Geosurveys Hill ??

Ah! I was just reading the Spinifex Trail and another of your trips on your webpage Willem....some great reading.

Thank you for the reply and I will certainly keep my eye out for Peter2 and his thoughts, should he reply.

Like most, I suppose at our age we too have "the list".... hang glide from Everest...swim the Amazon and such.. one of mine is to go to the centre..stand there and have a picture taken and then place that "tick"

I did note in particular being in 1st low for a long time. I have driven a couple of hours at 5km under similar conditions but have always wondered if we shoudl stop now and then and let the gearbox cool ??

Thank you again

Hi Peter2... June / July ? hmmm maybe I need to rearrange a flight..wonder if the missus would mind delaying by a month ..lol

We hope to have our new Toyota built by April and ready to go by May..depends on some fiddly bits of course.

Besides a Sat phone (Iridium) would you suggest a Codan/Barrett as well ?

Two spares tyres or three ? (apart from repair kits etc.)

cheers
Peterll

Hi Phil... west to east, Mt Dare to Birdsville although we may detour over through Kalamurina if we get permission from the new owners and then down to Mungerannie.

We have never driven over Big Red..why would you as there is a perfect track around.. lol but to answer your question..I sort of know my way along the French line ..or how to get from Clifton Hills to Moomba and such.

And a couple of meanderings in other countries..but still would not even think of this trip alone.

Ooops..one wouldn't go across Kalamurina if going west to east..

Actually, if the advice was to go east to west, then from Mt Dare we would head for Cowarie then to Kalamurina (Warburton creek..which rumour tells me is not accessible under the new ownership ??) and then Mungerannie.. we know the owners out on Cowarie and so fuel and tracks across should be ok.. maybe

Hi Val
Good advise, but can not compare the Hay River Trip. That is very easy, where you are following tracks nearly all of the Way. The Geo trip is 110% pure cross country with no or very few tracks at all. In 500kms of Geo area, less that 100kms of very old shot line, if you can find them.

Most people think that there are big dunes in the Simpson. Out in the Centre your eyes will drop out at the size of some huge mothers.

The Simpson is one very special place that will never leave your blood

Cheers

Stephen

Geeez....1km/l....what were they driving?


My worst consumption out there was 3.8km/l and that was with a trailer in tow.

Stephen L, Willem,

I was suggesting the Hay R as a way to gain experience, rather than making it out to be anything like equivalent to the Geosurveys run. In 2006 when it was very dry along the Hay River, and following some big fires, there was quite a stretch where the tracks had all disappeared.
For the Geosurveys run, the leader was in a diesel Troopy, others were in the usual selection of Toyotas, Nissans, Mitsus. No trailers. That was an extreme figure, and thanks to the careful planning there was some fuel to spare at the end of the trip. There was a lot of loose, active sand on the dunes last year, and big spinifex.

Val.

Hi Val
I know from where you are coming from, my comments were not meant as a dig at you.

One big and very big feature of the Simpson, is that no 2 trips will be the same, as the weather will have the greatest say if the tracks are easy or hard.

One trip a few years back, the desert was covered in water and as green as far as the eye could see. Other years no rain, high summer temperatures and high winds made every easy dune a challenge.

The most important thing is for everyone to make the effort and see this great desert.

Cheers

Stephen

G'day Stephen

"You need to get permission from Andado Station to use their property- if you come in via Mac Clarke Reserve, most people never do and that gets up their skin."

No longer so. Track from Mac Clark Reserve now part of Territory Explorer Way (I was there July 07) up to The Twins and beyond.


Cheers

Hi Willem
What would get up their skin, was when they found some half wit drivers would just head bush from the main track. Not knowing if someone was stranded, or injured, they would spend many hours following these tracks only to find that had returned to the main track many kilometres later.
Like Robbie told me, he does not mind people out there, just as long as they stick to the main track.

Take care Willem

Cheers

Stephen

Well ye can't protect halfwits from themselves....lol

Hi Stephen

Can you make a few observations about the tyres to use out there - size/width/tubeless/wheels/splits etc not maker

Like your dragon pic and admire your sense of adventure

Chris

I will butt in here Chris, although the question is addressed to Stephen. He can say his piece too....lol

Simpson Geo Centre trek in Suzuki 1987....I ran BFG Muddies on steels at 20psi. My mate ran Desert Duellers. Good floatation over sand. No punctures.

Simpson GEO Centre trek 2006....Cooper STT on alloys on GQ at 15psi and Eldorado on trailer at 10psi. Good floatation over sand No punctures

2 x Gibson Desert treks witrh same tyres and rims as above at 15psi. Good floatation over sand but Mulga turpentine accounted for 18 punctures and 3 destroyed tyres.

Simpson, Central Aus and Top End 12ply Rag tyres on splits. 12psi on GQ and 8psi on trailer on sand with good traction but heavier fuel usage. No punctures.

