Having just returned from a trip to the Simpson, here are a few thoughts.
As the Eyre Creek is still closed, our route was
Mt Dare to Dalhousie.
Dalhousie to the last claypan west of Popoells Corner.That pan was immpassable, hence North onto
Hay River Track, exiting at
Jervois Station.
Looking at the lack of tracks, our crew was the first for the year , the closer we got to Popoells. Sand drifts on top of the dunes had a height increase of 2 to 3 metres and in some
places the sand has covered all tracks.
Definately use your GPS, we had an in car GPS, married to Hema Maps that kept us on course.
The
Hay River track, was, in the main, overgrown and suffering from flood waters damage and those travellers going that route should keep to our tracks.
Don't forget your Central Australia Land Council Permits and call in on Lindsay at the wilderness
camp before exiting at
Jervois Station.
The trip took 5 vehicles 5.5 days and my 2006 Nissan Patrol turbo diesel took approx 175 litres to do that section.
The desert is magnificent with green everywhere and the
wildflowers are just emerging.
Don't take your offroad trailer at this stage, you will need to wait for more vehicle movements to define the tracks.
We finished up on the Cooper last week, east of Innaminka, after coming down the Arrubury Track, picked up around 150 Yabs, not a bad feed for 11 hungry blokes, each with a good red!