Image Could Not Be FoundIn 1983 I crossed the
Simpson Desert in a 1982 2.8L long wheel base nissan and what a difference to the desert I crossed in the past 10 days.
We left Sunday 13th. June after a few months of planning and to our delight the track was opened a few days before and so off we went.
Four different vehicles were in our convoy: A 2009 BT50 Mazda traytop, 2010 Triton Dual cab, DT22 Nissan Dual Cab and us in a 2008 76 Series V8 Diesel Landcruiser.
We carried 165L Diesal in a long range fuel tank, 55lt water in a fitted fibreglass
water tank, our sleeping gear on a roof rack (2 tents gear for three people - 1 @40 years, 1 @ 68 years and one at 70years).
Oodnadatta track from
Marree was realy good, Oodnatta to Mt. Dare excellent, Mt. Dare to Delhousie stoney and very rough. Camping at Dalhousie was good only three vehicles there on the day. We proceeded into the desert and there was a detour nearly to
Freeth Junction. From
Freeth Junction along the French track was good with bonnet high growth, no traffic at this stage.
Continuing along the French track we turned down the Erabena track to the lone coolabah tree, the track was
well defined and other than washouts was good. Along the Rig raod the sand was slowly overtaking the road and is disappearing.
Up the Knolls track which was illdefined was very sandy and washouts were prevalent . Then back onto the French track which was quite difficult due to a lack of definition and big drifts of loose dry sand. We travelled up the K1 which was good and joined onto the QAA line which was easy going the we travelled up and around to the flood bypass and Eyre creek had about tyre height (700mm) water. Continuing on the Qaa line to Big Red but bypasses around the flood plains to east and west of Big Red were slow going. The V8 pleasantly surprised us with 14.6 Lts/per 100 using 102Lts of the 165 carried. We had 20lts. of water left with about 15lts given along with food to a couple on motor bikes, one had hut her leg in a tumble, she was recovered late that afternoon by the
Birdsville garage.
The Triton averaged 15.4Lts and the D22 15.6Lts.
The
wildflowers , the prolific bird life, the quantities of flooded plains and the amazing crossing by ferry on the
Birdsville track (good condition) realy made for a great crossing.
billImage Could Not Be Found