Cross country driving requires tough sidewalled tyres and rags on splits are good for this. The less aggressive the tread the better. ATM I have aggressive tread tyres but wqill shift to highway style next time around.

Cheers

Hi Chris
Sorry for the delay, have been away for the weekend.
Like Willem said above, it will all depend on where you are driving and the conditions encountered at the time, I have travelled the Simpson Desert countless times on the usual travelled tracks with never a puncture. When we did the Geo trip, had brand new LT fitted to 6 rims.
I was running 14psi and the lead vehicle all the way. I had countless punctures, side wall at that and ruined 2 tyres. It would make you cry, but that's what you have to expect when you head where there are no tracks at all. From my personal experience, in the Mulga stake country, most tyres will have similar problems, the country is very tough. Also to note, it will be the first few vehicle that will have the punctures, as they are clearing thee track for the following vehicles. Of the 5 vehicles, the last 2 in the group never received a puncture at all. Surprising that they did not want to swap position in the convoy.

Cheers

Stephen

Hi Peter.
If you intend to go from the French Line cross country, out through the bottom section of the Simpson, be very careful, as you are still in National Park Country, and if caught, the DEH will come down on you very heavy - It is a big No No to drive off road in the SA Section of the National Park.
Speaking to Rangers 2 years ago, and they were watching very carefully tracks out from the Warburton River Area.
The only section of the Simpson where it is still legal to drive Off Road, in the Crown Land on the NT Side of the Boarder.

The Geo trip is the only Simpson Trip that will take you 110% of the way of pure cross country travel, which is so very different than following the well travelled tracks in the Simpson, like the Colson, Hay River and the Standard Simpson Crossing.

Another thing, if it was me with a new vehicle, I would leave it home. The Geo trip is very hard on vehicles and you brand new vehicle will not be new when you finish that trip.

Most people do not comprehend just how hard it is out there!

I tell most people that have done the Simpson and find it hard, never to try and attempt a true cross country trip, as once you are committed, there is no turning back, only to follow a very slow trip down one of the swales. The only reason why I am saying this, is because true Virgin Dunes out in the middle are huge, and near impossible to tackle from the East. No run ups out there, just rocking from side to side in first low range, trying to pick the best and easyiest way over every dune.

If you read Reg Spriggs stories of his ventures, making the first ever motor vehicle crossing of the Simpson, it was from the West to the East for a very good reason, the sheer way that Virgin Dunes must be approached.

The Hay River Trip is one of the Best standard Simpson trips to tackle in a Four Wheel Drive.

The most important thing to do is do not put off a standard Simpson Trip, like I said above, every trip is different, but the most important thing is DO IT, it will get in your blood and you will make this area a repeat trip, year after year.

All the Best and enjoy your Simpson Adventure.

Cheers Stephen

Hi Stephen,

Hmm and I best go find a copy of Reg Spriggs adventures, as the fascination for the Simpson is strong. One of those "must do" things in life.

Thanks for the advice on how SA Parks operate..that does present a slight problem on how we were to end our sojourn.

And I can see the problem with prevailing winds and going east to west.

I suppose the reverse could be worked out..i.e. K1 / French, Mt Dare, Oil Dump and on to Birdsville, Adelaide, Sydney to put the vehicles on the boat for Asia.

More of less a big circle route in a way.

As for new verses old vehicle..well new means it works well..old means it may be about to break..but I do take your thoughts on the results of taking a new vehicle.

We have been across the SImpson on what are now the high traffic routes before and I suppose that is what is spurring us on.

One more trip, smell the dust and all.

This is part of our grand trek. We are going to return to many of the old stops on our journey around the world made many years ago now. Funnily enough, in some parts, it is actually more dangerous now than it once was.

Like you say Stephen, once you have it in your blood it is difficult not to go, one more time.

Thanks again..Peterll

Hi Peter
The book is call "Dune is a Four Letter Word"

As for the new v old.
If it was a brand new vehicle,straight from the showroom, it will come back with possible under side damage (bent Sump plate, possible mud flaps missing, paint work with the tell tale signs of bush work etc)
Old I ment a vehicle that is still in first class mechanical condition and one that you will not sigh at when timber and bushes rub down the side.

Once again, have a great trip

Cheers

Stephen

Hi Ron,

Thank you for the information as it does help with our planning of the trek very much. Especially your mention of fuel use.

We had been planning the trek more of less from Maree north to Kalamurinna and then west. Pick up the rig road and then up and around via Geosurveys Hil and on to Birdsville.

Many who have replied have advised that west to east may not be such a great idea and so we are now reconsidering all of our options. I will have another look at the Colson track idea.

I have been across the Simpson a few times over the years going both ways and for whatever the reason this trek just seemed like something we should do.

And yes, I do have some other desert driving experience. What seems years ago now took us to northern Africa and so followed the Dakar tracks..now that was interesting to say the least as even if we met someone there was a minor language problem.

Thanks again

Peterll

Peterll

If you want any other details of where we went then PM me.

Ron