SA Desert Parks Pass

Hi Russan, we are doing similar Adel, BHill, Cam Cnr, Cordillo, Birdsville by Wed 3/9. So we may cross paths.
Mike

Mike - similar - will be up that way 2nd week in September

I'm also heading that way shortly. Just bought my Desert pass. I'll be going to Birdsville, but then through the Simpson.

Boobook you said "It is basically an annual National Park pass."

Which one were you talking about. Looks like we will go back again next years and it would be handy if the SA one was annual.

You need a Desert Parks Pass but I think you can get a day/s pass at Innaminka if you don't want to spend the $130.00 for the annual one

cheers

The day pass is only valid at Coongie Lakes. You must have a Desert Pass for the Simpson, the SA parts anyway.

Try $150.00 now for a parks pass, I'm about to purchase a third one to add to the pile.

It is becoming a joke seriously, it used to be $90 back in 2005 and was a really nice sticker. Now the price has gone up 70% and you get a piece of A4 black & white paper with texta.

cheers

Yes and for the $150, they give you a hand written photcopied A4 sheet now. At least you got a windscreen sticker that looked valuable in the past. I guess at only $150 a pop they have to save that 10 cent production cost on the stickers.

Well in that case I'd better keep this outdated curled up sticker on the windscreen for old times sake.

Thanks everyone for their advice and help on this. I agree that $150 is expensive for the pass, We will be in this area this year but may not return for several years.

To those of you who were heading to Birdsville we hope to be there on about 2nd Sept and staying for about a week. Look forward to catching up if possible.

Ooh, that will be close for the Birdsville Races on the 5th & 6th very busy in that area around then, I'd put a flag on to increase my visibility to other cars

cheers

$150 can be both expensive or cheap. For a time poor interstater who just wants a quick drive across the desert then you might consider it expensive. For a South Australian who might do a few desert trips a year, it is incredibly cheap for access and camping.
So what else costs that sort of money? Camping in a NSW national park might cost $40 a night (eg Ben Boyd national park a few years back). Camping in a Victorian National Park might cost $25 a night (eg Glenelg River). To drive down the Hay River costs at least $100 from memory now. The fuel to get to these places might cost $1000.

National Parks all over this country have had their budgets screwed badly over the past couple of years. The desert parks in SA heavily rely on Volunteers. Friends of Simpson Desert; Friends of Innamincka; Friends of Mound Springs, Friends of Flinders Ranges, Friends of GVD as well as 4wd clubs such as TLCCSA all do thousands of hours of volunteer work to maintain these parks for the benefit of travellers and that keeps the costs down.

I agree with your points except we have never been charged to camp in the high country alpine parks. That's not counting the usual stop at Dargo, which I believe is private. And worth it.

But please remember that to get to some places without breaking speed records and maybe even getting a chance to "smell the roaes", it can take up a to a week just to get to Dalhousie and even longer to Willuna and Billiluna. So with a four week limit on annual visits I think that we can do without that tag. Fair enough. Because of annual leave restrictions and having a grandchild with us we had a strict time limit recently only had 15 days to drive the whole CSR. No worries paying the two permits for the CSR. And that is no camping for the out and back trips to save time. It's even a four day drive to Cooktown.

And those who have longer and are maybe retired, can always apply for a free NSW national parks annual pass. We have one. It all helps. Our club is also active in those tasks.

We thought we would stay at Innaminka for a few nights and go out to the dig tree. Thanks for your help John

Camping at Innamincka Common costs money and the Dig Tree costs $11 so you might want to give them a miss.

Phil, don't see $11 as excessive for the facilities provided.