA Line, Knolls Track, K1 Line, QAA Line and finally over Big Red to Birdsville.
24th August 1999:
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We travelled many kilometres to get from our camp at Algebuckinna Bridge just south of Oodnadatta to Dalhousie today because we went via Mt Dare to get fuel ...but finally we feel as if we are in the real desert. |
Our first thoughts on seeing Dalhousie Springs was absolute shock at how many vehicles seemed to be either starting or ending a desert crossing today. We had arrived right on dusk and although the atmosphere was magic it was spoiled by the 50 or so 4WDs crammed into a maze of sectioned-off camp sites. We were totally unprepared to find so many people that we didn't attempt any socialisation and kept to ourselves in the hope that no one would approach us. We needn't have worried - the attack of mossies kept most people in their tents or vehicles all night. I must say I have never encountered such ferocious bities and literally could not sit outside for even a minute.
25th August 1999:
Around 6am the first convoy of vehicles started to pack up and head out of camp and by 10am there were just 4 vehicles including ours left. With so many vehicles beginning the trek across the dunes we weren't particularly keen to be following behind so we waited out the whole day to put some distance between them and us. Thankfully, only 2 more vehicles arrived giving us hope that yesterday's mass attack of 4WDs was unusual.
26th August 1999:
This morning, after the mandatory dip in the hot springs, we agreed to begin our desert trek and thankfully we were the first of the camp to head out. There is often much talk of the first section of track from Dalhousie to Purni Bore (70km) being the worst of the whole trip east but today it was little worse than a few stretches of bulldust and we arrived in just under an hour. This section is called the Spring Creek Delta Track and follows the Spring Creek. The flat claypan is obviously prone to bogging quickly after the slightest rain and one section in particular is named "Gluepot Bog"!
Purni Bore is not at all as we had expected and for people that have been here before it is often the preferred choice to camping at Dalhousie Springs. You come upon the bore quite unexpectedly as you cross another small dune and you could be forgiven for thinking it was a mirage. The temperature of the water coming from the bore is 80 degrees, so it's not for swimming. There is however, a "cool pool" besides the "hot pool" that's just perfect.
The bright blue water set against the red dunes is worthy of photographing and better still is the amazing birdlife attracted to it. A recent addition by the "Friends of the Simpson Desert" is a wildlife hide - a hut by the dam with a window to view birds, dingoes, camels and anything else that choses to come to this only permanent waterhole in the desert. Obviously, the best time for wildlife viewing is near sunset or sunrise but it is still worth a look throughout the day. The facilities are good - showers, toilets, shady camps. We came across one of the campers we'd met at Dalhousie here and so continued on to find a more private spot to camp.
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29km past Purni Bore we came to the intersection of the French Line and the Rig Road off to the right. We took the Rig Road for 13km to see the Mokari Airstrip and followed the Rig Road east for another 36km to the intersection of the Colson Track to the left (north). Travelling along the Colson Track is faster because travel is between the dunes (interdunes or dune corridors). The Colson Track is a pleasant drive through yellow spinifex and is a pleasant change from the monotony of the red dunes. Once we met the French Line again and turned our wheels east the track provided dune after dune of gentle run ups, tight corners and fun runs down the other side. |
| We spent our first night's camp somewhere between two dunes on the French Line not far from the Colson Track intersection. During the night we heard feral donkeys and of course the dingoes were keen to sniff our camp fire. |
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Of all the wildlife the most common has to be the bush fly - annoying but thankfully gone after sundown. Eagles are the most common of the birds and tiny desert lizards skit across the sand just before being crushed by 3 tonne of 4WD.
27th August 1999:
The 53km of French Line from the Colson intersection to the Erabena intersection took an incredibly long time, for no other reason than the dune run ups are quite bumpy (thanks to people who don't let down their tyres enough). We turned right (south) at the Erabena intersection and took the 50km to the Lone Gum Tree, which is an interesting sight in the desert because no one knows how or why this huge gum tree is here as it's native territory is the claysoils of flood prone areas. The tree is actually on the Rig Road.
After visiting the tree we backtracked up the Erabena and turned right (east) onto the WAA Line. Of all the tracks we crossed on the Simpson the WAA was the most difficult at the time due to "blowouts", sections of track that have eroded by wind around an obstacle (like a rock or hard soil) resulting in gaping great holes right where one of your wheels should go! This photo shows a blowout in the shade of the spinifex. Not that they caused us any concern but we did take the diversion tracks around some of the particularly bad ones. For anyone travelling from the east to the west then this would cause greater concern as you wouldn't see them (only on the western approach). The height of the dunes on the WAA however are considerably less than those on the French Line.
After 6 hours of driving today we finally made it to the intersection of the WAA and Knolls Track. The entire Simpson Desert is fairly easily navigable by GPS/compass/sun direction or track markers. You'll notice however, that some idiots have "souvenired" many of the track markers making it a little more challenging to check your position. This particular intersection was a bit conflicting with our calculations and since the intersection was not marked we continued on, unsure that we were at the right one. Our Westprint map and SA Parks Pass booklet did not show any tracks continuing further east past the intersection but here was a track. After a few kilometres we turned back and it wasn't until quite a few more kilometres along the Knolls Track that we found the first marker confirming we were on the right road. So, please if you go to the desert DON'T TAKE THE MARKERS.
We'd just about had it for the day after almost 8 hours driving but we wanted to get to the Approdinna Attora Knolls - two gypsum outcrops that were once the highest peaks in the desert. The atmosphere in this area is quite different to other parts of the desert, with a salt lake (Lake Tambyn) and a significant gidgee forest providing the first option of shady camping.
28th August 1999:
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The drive out of the Knolls was bumpy and slow across the hard gypsum until we met up with the French Line once again. The final 40km of dunes to Poeppels Corner was probably the better part of the trip for us with nice red long dunes. There were plenty of opportunities to take photos of interesting vegetation, wind blown ripples across the sand and best of all we still hadn't come across another vehicle headed either direction. |
Before reaching Poeppels Corner the last dune comes out to a wide expanse of salt lake. There are two tracks across - not marked of course. Taking the more northerly of the two will take you directly to the corner post and significant position of the NT/SA/Qld border. Taking the other you might miss it altogether.
After Poeppels Corner the French Line continues for another couple of kilometres before reaching the intersection of the K1 Line. Turning left (north) here takes you along a very pretty section with dunes on one side and salt lake on the other. It's just 18km on the K1 before swinging east and starting the QAA where the dunes are softer, bigger and because more people travel this line the track is often bumpy and corrugated making the dune run ups slow. If we had only 2 days to experience any part of the Simpson Desert again I would choose the QAA line.
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This section of track also contained the most desert flowers - like this Cunningham Bird Flower. From what we can gather aborigines used to use this flower as a hallucinogenic to enable them to walk long distances without the urge for either food or water. (We didn't try it). |
We didn't get to look at the full length of the K1 line - so that's for next time. The QAA line takes you across a large section of claypan that when wet can cause difficulties. We came across when it was totally dry and so crossing Eyre Creek was of no concern.
From Eyre Creek it's just 23km to Big Red - and yes this was every bit as good as we expected! With so many people talking about it we thought it might be a big let down, but it certainly wasn't. When we got back to Birdsville everyone talks about what gear, what range, what speed and its very boring. So work it out yourself - and have fun!
Here are our photos of our assault of Big Red
Now, where's that pub!?
