Help needed with planning Outback tour in July

Submitted: Monday, May 09, 2011 at 22:11
ThreadID: 86181 Views:3355 Replies:4 FollowUps:2
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Gretings all My Mrs and I are planning a trip in July During the School holidays first 2 weeks Sydney to Sydney. I don't think we have time to do a good Simpson Crossing but I thought we could tour about a bit any way. We will have 5 or 6 other cars with us.

Here is the starting itinerary.

Sydney to Nyngan 02/07/11
582 km
via Gt Western Hwy & Mitchell Hwy
Refuel: Sydney
(713km next refuel)
Camp: Florida rest area

Nyngan to Milparinka 03/07/11
695 km
via Wilcannia & White Cliffs Depot Glen
Refuel: Cobar
(603km)
Stay: Milparinka

Milparinka to Innamincka 04/07/11
405 km
via Tibooburra & Strzelecki Track
- Camerons Corner
Refuel: Tibooburra
(366km) 7d 7-9pm
Stay: Cooper Ck

Innamincka Area 05/07/11
- B&W Graves
- Dig Tree
Refuel: Innamincka
(512km) 7d 7-7pm
Stay: Cooper Ck

Innamincka to Birdsville 06/07/11
512 km
via Betoota
- Haddons Corner
- Waddi Trees
Refuel: Birdsville
(553km) 7d 6-6pm
Stay: ???

Birdsville to Poppels Cnr 07/07/11
175 km
via QAA Line
- Big Red

That puts us about halfway into the trip. I'm still working on the return portion
Iam thinking about from Poppels cnr south on the K1 line 87 kilometers then west on the Rig Road 108 kilometers north on Knolls track for 43 kilometers and then east on the French line back to Poppels crn for 77kilometers. for a 315 kilometer loop. This plus 175 Kilometers from Birdsville each way is a total of 565 kilometers in the Desert between fuel stops both at Birdsville. Has any one else done this loop and thoughts about it? and or return ideas to Sydney?

Thank you.

Ruth and Chris
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Reply By: SIF4X4 - Monday, May 09, 2011 at 22:45

Monday, May 09, 2011 at 22:45
Hi Ruth and Chris

Your planning is OK up to Innamincka but after that your have problems.
At this point in time the road to Arrabury is closed at the Cooper Crossing Innamincka. The Innamincka Campground is flooded as well. BTW the Old Strzelecki Track is closed as well

The same goes for access into the Simpson from Birdsville. The desert is flooded. It is unclear when the desert tracks will open.

Look here for info http://www.transport.sa.gov.au/quicklinks/northern_roads/northern.asp

And it is Poeppel Corner named after Augustus Poeppel, Surveyor :-)

Cheers

Spero
AnswerID: 453792

Follow Up By: Christiaan J - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 06:34

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 06:34
Thank you Spero

We are planning as if it were to dry up enough come July. We will have to come up with a secondary and probably third alternative if it doesn't dry up enough. However we would like to still try and get some feedback on the trip as planned so if it does become passable we have some options.

Ruth and Chris
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FollowupID: 726635

Reply By: sweetnam - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 08:07

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 08:07
HI

You have some big days there, Milparinka to Innaminka - although only 400k's on the map - it is a big drive.

We are doing the Simpson in July but have reversed our plan to give everything time to dry out

1. Syd to Cobar

2 & 3 Broken Hill looking around

4 Wilpina Pound

5 & 6 Williams Creek

7 & 8 Coober Pedy

9 Ghan

10 & 11 Uluru

12 Kings Canyon

13 Ormiston Gorge

14, 15 & 16 Alice

17 Chambers Pillar

18 & 19 Dalhousie

20 to 23 Simspon (Combination of all 3 lines to see everything)

24 Birdsville

25 Innaminka

26 Cameron Corner

27 & 28 While Cliffs

29 Nyngan

30 Home

We have a lot of young kids on the trip so we are taking our time and having down days to play. But it also means it will be late July before we look at Big Red, Birdsville and Innaminka so hopefully it has dried out enought.

Every day more and more tracks are opening up, but the Birdsville/Innaminka will still take quite a while.

the word is Coongie Lakes is out for all of 2011

B
AnswerID: 453818

Follow Up By: Member - barbara M (NSW) - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 16:28

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 16:28
Totally agree, we took one day to drive from innaminka to tiboburra and that was the second time we had done it so we didn't check out the national park, we stayed in the caravan park it was really cheap for a non powered site, there is so much more to see out there than you think
barb
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FollowupID: 726674

Reply By: Baz&Pud (Tassie) - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 09:08

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 09:08
Hi Ruth & Chris
Sounds like a great trip, we have covered a lot of what you have planed.
Only problem i can see is you are going to be driving all the time and won't have any time to look around and enjoy where you are going/have been.
When driving in the outback 100ks seems like 200ks, so you have a couple of big days in front of you.
Enjoy the trip, it's great country out there.
Cheers
Baz
Go caravaning, life is so much shorter than death.

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AnswerID: 453822

Reply By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 16:39

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 16:39
Hi Guys

We did that Simpson loop in 2009 just after sandstorm as described in thread 72318.

It only took 3 days plus a couple for the drive up from melbourne.
Robin Miller

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