Big Red

Submitted: Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 19:50
ThreadID: 12658 Views:2917 Replies:5 FollowUps:10
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The truth about Big Red.

Seventeen years had elapsed since screaming my Suzuki over Big Red. Last Sunday I drove out to this icon of the desert. These days a wide graded road from Birdsville takes you there where the majority of desert travellers cross over on their Simpson trek. This cross over point is know as Little Red and is 58 metres ASL.(At the information sign it is 39 metres ASL and so the drive up the sand hill is only 19 metres in perpendicular height). The southern blow at this crossing which I did not climb is approximately 68 metres ASL. The original Big Red crossing lies 3 kilometres to the north. On the flat at this point the height is 35 metres ASL. The crossover point is 65 metres ASL.( It was at this crossinjg where I drove the Suzuki over). The northern blow is 70 metres ASL and the Southern Blow is 75 metres ASL. This cross over point is no longer used and is vitually impossible to cross due to the nature of the sand at this point in time. There is a crossing a little further to the south which may be conquerable. Nevertheless I managed to walk up the dune with the aid of my stick and a few short rest stops in between to take the measurements and some pics. It brought back fond memeories of our desert adventure all those years ago.
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Reply By: Nudenut - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 20:26

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 20:26
psss Des is looking for you
AnswerID: 57530

Reply By: Muddy Girl - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:01

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:01
Hi Willem,

Sounds like you might be showing your age.........

Regards
Muddy Girl
AnswerID: 57542

Follow Up By: Willem - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:08

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:08
I'll be 61 next month....Is it important??????
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Follow Up By: Muddy Girl - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:11

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:11
God hope I am that good at 61

MG
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Follow Up By: Andrew & Jen (Melb) - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 22:44

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 22:44
Jeez Willem - you only look 50.... shows you what a life of leisure can do for you ............ aaahhh yes it is a joke!

Muddy girl - stop flirting with my mate or I will tell 'Fat Fingers'

Andrew
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FollowupID: 319323

Follow Up By: John - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 23:04

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 23:04
Yeah Muddy stop picking on me mate, I'm with Andrew, Willem doesn't look a day over 50. (Willem please don't get mad with me, I cry easy if you yell)

By the way she is that good and she ain't 61. (Now I'm in trouble, MG please read above bracketed comments and take careful note Please)

Andrew, Fat Fingers does know. I'm not "deslexiccle" type thing'y like that other bloke from SA, The one that drives the Yota.
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FollowupID: 319327

Follow Up By: Muddy Girl - Friday, May 07, 2004 at 15:13

Friday, May 07, 2004 at 15:13
John,

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age

MG
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Follow Up By: Willem - Friday, May 07, 2004 at 15:23

Friday, May 07, 2004 at 15:23
Yeah and a girl is as old as she feels but a bloke isn't old until he stops feeling.................
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Follow Up By: Muddy Girl - Friday, May 07, 2004 at 15:58

Friday, May 07, 2004 at 15:58
Willem,

How True........

MG
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Follow Up By: TheUndertaker - Saturday, May 08, 2004 at 12:28

Saturday, May 08, 2004 at 12:28
A man is only as old as the woman he feels..... and no woman ever gets older than 35......
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Reply By: Andrew - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:19

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 21:19
Willem

We were up there on the Anzac weekend.

Big Red was a challenge as I had to drop from 20 to 17psi to get over it in my GU. The auto disco did i easily with only 12psi (!) and the GU ute with camper on top made it right to the top and I towed him over.

While we there we heard a group (who were actually camped next to us in BV) struggling to get over the bypass track.

I havent uploaded my (film camera) pix yet but I have put the digi pix from one of our group up on my site:
Birdsville 2004

Andrew H
AnswerID: 57548

Follow Up By: TonyT - Friday, May 07, 2004 at 09:32

Friday, May 07, 2004 at 09:32
Great photos- when will the next instalment be up- cheers TonyT
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Follow Up By: Willem - Saturday, May 08, 2004 at 15:50

Saturday, May 08, 2004 at 15:50
Andrew,

Yes you went over where I have said it was night impossible. When I was there on Sunday 2nd there had been no fresh tracks over for a few days at least...lots of back downs though.... and there was a sandblow of about 2 metres at the apex of the track. On my crossing in 1987 we made the track to the right as there was none then. Others must have followed the tracks over the years and now it is a regular feature. This time around I did not need to put my old truck to any more stress than necessary and decided to walk up instead.

When up at the top of Big Red and looking east the second sandhill in the distance seems higher than BR. Maybe it is just an optical illusion. Anyway that track is on the station property and they do not want visitors on it.

Cheers
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FollowupID: 319500

Reply By: tessa_51 - Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 22:35

Thursday, May 06, 2004 at 22:35
Willem
the way you describe it is similar to what I found in 2001. Only difference was that we were able to negotiate the Eastern side of "Big" Red but the Western face was impassable. The top 15 ft or so was vertical! Even so there were plenty of wheel tracks leading right up to the wall - don't know if they couldn't see the top before they started or if they were really having a go.

We'll be back out there in about three weeks, can't wait!

Tessa
AnswerID: 57554

Reply By: Richard - Friday, May 07, 2004 at 21:41

Friday, May 07, 2004 at 21:41
Heard the story before that its now easier. I did the 90m asl peak west to east late April and it took me three goes. One to line up. Two to work out the power. Three to get over.
AnswerID: 57679

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