SIMPSON CONDITIONS

Most definately will be an issue as the country is soaked from all the rain over recent months. The sand will be great to travel on but getting to the dunes across the swales will be interesting to say the least.
There was extensive water to be crossed just getting out to Big Red from Birdsville. Others will reply with more up to date conditions.

are you travelling on push bikes or dirt bikes .
dirt bikes won,t even notice the sand dunes .
we came down the Hay River trk 3 wks ago and its easy .
2 4wds an 2 dirt bikes .
mechpete

Hi Wheeler
We returned just over 10 days ago. At that stage there had been no rain for around 2 weeks and the dunes were like driving on cement, the easiest crossing that we have ever done. Eyre Creek was still around 18" deep, but no problem at all. The only time that we had some fun was Lake Poeppel, was told it would be OK and go straight through the middle - BIG MISSTAKE!!.

Stick to the detours around any of the wet sections, including Lake Poeppel and you should have no problems at all. There was water laying around in many of the small claypans, but well away from the main track, this was on the French Line.

Make sure that you use channel 10 on the UHF and if possible try and erect some type of sand flag system on your bikes.

I am not sure how much rain they have had since our return, but if it is only an inch, it will keep the dunes very compact and what does fall in the salt lakes should dry up quickly with the warmer weather up that way.

The best first hand information before you leave would be to give Mt Dare a ring, but make sure that you only speak to Dave, Jeff or Karen who would have the very latest information.

Ride safely and take lots of pictures.

Cheers

Stephen

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There's a flood watch for the Northeast Pastoral area if it comes at 20ml but at 80ml which is predicted all I got to say is good luck with that you'll know by the weekend check out bom sa web site

Hmm just heard on the radio that the birsville race track is a quagmire.. Its not looking good for our crossing :-(

There has been some varied rainfall in the district but some in the outer were over 100mm and the lowest at 50mm. Etadunna got nearly 80mm right on top of the ferry. It's not finished yet and back on Wed. If you can imagine the landscape - dune then lake then dune then lake as far as I have seen anyway. They reckon the track will be down for about a week if not more. I actually don't know to many roads that are open.

Image Could Not Be Found Our crossing of Eyre creek flood bypass was late May. We were the first across and it was a metre deep and swift. It sure looks as though it has dropped by the above pictures. Our 7 vehicles managed one bent drive shaft , one bent lower control arm and one wayerdamaged starter motor courtesy of the crossing