General outline:
The Simpson Desert occupies approximately 176 500 square kilometres of
central Australia. It is located within, and near the common boundaries of the
Northern Territory,
South Australia and
Queensland states of
Australia. It is bounded to the west by the Finke River and Mabel Range, to the north by Adam Range, to the east by the Georgina and Diamantina Rivers, with Lake
Eyre to the south. Average annual rainfall is less than 200 mm.
The Simpson Desert has numerous natural springs, including
Dalhousie Springs, and at bores drilled along stock routes, or during gas and oil exploration.
The Simpson Desert contains the world's longest parallel sand dunes. These north-south oriented dunes are static, held in position by vegetation. They vary in height from 3 metres in the west to around 30 metres on the eastern side. The most famous dune, Nappanerica, or, more popularly,
Big Red (named by
Simpson Desert traveller Dennis Bartell), is 40 metres in height.
The explorer Charles Sturt,] who visited the region from 1844-1846, was the first European to see the desert, but it was not until 1936 that Ted Colson became the first white man to cross it in its entirety. The name
Simpson Desert was coined by Cecil Madigan, after Alfred Allen Simpson, an Australian philanthropist, geographer, and president of the Royal Geographical Society of
South Australia.
The Simpson in
Queensland:
At one million hectares,
Simpson Desert National Park is
Queensland's largest protected area. At
Poeppel Corner it meets
South Australia's
Simpson Desert Conservation Park and the
Northern Territory's
Simpson Desert Regional Reserve. The entire
Simpson Desert covers more than 17 million hectares of
Central Australia.
Across the Simpson, parallel dunes run south-east to north-west; spaced about 1km apart, dunes can extend for 200km. Bare windswept crests stand atop slopes secured by spinifex and cane grass. Flat plains between dunes can be wind-polished gibber pebbles or mineral encrusted clay pans, but many surprisingly support open shrub lands of acacias, hakeas and grevilleas.
Information guides on
the Simpson Desert National Park can be collected from the
Queensland Parks and wildlife service.
Access:
From
Birdsville, take the old
Birdsville track and turn west 1km south of the police station. The first 35km to the "Big Red" dune is a graded shire road. The remaining 130km to
Poeppel Corner traverses loose sand dunes and is suitable for four-wheel-drive vehicles only. The trip takes five to six hours so allow for an overnight stay. The track is impassable when wet. Even small amounts of rain can make outback roads impassable. Check with local authorities or the
Desert Parks Pass Bulletin on 1800 816 078 (free call) for current
road conditions before your trip.
The track from
Birdsville to the park boundary passes through private property. Once inside the park, you must keep to the QAA line. If you intend continuing beyond
Queensland and into the South Australian part of
the Simpson Desert, you will need to purchase a
Desert Parks Pass from the South Australian National parks and Wildlife service. Phone (08) 8648 5300 or free call 1800 816 078 . Web site: www.environment.sa.gov.au .
The park has ten sites signposted along the track between the eastern boundary and
Poeppel Corner. These signs provide "special stories" about the park. The park is home to a very large variety of birds, mammals and reptiles.
Do not travel through
the Simpson Desert in the hotter months, there are no walking tracks; never leave your vehicle. Temperatures from November-April can be extremely hot and regularly exceed 40 degrees Celsius. A permit is required for
camping in
Simpson Desert National Park.
Permits can be obtained by contacting QPWS
Longreach or QPWS
Birdsville and
camping fees apply. You must camp within 500m of the QAA Line. There are no designated camp grounds.
See TrekNotes on this site for further information on the QAA Line. http://www.exploroz.com/TrekNotes/
Closest Weather Station
Bedourie at 09:00 26 Nov EST
Distance from Simpson Desert National Park 135.02km E
| Temperature | Feels Like | Rel. Humidity | Dew Point | Pressure | Rainfall | Wind Direction | Wind Speed | Gusts |
|---|
| 24.4°C |
25.5°C |
61% |
16.6°C |
-hPa |
0.0mm |
NE |
6km/h
3knots |
-km/h
-knots |
Closest Climatic Station
Boulia Airport
Distance from Simpson Desert National Park 252.06km NE
| | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Mean Max. °C |
38.5 | 37.5 | 35.4 | 31.4 |
26.7 | 23.3 | 22.9 | 25.7 |
30.1 | 34.2 | 37.0 | 38.6 |
| Mean Min. °C |
24.4 | 23.9 | 21.7 | 17.0 |
12.3 | 8.8 | 7.4 | 9.3 |
13.4 | 17.8 | 21.2 | 23.3 |
| Mean Rain mm |
47.8 | 51.3 | 36.0 | 14.1 |
13.2 | 10.5 | 9.5 | 6.5 |
7.0 | 15.1 | 21.2 | 31.8 |
