Simpson in dec.

Agreed. Why do you want to cross at this time? Wirh a very well set up vehicle, known to be reliable and experienced drivers and good communications set up. you might tackle it. but why? You can still get an experience of the landscape around the edges without taking the risks of the crossing. The Old Andado track and down to Mt Dare and Dalhousie will give much of the experience.

I wiould classify such a trip as foolhardy, even for experienced bushmen. Why not go to Birdsville, up to Boulia and across the Plenty "highway" to Alice as suggested above? There can be enough drama going that way in summer, and you'll almost certainly live longer :))
AFAIK the desert has been closed at that time by National Parks in anticipation of unwary travellers.

Does the Old Andado track cross the birdsville track?

What about the Oodnatta track? Is that any good?

No. the Andado track is roughly northish of Oodnadatta. So you'd go down to Maree on the Birdsville track and up the Oodnadatta track to Mt Dare etc.
The only problerms on the Birdsville and Oodnadatta tracks at that time, apart from it being extremely hot, would be any rain that would strand you, possibly for a while...in the heat :))

Thank you for your patience with answering, apparently anoying newbees like me (i know that is not your opinion). I will deff. look into going south along the birdsville and north from there to alice springs. And maybe see if I can fit the simpson in later in our travels. Would april still be to hot?

Would you recomment the old Andado track from the oodnadatta? and if then why?

I would think April would be a LOT more pleasant and safe :-)

I have no problem with people asking questions I prefer that than foolhardy people getting into dangerous situations and endangering the lives of others who have to rescue them.

What kind of vehicle are you planning on taking ?

Remember to take spare water spare fuel and let someone you trust know where you are going and when you arrive and if you get stuck stay with your vehicle !

April should be Ok...certainly far safer and more sensible than summer.
If I got to Oodnadatta, I'd probably go up through Mt Dare to Alice Springs, but once again it's not a great time to go that way.
I rekkon I'd of had enough by the time I got to Oodnadatta ! LOL
It's also the two legs of a triangle to Alice Springs, with the shorter one going across the Plenty Highway.
I'm assuming that you have a recent model serious 4wd in mind and it has both survival and communications. Air con is mandatory to keep cool and the dust out !Remember that in summer your fluid intake should be about double that normally...and I mean water, not beer !! You'll need shade in case you break down, there isn't much out there.
Make sure that if you're renting, you take two tyres, tyre changing and repairing gear (not bike or airbed patches!!!!).
Remember that once you leave the tar you're on your own. No towns or garages in hundreds and hundreds of km. No breakdown service, although RACQ EXTRA is worth the money in case you do have strife. Check it out if you havent already done so.
Do make sure that someone knows if you do go missing, or your chances of survival are slim.

I will try and plan for it in april then.

My car is a Hilux surf. And i will take plenty of water and fuel. plus a satphone, and a UHF. And a lot more :).

Can you recommend a good map showing all these different tracks in there? I'm drowning in maps, and they're all missing some point, ether it being the small tracks or the greater picture.

Hilux Surfs where not designed for hot Australian conditions. They where designed to be used in Japan. Australian spec vehicles have larger radiators etc. They overheat in summer in surburbia, let along the outback, and remember you will not be use to our heat. I live in the central west of NSW and will only go south (snowies, Tas) in the Summer.
Goodluck Pete

Danish V.
I originally suggested the Old Andado track rather than the Simpson at that time of the year. You asked why I would recommend that track as an alternative. I've done it a couple of times around December/February and also in a 4Runner that is nearly identical to your Surf ( but I would also take note of the post from Madfisher about the size of the radiator in the Surf) . It takes in a lot of country that will give you a similar experience to the Simpson, but is much safer. More vehicles go along there at that time (not very many, just more than across the Simpson) Vehicles from aboriginal communities and some cattle properties plus a few more tourists likely to be around because of Xmas holiday period.You don't have big dunes to cross but you get to see some at the side of the road that give some idea of the Simpson landscape (around the Old Andado station area). I'd go through Mt Dare Old Andado and Santa Theresa to Alice Springs. These roads are better marked and a lot smoother than the Simpson tracks. I would do a side detour from Mt Dare to Dalhousie Springs, then back to Mt Dare. But I would make sure that Mt Dare knew I was doing this and when you were expected back in Mt Dare. The Mt Dare/Dalhousie bit is the beginning of the Simpson crossing, so you could have a look. This road is rough, but safe enough for a brief expedition and you don't have to deal with sand dune crossings. Wouldn't go beyond Dalhousie Springs however.
I'd take the advice being offered here and I wouldn't underestimate the trip. 10 litres of water per day per person should be carried and I would take extra for a couple of unplanned days. Take all the communication gear and spare tyres. And make sure it is securely packaged and carefully packed. Plastic water bottles can rub on each other and other gear while going over rough ground and then the bottles you thought were full are empty.
I'd note the warning from Footloose on the problems with rain at this time of the year. This will strand you, but then leave you unable to move for days. I'd be especially careful of claypans where what looks like rock hard surface (even when there hasn't been rain for months) can give way and you find you have broken through to grease. Most of the claypans have sidetracks so you can go around them and I would take these alternatives. Make sure people know where you are going; when you are expected and will raise alarms if you don't turn up or make contacts on time.
You will enjoy it more in April and there will be more other vehicles around, but it can still be very hot. We were in the Simpson a month ago and already it was ferocious. I can send you some photos if you like that will give some idea. If you take the precautions, and have no options for a later time of the year, I think it would be OK to do this track in December February. Much, much better to try to convoy it with another vehicle, especially as you are new to this type of country.

