Finally been to the simpson desert

The price of diesel is starting to affect where and how often i 4wd .

I suspect that most 4wd owners are in the same position. But I've been blasted in this forum for saying that before.

Perhaps it just illustrates the diversity in financial resources that people here have.

Either that or a family member ownes a petrol station :))

If i could only find a can of simpson desert dirt on ebay !

glenno

Isn't the Simpson Desert a National Park???
Take only photographs..leave only footprints!!!!

Now if everyone was to take a can of Simpson Desert sand...blah blah blah

(I must 'fess up..I've got a couple of jars of Big Red sand..but shhh, don't tell anyone)

I can send you some

I have a jar of Simpson Desert sand. It was extracted from my scalp on arrival at Birdsville.

Let the bidding begin.

I don't want you all to be fighting over this. Please line up in an orderley fashion.

Regards

Kim

Hi Glenno and others,

We just got back from a double crossing (via just about all possible roads. There was plenty of ponded water in places after the few mm of rain in mid July. There were fields of yellow flowers all around Purnie Bore where we stayed for three nights. Also on return via the SA/NSW border around Pine View there were heaps of purple flowers. Not as good as some displays in the past however.

There's no substitute for being there!

Kings

Hi Stephen,
Just got back from our second Simpson trip - what a difference 2 months makes :-))
Like Kings says, that July rain hit the spot! We also came across the two Ford Blitzes from Clare - they looked at home out there.

Cheers
phil

Hi Phil,
Thanks for the invite for your second trip-Joke. Was it a normal Simpson Crossing or another special trip. The little rain that the desert received, did it made any difference to the look of the desert. Like I have said before, I have never seen the Desert so dry, than when we went through in May.

Chad and Botto are going to be away for a month, and this was going to be Chad's first Simpson Crossing, so I hope they are having a ball.

Take care.

Stephen

Hi Stephen,
hehehehe

This trip was a simple French Line crossing - just 4 vehicles - had some friends from work who'd never been 4wding - they hired a LandCruiser; and some other friends who drove their stock standard Kia Sportage - needed a little bit of a pull on a couple of spots as it had no clearance. And a good 4wding mate who can never say no to a desert trip.

It was a quickie - just the 9 days, but we went up the P116 and bush camped all the way except for Birdsville. The weather was exceptionally good - no wind, clear skies and not-quite-freezing at night.

The guys with the Blitzes seemed to be travelling well - they were taking a bit longer because everyone would stop them - for a look and a chat. there was a young guy in an 80series going out to meet them about 10k west of big red.

Cheers
Phil

And also...There was still ponded water around. The flowers were west of Purnie. But throughout the desert was fresh Parakeelya popping up - green starting to cover teh dunes. The sand was very firm - thought I was going to get airborne over big red - had to hit the brakes!!

Cheers
phil

Hi Phil,
Thanks for the follow ups. It does not matter when you are out in the Simpson, It is always a great time. I have just been looking through my track files from our last Geo Expedition. It looks easy on paper, and looking to see an easier way to the Centre and Geosurveys Hill. I'll just keep planning

Stephen

Hi Stephen,
Haven't got next years trips planned yet, but a Geosurveys Hill/ Geo Centre trip would be nice. I'd tend to come up the Colson and try to pick up the odd shotline from there. Should be able to link up with the North/South shotline you found. And I think I'd head directly east from Geo Centre and come out at Beachcomber or Poeppels well.

I'm also thinking of maybe paying to do the Plenty Lakes trip with Jol Fleming.

But I haven't been out into the Great Vic Desert this year; and I want to do the CSR, Kimberleys, Darwin, Gulf and the Cape....hehehe :-))))))) too many trips.......not enough time

Cheers
phil

Hi Phil,
I have the full details for the easy shot line to the Geo Centre, that is the easy part. If you wanted to also head to Geosurveys Hill and did not want to cross any dunes, you would have to be running OziExplorer 100%. If the desert was like this year, it would be a very, very hard and long trip to head west from the centre and make for Geosurveys Hill.

The best way to reach both would be to travel the Colson, north from the French Line, and then make a 'B' line for Geosurveys Hill. I could give you the waypoints so you could see on way the Geosurveys Base A old Fuel Dump.

After Geosurveys Hill, make your way to the Geo Centre. As you know, there are some very large dunes in the central Simpson, that makes Big Red look Small !!!!

Stephen

Thanks Stephen,
The route you suggest is what I was thinking. But I'm really not sure what I'll get up to next year. As you know these trips do knock the stuffing out of you!!

Cheers
phil