Flooding in the Simpson
Submitted: Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 15:48
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stew1978
I am in the final stages of my planning for our July holiday. Part of the trip involves a crossing of the
Simpson Desert. I note however that the section of track from
POEPPEL CORNER to
BIRDSVILLE is currently closed due to Eyre Creek and Big Red being flooded. Is this likely to change any time soon. I have no idea how much water is out there and if more is on the way.
I know no one can give a guarentee but comments are welcome. It would be a shame to miss out on doing the crossing after waiting so many years to do it.
Reply By: rumpig - Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 18:15
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 18:15
Jeff from out at Mt Dare wrote this last week i think.....
"They are going to have a look at Eyre Creek in early May, but don't hold your breath until they open up the bypass track! I'd suspect late June early July before the bypass track opens."
Last year before we crossed The Simpson, a mate who was doing the crossing with us, was in regular contact with Mt Dare for up to date info. we found them to be very helpful and spot on with what they told us, so keep an eye out here or ring them closer to when your leaving to see what the current conditions are like.
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Reply By: RobAck - Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 18:21
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 18:21
We discussed this with
Birdsville last week and they are pretty sure that Eyre Creek will not be open until late June. Of course that may change but given the vast amount of water out there it is going to take a very long time to drop far enough to make a crossing safe. The said water is over the tops of the trees in Eyre Creek so that makes it very deep
Remember that the
Warburton is closed and will stay that way again this year so you only have a few exit options and they are:
Hay River and remember you need permits and around three month lead time to get them, or you enter and exit the Simpson at Dalhousie and go very
well prepared
We are taking a tour in and exiting via the
Hay River in mid July
Regards
RobA
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Reply By: stew1978 - Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 19:33
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 19:33
Thanks guys,
Assuming Eyre creek is closed we might just enter and exit via Dalhousie then head east via the
oodnadatta track then north up to
Birdsville via the
Birdsville track, subject to them being open.
I really hope the crossing is possible though. I've been waiting for years to do this trip and the Simpson crossing is a big part of it. We plan to enter the desert on the 13th of July so there is still time for it to improve.
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Reply By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 20:03
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2011 at 20:03
Looking at the creek levels compared to last year I expect the Eyre creek bypass to open at the end of May
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 08:52
Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 08:52
Despite my confidence, I received this email this morning from Don
G’Day David
At this time I don’t think the Eyre
creek crossing will open and be safe for crossing until end of June or even early July this is only an approximate estimation, call/email me again in a couple of weeks. At the moment we can’t even get to Big Red because of un-precedented rain and levels of water between
Birdsville and Big Red.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more assistance
Regards Don
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 08:53
Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 08:53
Our West East Tour is now postponed until 8 August and our
Hay River trip 19 August
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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 06:36
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 06:36
Hey David & Justine,
Ian is just back from a long trip (4 days!!) to Bridsville via
Winton,
Middleton, Springvale, Coorabulka, No. 3
Bore,
Lake Machattie - heavily laden with steel etc for new project. Was able to leave via
Lake Machattie turn right via Monkira (water still over there) but not laden so could get through without bogging. He is loading to leave again for the next load and leavingthis weekend and if river keeps falling the way it is (and no more rain) he will be ale to drive
Windorah to
Birdsville. I will fly out thursday 21st we will have a week then drive back down here and he can get another load ready.
I need my Desert fix but might have to do with overlander through golf course for a couple of dunes and have a
camp there - unbelievable amount of water - so glad to be flying over it this time to be able to see the sea.
I've been spending too much time in
Canberra (again -back in politics) and not enough time in Desert. Ian will be out there all the time again.
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 06:55
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 06:55
Hi Ruth and Ian
Gee his was lucky to get through via Monkira wasn't he, that can be 2k long at times. I was pretty confident comparing Eyre Creek levels at www.bom.gov.au with last year, that the flooding would decrease enough by June that we would be OK. Anyhow, it will be the first year I've been in the desert in August.
Stay safe and see you again soon sometime.
David and Justine
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Reply By: stew1978 - Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 09:43
Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 09:43
Thanks for that. We don't plan to cross the desert until mid July so we may be OK. That said we will be travelling alone (with sat phone and EPIRB) and I guess we run the risk of getting bogged pretty bad if the salt/clay pans havn't dryed out enough.
