Simpson Desert crossing tips

Well what a fantastic trip planned.
There are no formal camping areas, you just pull up where and when you are ready.
The actual driving time is about 24hrs. Most people would take about 4days/3nights from BV to MD.
Purnie Bore is good for a hot shower and Dalhousie is good for a hot swim but as camping places go they are both lousy. If you don't mind crowds you might not mind Dalhousie.
Have fun.

Hi Darren,

I traveled the Rig road a few years back with my father.
1 piece of advise he gave me is, if you come across a good camping spot even if it is a little earlier than you planned to camp pull in and set up because you might travel for a long time after that and not find a better spot.

There are no designated camp sites along the Rig road, just find a good spot and setup camp.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

William
PS I wrote a blog of my trip that you can access via my profile

Hi GU
Did the Simpson a few years back, it's a great trip, you will love it, as said camp were and when you want.
We spent one night at Dalhousie, and would never stay there again, tooo crowded and the
mozzies near carried us away, would prefer Purni Bore if required a shower.
Enjoy the trip.
baz

Hi Darren,

Purni Bore has a free hot shower plus toilet and maybe worth stretching your legs for a look at the outfall "lake", but otherwise I would not camp there. OK for morning tea at the shelter shed.

Dalhousie is interesting to have a dip in the warm pond and has toilets plus showers but crowded formal campsites. I was put right off it the first time as a clod ran his engine at idle for about an hour...... we had diesel fumes on toast for breakfast!

Mt Dare is only an hour or so on from Dalhousie and is a good place to spend the night with convenient campsites and all facilities including fuel, food and a bar. That is now my preference for an overnight stay.
Otherwise, as others say, just stop next to the track wherever you feel like. If it's a clear night turn off your camp lights and as there will be no other lights nearby the stars will astonish you.

We generally cross direct in 3 full days Birdsville to Mt Dare when we are simply using it to get somewhere else, but 4 days may be more comfortable for you.

How many cars Gu , some better spots are smaller ?

No fires at Dalhousie, its a shadow of what it once was.
(Fires are now allowed at Mt Dare provided you bring your own wood.)

We prefer away from things hence don't like little fenced of areas around Purnie bore or Dalhousie.

Which way back? - from your post you could be going to Birdsville via rig or turn south to Warburton Crossing before inna.

Also depends on flavour of a group you might be with , do they get moving on time , are they hopeless and unorganized
e.g. you agree to go at 8am , one guy talks all the time , then as your about to take off he then decides to lower his tyre pressures and your off
late before you start !
(We have had all types).

Several times we have camped only 2 nights, in fact only time we have taken
3 nights is when on a dirt bike and never an issue to find smaller sites just off track.

Hi Darren...

A couple of things to throw into the mix…

Firstly, 5 vehicles doesn’t sound like a lot, but being organised takes some time and effort, and 5 vehicles, possibly 10+ people is a reasonably sized group. Take the time to think about how the trip will proceed, expectations on the group in terms of departure times, who does what, etc (I put a blog up around this recently).

Timing across the desert will vary, and to some extent could be as slow or as fast (within reason) that you want it to be. But here is something to consider, why not throw in one day that you don’t travel, just enjoy the time amongst the sand dune. Time is possibly a luxury if travelling throughout school holidays, but worth considering.

Also, is it essential you do a double-crossing?

Enjoy…

Hi GU,
Just got back from the Simpson via the Hay River Track in April. What a great Desert.
A few years ago we did Marree - Warburton Crossing - Rig Road - Mount Dare - French Line - Birdsville. That also was a top trip. We took 7 days to do the double crossing and that was comfortable. The double crossing was interesting as the landscape in the south was very different compared to the French Line. Maybe think about the WAA as this was less used than the French Line.

Also did Walkers Crossing in April which was Rippa.

Have Fun.

Always camp on the eastern side of a dune - that way you get the first of the morning sun - helps a lot when its subzero and you have ice on the swag!
Also when it's that cold, don't open the fridge, otherwise the contents will freeze :-)

Does anyone know how long it really takes to get from Innamincka to Thargomindah? Google Maps says 12 hours. Is this realistic?

Some great advice above.

There’s one important factor that hasn’t been mentioned – the good feeling within the group and it’s preservation. With 5 vehicles there may be a dozen or more people interacting and social pressures can develop. Potential for discord rises exponentially with convoy size! Other people’s whinging kids, the pyromaniac who thinks a campfire should be the size of a bonfire, the group that has to destroy the peace of morning by starting their diesel 20 minutes before take-off just to announce that they are ready first, those who can’t distinguish between desert sightseeing and rally driving,……….etc etc.
We spend a lot of time getting the vehicles ready, sorting out the spares and tools we’ll carry, the fuel and lubricants, communications gear, etc etc. That’s the easy bit! Sorting out the people and their much more complicated needs is too often ignored. It’s no good to leave home as firm friends but return home as strangers!
One very good way of avoiding the build-up of tensions is a group get together to discuss the day around the fire at night. Under the chairmanship of the group leader, or better still, one of the more mature kids, every person is called on to share their impressions of the day – what they found special, the best bits, the other bits, any annoyances – and with a firmly enforced rule – No Interjections! As well as drawing the group together and building a big shared picture of the day’s ups and downs this process allows minor irritations to be expressed before they build into major ones. Often those causing annoyance to others are quite unaware of the impact of their actions and are very willing to remedy.
Another social factor worth considering and too often overlooked – In any sizeable group there needs to be an agreed leader. That leader needn’t and shouldn’t dominate, and should encourage discussion when decisions have to be made, but there can arise situations when remote travelling where someone needs to be able to make a firm decision and implement it. Differences of opinion are fine and enriching, but after snatching someone out a few times before smoko it’s time for a frank discussion about tyre pressures and some firm decision making. Likewise in regard to travel speed, stopping times and even place in the convoy. (Placing more capable vehicles in front of less capable ones can save a lot of time in difficult terrain.)

Unrelated to the above, one comment I’d make about your proposed route is that rather than crossing the Simpson twice, I’d be inclined to take a less direct route on the initial crossing and cover parts of all the tracks in a single crossing. Rather than returning via the Simpson I’d prefer some of the alternatives suggested by others.

Cheers
John