Oodnadatta to French Line Simpson Desert

Great story mate ,

Cheers

Bucky

The manager of Kidman's (Macumba's owner), wrote to VKS737 a couple of years back advising staff generally to 'spread the word' - that the Rocks Road is closed to all but station traffic and real emergencies for the public, and then only with the permission of the Oodnadatta Police. The clear message was that risk to life and limb could be the only excuse - people assisting with vehicle breakdowns and strandings due to weather etc in the desert must all go the long way round.... he wasn't asking ..... it was a polite directive.

I'm travelling in that area soon and wondering about UHF radio coverage in the area. I have the best available radio set up (a top of the range Uniden) so hope to be able to have contact if I need to. Thanks in advance if there are any radio experts on line as I'm a radio newby.

Aandy

Site Link

There are UHF repeaters in use around the general Oodnadatta region - and there should be lots of travellers in the desert too - peak season now - so UHF coverage should be generally good...... BUT - if you are crossing the remote desert with a UHF only, you are gambling with your safety. Much wiser to take a satphone or long distance HF radio than to rely on 'chance'...... groups of travellers often have just the one long distance comms solution and share it - staying in touch with each other on the roads and tracks via UHF. You can hire satphones either side of the Simpson - you can hire HF and Satphones in most cities too.

Thanks Doug and Darian - looks like from the site link you gave Doug that there are repeaters available virtually all over Australia! I've been told by people that crossing the Simpson is not difficult in terms of four wheel driving - just a bit monotonous because it's about 1,100 dunes all of which have to be crossed. No problem to a 4wd and not very far for a diesel like a Prado which has 180l tanks. So plenty of food and water, a UHF and off I go - should be a breeze! By the way I also have a GPS, good maps and have seen extensive video footage from friends who have crossed it. Can't wait!

for sure it would be pastoral... it may be that the road was gazetted at some time - it is a bit of a bugger to find out though.

If it is gazetted and not closed (generally by local council of Transport SA), then you should be legally allowed to drive on it.

If it is never gazetted, and not in use as a road or a stock route, and not already prescribed as a Public Access Route by the Pastoral Board - generally in partnership with the pastoralist, then you need to get the pastoralists approval - or you need to get "The Minister's" approval.

The pastoralist needs reasons to refuse, but these can be: safety; track condition and damage or "potential damage"; current stock management issues; weed spread... you name it, and the Minister (well the Pastoral Board generally does it on his behalf) will generally "refuse", and you have nowhere to go.

Catch-22 - to ask permission is to seek denial. And once you've asked you can't claim ignorance.

You could try the Miner's right and 21 days notice. I have one, and I think it costs the grand sum of $59 for three years - but it authorises you to prospect for minerals after providing statutory notice (in SA).