I'm starting to think I might be better to do a different trip in my list and leave the simpson for another time. Am I over re-acting
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Follow Up By: Member - Michael O (NSW) - Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 13:36
Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 13:36
Not over re-acting at all. Just planning ahead. Like me...
We're supposed to cross west-east at the end of June and am watching all this talk with interest.
Of course the real answer to the Eyre
Creek crossing dilemna won't be known until much closer to the date.
By the numbers of people on here asking, if the Eyre crossing is open,the Simpson will be a busy place in June/July...
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 17:52
Thursday, Apr 07, 2011 at 17:52
By July there will still be water around, but there are appropriate rules for travel in wet gibber country and different rules of thumb for wet travel in
sand dune country.
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Follow Up By: muffin man - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 12:43
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 12:43
Correct me if i'm wrong.
But just because Eyre Ck has water in it that doesn't mean the salt lakes will still be wet.
Muffin Man
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:02
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:02
Consider yourself corrected :-)
Seriously it depends which slat lakes and claypans you are talking about
All of the clay pans in the southern section of the
Simpson Desert will no doubt be very wet. Almost all if not all of the playas or swales between
Birdsville and some distance west of Eyre Creek will be wet.
Last year Lake Peoppel,
Lake Tamblyn and the Lake west of Peoppel corner were all quite full of water.
Eyre creek in flood is not so much a creek as a broad expanse of water covering a huge area.
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Follow Up By: muffin man - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:09
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:09
I am indeed referring to the ones
well away from the Eyre Ck. flood area, in fact the ones you mention.
If there isn't any local rain would these not dry out quickly ?
MM
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:33
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:33
Lake "Nappanerica" loosely translated, "water that takes a long time to dry"
There has been considerable local rain as
well as the more traditional runoff.
I would bank on the clay pans being wet depending on when you travel. Wet roads take only about 5 or 5 days to dry. Wet claypans may take weeks months. Drive accordingly.
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:35
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:35
Oh for an edit facility on posts
Wet roads take only about 4 or 5 days to dry. Wet claypans may take weeks or months. Drive accordingly.
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Reply By: Direct Four WD Awareness - Friday, Apr 08, 2011 at 21:43
Friday, Apr 08, 2011 at 21:43
Can always go by Batton
Hill and the
Hay River,Cheers Jol
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Follow Up By: Member - Ed C (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 11:33
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 11:33
G'day !
Can't recall having seen you here before.. (ya mighta snuck in while I wasn't lookin' ;-))
How's it goin' ?
Catch ya later ... Ed C
:)
| Confucius say.....
"He who lie underneath automobile with tool in hand,
....Not necessarily mechanic!!"Member My Profile Send Message |
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:05
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 13:05
G'day Jol
Not a bad idea except for the quantity of fuel required to go from Mt Dare to Jervoise, something you would know a lot about :-)
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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 18:45
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 18:45
OK Boys, notice no-one is giving away secrets about when claypans are wet - including Lke Poeppel - MY rule is: when the swales are wet, go round. I have enough experience with being bogged and stuck in the mud so I go round!
Going to be a beautiful season - Hay should be glorious. When is your first trip Joel?
David, I will be in touch = going to be out there for about 8 days but will be taking the computer and the camera of course, I'm flying out 21st. Do you have my mobile no, still- it works in
Birdsville now?
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Follow Up By: Olsen's 4WD Tours and Training - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 18:51
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 18:51
No secret- Only go around if you stay on the high ground, like in sand dune country. Don't venture off the track in the big claypan country, or gibber plains- stay on the compacted line.
I'll check my address book and emails Ruth for your mobile number
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Follow Up By: Member - Ruth D (QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 18:58
Tuesday, Apr 12, 2011 at 18:58
ruthdoyle2@bigpond.com - home email then David - too busy at work to give you that one! Ha ha. Sully ready to leave for Anzac Day at
Birdsville = leaving by 18th. Ian leaving this Sunday (again) and planning on driving straight through - Diamantina at 0.45 above approaches today - hoping it will be down enough to go in, roads not bad, graders busy. At same house for the time being, until new stuff built (around the corner) not hard to find.
Ruth
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