Simpson Circuit June 2011

Thanks Brian,
Good advice for sure. My rough estimate so far is to carry 80 litres extra. That would normally give me a range of 1400km on the bitumen If I half that for the conditions it gives me a range of 700kms.Which is pretty close to what we need to do. I didn't really want to carry more fuel if I can avoid it but we may need to ,as you suggest to be on the safe side, particularly if we don't want to go back to Mt Dare.
By the way we are towing a camper a Jayco Dove Outback up as far as Maree and then leaving it there for the desert part of the trip. The Dove suits us for Tassie but it not suitable for the desert, as much as I would like to take it.We will be spending a few days in the Flinders Ranges so we will see how it handles the conditions in there.

Thanks ,
Campy

Thanks Craig.
I'll sit down and work out the kms for the trip and plan accordingly. I know my vehicles consumption patterns on the road, towing and in 4wd high for extended periods, but not in 4wd low in extended sandy conditions. Not knowing the conditions of the Simpson I'd like to find out as much as I can from other's experiences. The Trek Fuel Data is a useful guide but again it is a little misleading as to how much a vehicles uses on the different tracks.

For instance would going across via the French Line use a similiar amount of fuel as going across the Rigg Road then up the Knolls Track. On paper you would think that on the Rigg Road route you would use more fuel as the distance is further, but do the harder conditions on the French Line increase the fuel consumption to counteract the extra distance on the Rigg Road?

This is the sort of specific information I am looking for so I can get a reasonable idea of which route I can plan. At the end of the day I will always er on the side of caution, I'll carry more fuel and take a shorter circuit as the conditions reveal themselves and in reality I guess this sort of question is a bit like asking how long is a piece of string as there are so many variables.

I appreciate your feedback and I have to say this is an excellent web site. It has to be because my wife keeps telling me to get off and do a bit of real work!!
Doesn't she realise research is work too??
Thanks,
Campy

Thanks Baz,
I had the William Creek and the Parachilna pubs on our agenda, but not the Farina camp ground, that sounds excellent. These old outback pubs are really special and I think need to be supported and for my boys aged 12 and 15, an eye opener to an almost lost part of Australian culture.

As much as I like a beer, on this trip,the coldies will have to wait till the end of the day, too many long, flat roads from Tassie to the Simpson, so I'll have to call in and have a lemonade and a feed, instead. Gone are the days when we would measure the distance from Darwin to Kathrine or wherever in the numbers of beers you could drink!(or do people still do that?)

One of the best pubs I have been to over the years is the Lions Den Hotel near Cooktown. Great place to camp at down the back near the creek and years ago the cows from the paddock next door would stick their heads through the window at the bar and bellow!!

The Humpty Doo Hotel near Darwin was a beauty too, especially when one of the locals would bring his brahman bull into the bar for a few drinks. That bull could out drink anyone!!Another time I saw a local with a 2 metre python around his neck, he approached everyone along the barand said ".Pat me snake." ,when one bloke told him to piss off, he slowly unwound the snake punched the bloke, then put the snake back around his neck and kept moving along the bar and asked the next bloke to "Pat me snake!" needless to say everyone else patted the snake after that!!

You see some funny things in country pubs!

Thanks for the advice Baz, and reckon you are never too old to get out amongst it mate.

Campy

Thanks Jeff,
That is very useful information, do you really think there could be an outside chance that the track will be open to Birdsville in early June? At this stage we are planning to get into Mt Dare around the 6th June, if the track is open we'll give it a go, otherwise we will do a circuit.
Reading through the forums and various books it sounds like the Simpson is very different depending on which route you take. Would you have a preferred route if you were going to do a circuit or the crossing? We have a max. of around 5 days, start to finish from Mt Dare and return or Mt Dare to Birdsville.
I hadn't realised the Pedirka Road was closed, so that means it will be back to Mt Dare for sure if we do the circuit.
Look forward to catching up if you're there when we come through.We are planning on meeting up with some old mates from Alice for a belated 50th Birthday celebration at Mt Dare so we may have to spend a couple of nights there!
Regards,
Campy.

Campy,

Unlikely that the Eyre Creek bypass will open by the time you that get there, so the route that you described would be my preferred route if I were going out for a look.

I may have to have a couple of ales with you as my 50th is in late May as well!

Jeff,
Again thanks for the info. I must admit I am a bit disappointed about the reality of not getting across the Simpson this year as we have been planning for a couple of years now, but to catch up with old mates and have a few quiet ales sound like a bloody good idea, I feel it may be a couple of nights at Mt Dare!
Looking forward to catching up with you.
Campy

Thanks MM,
Do you have any preferences on which route/s to take and the must see/visit parts of the Simpson? We will have around 4-5 days from Mt Dare. From previous good advice I think I'll take at least 80-100 litres of extra fuel which will give us a good range to and from Mt Dare.
Campy