Simpson loop

how are ya
if you plan on travelling the Hay river track there is a $200 per vehicle permit
cost , an about 4pages to fill in an allow a few weeks for it to happen
but its a great drive
cheers mechpete

A moderate flood is moving down both Eyre Ck and the Diamantina. The latter arrived in Birdsville on Saturday so it's early days yet before the winter travel season. But on the other hand the flows are very slow and will take months to recede.This means that the 2018 season for Simpson travel is going to be affected.
Both rivers merge before the Warburton Crossing so this is bound to go under. Check out the pix in Places. Similarly Eyre Ck 60 km west of Birdsville will be flooded within a month and will stay under IMO until at least July. There is a bypass but it adds 120 km to a trip. Again, check Places....... W

Chris : you haven't said when your going to do this trip ?
you maybe better going on the Oodnadatta rd to Mt dare leaving campers
traveling into the desert weather permitting & returning , if birdsville is flooded
then continuing on your travels .

When is this trip likely to occur, Chris? Just that both Georgina & Diamantina Rivers might impact on travel plans perhaps? In doing a loop, the QAA Line often has to be travelled twice.

I would have suggested, without your Alice trip, QAA to Poeppels Corner, either K1 or Knolls Track to Rig Road, then to Dalhousie and/or Mt Dare(for fuel) and return via French Line, or WAA Line.

If you are all adventurous, you could return via Madigan Track, but you'll need a permit for that. Don't forget you'll need a Desert Parks pass for SA sections of Simpson.

That's just for starters, Chris,

Bob

Leaving campers is the tough part, probable leaving them at somewhere like Farina or Maree is best, you can go up the Ood Tk and do a west - east crossing, then down BV Tk, limiting the need to cover too much ground retrieving campers.
(Or vice versa route.)

You could come up via Yunta and back roads via Gammon Ranges / Arkaroola etc, to come out at Lyndhurst (short trip down Strz Tk), then up to Farina / Maree, and return trip down to Parachilna and into the Flinders.

If you do a double crossing in SA or one way via Madigan Line, you can leave campers at BV Cara Pk most likely, and do a route up via Cameron Cnr / Strz Tk, and return down BV Tk and Flinders.

Thanks for all your replies. I’d love to go up there this year with some water about. But I am planning well ahead to spring 2019.

I will be poring over my maps plotting your suggested routes.

I like the idea of going via the Flinders on the way there or back.

Thanks

Chris

Current thinking:

Canberra - Flinders Ranges - Oodnadatta - Mt Dare.

Leave our campers and head northeast crossing via the Madigan Line to Birdsville.

Return to Mt Dare via QAA and French's Line.

Then on to Alice.

Any thoughts?

Cheers

Chris