Geographical Centre of Simpson Desert

Submitted: Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 13:23
ThreadID: 34632 Views:3458 Replies:11 FollowUps:8
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My new trek story A HARD TREK INTO THE DESERT has been uploaded to my website.

Go to www.kempen.id.au Click on 4x4 and scroll to bottom of the page

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L- Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 13:24

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 13:24
Hi Willem,
Will check it out now.

Cheers
Stephen
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Reply By: Laura B - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 13:40

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 13:40
trust the americans to get it wrong for us!!LOL!!

sounds like a good trip...will do it one dya i guess!!

Laura
AnswerID: 176811

Reply By: Rick (S.A.) - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 14:28

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 14:28
Top story, young fella.
IMHO, your best yet!
Cheers
Rick
AnswerID: 176819

Follow Up By: Ruth from Birdsville Caravan Park - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 20:04

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 20:04
Hello, we need to 'have a chat'.
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Follow Up By: Rick (S.A.) - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 23:17

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 23:17
G'day Ruth,
You can get me at rickmooreatpacificdotnetdotau
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Reply By: Geoff (Newcastle, NSW) - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 14:38

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 14:38
Thanks Willem,
A great read.

Geoff.
Geoff,
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Reply By: Member - Troll 81 (QLD) - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 15:25

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 15:25
What a great read. I wish one day I will be able to go out there and check it all out
AnswerID: 176828

Reply By: davidta - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 16:18

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 16:18
Hi Willem,

Sounds like a great trip.
I am leading a group into the Geographic Centre of the Simpson in August, before tackling the Madigan Line on our way back to Birdsville then home.

I was wondering about that cleared line on the map. Most of the old shot lines I've driven in the North Simpson are harder to drive than making a new track.

Cheers

David
AnswerID: 176843

Follow Up By: Willem - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 18:58

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 18:58
Yep that cleared line was the only driveable one we came across.

As you say, better to make your own tracks than to follow along the 'cleared lines' of 1966....lol
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Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L- Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 19:40

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 19:40
David, The line that you see on the Topo Maps is in very good codition. Head further north, up that cleared line, take the shot line to your left. Follow this through to the west for a number a kms, then use the swales for the best run through in the Simpson. We were there also in May. If you try to go cross country from that good shot line, I would say that with all the new live sand on the dunes, it will be near impossible this season. Email me if you need some waypoints.

Stephen
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Follow Up By: davidta - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 20:46

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 20:46
Hi Stephen,

Not quite sure what you mean with your directions, but I think you went about where I was intending to.
We were going to head up from the Erabena well to a claypan we visited some years ago, to retrive a sign we left there (this is a slightly NNE route). Then head up a swale to the old roughly SW / NE shot line and follow to the roughly NW / SE shot line to adjacent the centre then cut accross.
I figured we would not be able to head West at all, so we were going to follow a swale from the centre, back to the french line.
Any other info/waypoints etc would be appreciated.
davidta "at" bigpond.net.au
Thanks
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Reply By: Hairy - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:21

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:21
Whos the Noel you talk of?
AnswerID: 176861

Follow Up By: Hairy - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:27

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:27
Sorry Noel In " In search of Antiquity"
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Follow Up By: Willem - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:49

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:49
You can email me through my website and I will let you know
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Reply By: Member - John (Vic) - Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:50

Monday, Jun 05, 2006 at 17:50
Willem as usual a great read.
Well done and thanks.
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AnswerID: 176868

Reply By: Member - sparra - Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 07:07

Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 07:07
great reading willem,as usual. brings great memories back of my time there in the early to mid eighties working on a seismic crew in that area east of erabena. cheers sparra.
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Reply By: signman - Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 15:00

Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 15:00
G'day Willem
Just for interest sake- what parameters did you use to establish a geographical centre of the Simpson??

signman
AnswerID: 177032

Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 15:16

Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 15:16
G'day signman

Wasn't me....LOL

Warren Bonython and Dennis Bartell agreed upon and gave me the co-ordinates. I do think that Warren told me how they calculated it but my memory fails me on the parameters of that one.

The Simpson itself can almost reach right to the Gibson Desert in the west as sand dunes are prevalent right through Central Australia. In the east however Birdsville would most likely be a cut off point. Not sure of north and south boundaries.
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Reply By: signman - Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 15:43

Tuesday, Jun 06, 2006 at 15:43
Just had a look at the Landsat image around the area. Hmm..interesting country!!
The image looks like a sheet of grained sandpaper..then again I suppose thats what it is..
AnswerID: 177041

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