This is good advice, remember also the effect extreme temperatures have on your vehicle. Grease oil tyres cooling systems and mechanical parts are all more likely to fail in these temperatures, I have seen the preparation army drivers make before operating in these areas in the summer.

http://www.theage.com.au/ffxImage/urlpicture_id_1047749717232_2003/03/18/18TROOPS_SAS.jpg

this is a photo of the standard patrol vehicle for these areas the circle thing in the center is the fuel tank !!! They always operate in units of 3 vehicles.

Yes that is correct I have read it somewhere as well, could have been in the open road.
I have recently crossed the Simpson one of many crossings over the years. I can see why NP are closing the tracks. The tracks are in a very bad condition, the worst crossing I can remember due to the corrugation's and soft sand. I agree that it should be closed over the summer months for obvious reasons.
cheers Revs

There has been several posts "somewhere" of a summer desert closure but yet to see a link to anything official. A simple search of the SA parks & track closures makes no mention of any such proposal, strange particually as this mythical closure is only 4 weeks away ;-)
I dissagree with any broad track closure of the desert. Although potentially dangerous during the summer period, a well set up group can cross without issue be it quite uncomfortable.
I do question peoples ability to be able to cross the desert safely at such a difficult time particually if they need to ask if it's even possible on a public forum?
Cheers Craig...........

you were smart for asking, dont worry....but I wouldnt be doing it thats for sure.....too many people have carked it out there....and some were even a local family on the birdsville track....

steer clear and enjoy it another time if possible..

Laura

d_v in July we met some German people in a Troopy doing a Simpson crossing that really were having a ball. It was not their first visit here and their security was the reason to be here, in the outback and in Australia. Enjoy your time in here safely.

Kim, no it isn't. See my post above. No skate boards or thongs with this one :))

Gidday Footy

No mate, not trying to knock the fella. If he want's to hire a 4WD and drive off into that sort of heat, Good luck to him.

I don't have much time for dills any more.

Regards

Kim

Thank you. Yes it is rather hard to imagine a heat that fearsome, since i'm from denmark where we rearly see more than 30C, and therefore i am glad that this group exist so i can ask. And i will take your advice ofcause.

I drive a hilux surf 93, and i have a lot of 4wd experience althoug I must admit not any specific dessert experience. I plan to take a sat phone ao. no matter how the plans turn out and hope to be able to do the simpson later in our travels.

The heat is just insane out there you will drink 10 lt of water a day just sitting in the shade. Double that if you are working. See if you can find another vehicle to travel with in convoy, it is safer and more pleasant.

( do not watch "Wolf Creek" on DVD before leaving :-) !!!!

Cheers doug

Mate, it's difficult for many of us to imagine trying to survive in the Antarctic (European winters) LOL.
Driving quickly on ice isn't fun. And the snow, ice and hail etc are so different to the glossy pictures shot in a European summer.
But it's a similar extreme with our desert summers. A different planet. If things go wrong it can bite you..BIG TIME.

haha good one with wolf creek. Luckily i have only heard of that one.

I did'nt know about plenty highway. When you wrote highway I thought it was the bitumen highway from Mount isa. Is Plenty highway worth it. I mean you save a lot of km's but it sounds quite boring in the description on this site. Is'nt it worth the extra km's to go down the birdsville and up one of the two mentioned to get to alice s.?

The Plenty Highway runs through some pretty special country on the northern end of the Simpson. It's corregated, remote and beautiful counytry but no highway as you know it. It's not really desert country but more scrub and mountains. There are a couple of places along there if you really get into strife..even a police station at Harts Range, a few hundred K from Alice.
The Birdsville /Maree/Oodna run is pretty much sand and rock and a bit of desert. It's a very different route, with heaps more to see. But in summer ??? mmm...
Take a look at "places" on this site. Good mud maps here but I use Hema maps and Natmap myself. Google Earth is also a useful tool when looking at these areas.

great. One last one. What would be an apropriate time frame for plenty highway and for the birdsville-maree-Oodna route?

Plenty Highway, Boulia to Alice, 2 days unless it rains. Then it can take a lot longer.
Burdsville to Oodna, around 4 days. Another couple to Alice ?
I am talking normal days , summer temps will mean driving slower. It will also depend on road surface conditions etc.

Thanks a lot for all the advice. Have a good one.

Cheers Thor

...cooler months