Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 at 10:46
Hi Tony
In reply to your second question re towing, for the benefit of your vehicle and your party do not even contemplate the idea, as if you can not handle a swag or tent, then forget the trip.
I am not having a go at you personally but here are a few cold hard facts about driving in the Northern Simpson than most people do not understand.
Your average driver that travels the very easy to drive standard tracks across the lower Simpson seem to think that the
Madigan Line will be very similar - WRONG!
On average, around 6000 vehicles travel the usual tracks, eg French Line, WAA and the
Rig Road in any one season, so the tracks are easy to follow, no timber buried under the sand to stake your tyres and the blink of an eye and the most important thing, if you brake down, then another vehicle WILL come along within a short time, eg may be an hour, but usually no more than a few days at the very outside.
Northern Simpson Travels will see usually a lot less that 15 groups in total per season, sometime only a handful. The first few groups of the season will usually redefine the track that will have blown over during the summer months. Even though the track will get redefined, you constant friend will be you ability to repair punctures that you will suffer, no questions asked.
Fuel usage will be reasonably high, so for any petrol vehicles in your group, count them out.
You have two ways to start your trip, one very easy and the other will get you into the mood of driving slow.
The first and easiest is to head up the Colson Track from the French Line until it is time to turn right for
camp six and the start of your slow doing.
The second way is to start from Mac Clark Reserve, north of Old
Andado. Most drivers are unaware of it and never ask, but the owners of
Andado Station would appreciate a request to travel through their property that takes in all this land as far as the Aboriginal
Boundary. From
camp 2 to just north of where
The Twins are, you will have to head south and pick you way through what tracks you can find and head for the Colson Track. Permits are not and will not be issues for camps 3 - 5, as the Aboriginals have shut this land out for travellers for good, so do not even ask, you will get rejected immediately.
The size of the group is up to you but as a bare minimum I would have 3 vehicles with a maximum of 6, all must be diesel with each vehicle carrying a total of 300 litres of diesel and around 150 litres of
water, food, spares and lots of tyre repair plugs, tubes, patches etc. So you see that your vehicle will be carrying a lot of weight and your
suspension MUST be in First class condition.
If you are an experienced outback traveller, it is a great trip and will see the Simpson in a way that very few get to see but only dream of.
All the best with you planning.
Cheers
Stephen
AnswerID:
435849
Follow Up By: Ruffy-Dan - Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 at 20:24
Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 at 20:24
Hi Stephen,
Great info thanks. Shame about camps 3,4,5.
Is
camp 24 accessible? i believe it lies on private land?
We are planning six weeks to Melb to maree, old
andado, mac clark res, madigan, geo surveys, fuel dump (trying to find info)
birdsville, page grave home. Trying to fit in as many trivial points as we can, so anything else worth visiting i would love to hear about.
Dan
FollowupID:
707096
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 at 21:03
Saturday, Nov 13, 2010 at 21:03
Hi Dan
You will have to contact David Brook from
Birdsville for permission for
camp 14.
There is lots to see out there and you never know what will be over the next
sand dune. The
old fuel dump is Geosurveys Base A and is easy to find in you go cross country from the Colson Track in a direct line for
Geosurveys Hill. I can asure you that this is one trip that can not be rushed. Our slowest day was only 22 kilomtres with on average 33 kilometres per day. Our best day was 60 kilometres travelled after leaving the Geographical Centre and making good use on a reasonable shot line until we headed east again.
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Keep up your planning and feel free to ask any more questions.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
707098
Follow Up By: jdwynn (Adelaide) - Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 06:33
Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 06:33
Stephen
These are a brilliant set of notes – should form the basis of a trek note.
Well I think I could shock you with a true story – but then again may be not as we’ve all heard these before.
A local football club group who apart from one “very experienced individual”, had never done 4wdriving before, have now done the Madigan (or a part of it) for each of the last 3 years. Each time they do the circuit through the Simpson from
Adelaide in 7-8 days……..that alone bears thinking about. I don’t recall much about the first year I heard about them – roof rack did come off a hire car and it was lucky not to take off the arm of the driver. From memory, it got loose and no one had a rhino r/rack key to tighten it.
Second year a car rolled as they were leaving
Oodnadatta (driving at ridiculous speeds gee how could that happen? TIC). They were not familiar with convoy rules, no one keeping an eye on the car behind them etc – they realised that someone hadn’t communicated for a while and only then realised something was wrong. Car was badly damaged (exactly how I can’t remember). Did they stop. No. They continued with a damaged car to the Madigan. Same car came to grief……… wait for it………..at a steep drop from a dune IN THE NIGHT, IN DARK CONDITIONS!!. Hope that explains how they manage their trips in less than 9 days. Driver got a bad gash to his head, car further damaged. Still they got to
Birdsville and got help (and carried on).
This year, underside of a radiator got damaged on an 80 series in the group. I’ll bet speed was a factor. They carried on. Motor seized. They towed it to
Birdsville, distributed contents of that car and carried on. It was later trucked back to
Adelaide.
I still don’t think they understand the risks they are taking.
FollowupID:
707116
Follow Up By: Member - Chris & Debbie (QLD) - Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 10:41
Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 10:41
The following picture show the difference this year from when Stephen was out there, what a difference a bit of rain makes.Image Could Not Be Found
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FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Ruffy-Dan - Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 15:16
Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 15:16
Thanks for the info Steve.
Do i contact David for
camp 14 or 24? Not sure if it was a typo or if it's something else i need to know about?
Is the Geosurvey base something we will find or do we need co-ords'? same for pit?
Many thanks,
Dan
FollowupID:
707150
Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 21:00
Sunday, Nov 14, 2010 at 21:00
Hi Dan and Chris
Dan camps 6 - 17 are all Crown Land and go as you will. Camps 18 - 19 you will have to contact Don Rowland in
Birdsville, as this in National
Park and can be hit and miss to get a permit. 20 - 23 you will have to contact David Brook who's property they are on. The
old fuel dump and the pit you will need coordinants, but should be her on EO when I did a Trek note for the trip. If you can not find them, let me know. The Madigan was good in July.
Chris
You would have seen
the desert in an unreal condition and I bet the dunes were not that bad to cross. When we did the trip in May, you can see the condition that
the desert was like and many dunes were quite hard to cross because of the very soft sand.
Cheers
Stephen
FollowupID:
707197