Big Red - Birdsville 2021

Submitted: Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 14:50

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Mike & Kendra Cruisn1

Hi all – The next instalment in our sojourn around Australia: The Big Red Sand Dune (home of the Big Red Bash) - a must do when visiting the red centre; Birdsville. For those travelling the Simpson it's the either the first or last sand dune of the 500 you will transverse. To those just visiting a must see at sunrise or sunset and take the challenge and drive up the dune. On our visit the winds had made many drifts in the dunes, so we decided on the middle track which had the smallest lip at the top. Lots of fun and another tick on the bucket list.

Cheers Mike and Kendra
Big Red - Birdsville 2021

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Reply By: Nomadic Navara - Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 15:26

Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 15:26

I have heard that you are not permitted to drive up the eastern side of the dune to get to Big Red. Does that still apply? Do you have to cross Little Red and go up the western side to get to Big Red?

PeterD
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Follow Up By: Mike & Kendra Cruisn1 - Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 15:34

Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 15:34

Yes you have to go up Little Red to get to the top of Big Red. To go up Big Red you must either go down the dune and go back up (as in our video or coming from the Simpson Desert Track and heading east ( the last dune) you come up Big Red - go across and down Little Red.

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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 16:42

Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 16:42

Since when?

For a while it has been necessary to drive along the eastern side if the dune from the base of Little Red to the base of Big Red. Before that it was possible to drive in to the base of Big Red from across the clay pan. The Station closed that route a few years ago.
Last time that we drove across Big Red (from the west) was 2018.
Cheers,
Peter
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ps... it is generally accepted that there are 1100 dunes to drive over crossing the Simpson, but I never counted them :)

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Follow Up By: Mike & Kendra Cruisn1 - Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 16:57

Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 16:57

Looks like there's some confusion in travelling from west to east or talking about the east side of the Big Red. There was only one route available when we did it last week- except there were cheat tracks to go around if you couldn't make it up the dune. As for how many dunes - lol I'll let you know after I do the track next year. ps Checked my exploroz traveller to get my east and west orientated .
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Follow Up By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 17:04

Thursday, Sep 30, 2021 at 17:04

My point is that there (was?) is a N-S track between the bases of Little Red and Big Red on both sides of the dune. You can (could?) drive from one to the other on either side without driving to the top anywhere, depending on which side you came from.
Is that now not the case?
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

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