Simpson Desert via Geosurveys Hill Feedback

Submitted: Monday, May 23, 2011 at 21:55

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Simpson Desert via Geosurveys Hill

From the stone workings of our ancient aboriginal past to the routes undertaken for the old oil exploration surveys, this very remote one-way trek starting at Mount Dare to Birdsville is for

Simpson Desert via Geosurveys Hill

Section: Treks

From the stone workings of our ancient aboriginal past to the routes undertaken for the old oil exploration surveys, this very remote one-way trek starting at Mount Dare to Birdsville is for

Member - Dean and Sue S

WE are looking to travel on the Madigans Line in early July and was wondering if anyone else was doing the same, or if there is someone that has done the trip recently, any advice?

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Reply By: rainbowprof - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 01:12

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 01:12

Dean
I'm expecting to be at Dalhousie-Mt Dare mid-July and could be interested in that route. I'm in a 1998 Troopie. I saw pictures of others towing a heavy duty trailer there (on this site). Do you think that's feasible (to carry extra water and fuel...)? How long do you think you might take for the trip? Expect to make it through to Birdsville? email me at myersclan@gmail.com

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Follow Up By: Ozhumvee - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 07:41

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 07:41

Forget the trailer, it will be hard enough on the vehicle without towing anything.
Geosurveys is harder than the Madigan line. What tracks there are will be even more overgrown than ever due to lots of rain over the last 12 months.

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Reply By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 07:59

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 07:59

Hi Dean and Sue

There are two ways to access Geosurvey Hill, and easy way, well compare to the harder way.

The easy way is to head down from the Madigan Line, for which Geosurvey Hill is not a part of the original Madigan section, or 100% pure cross country from the Colson Track.

A word of note that both trips should "NEVER" be considered by someone that has no experience with true remote travel. Break down out there and kiss good buy to your vehicle. Also the trip is a one way trip, west to east because of the nature of the dunes.

There are a lot of people that think it is just another extension of the already numerous tracks that criss cross through the Simpson, "WRONG".

These tracks soon sort the men from the boys out very quickly.

Make sure you have done your homework and have every base covered, including extra fuel and water.

Great trips, but not for the faint hearted or the ill prepared.

Cheers

Stephen

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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 09:37

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 09:37

Got to agree with you Stephen, we did the line last year and it was hard going. (even with the help of Gordan's book)

Not a lot of people travel this route and the track in areas is no existent, we had one in our group who was leading using a Hema navigator and the track detail was very poor..... we ended up travelling first for a while because we were running a laptop with better mapping.

In the previous 12 months when we went through there were only 8 other vehicles that had gone through camp 13, and there was the heart felt note left by 3 guy in tow Hilux's that read "WE ARE LOST, WE DON"T KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE OR WHERE WE ARE, WE ARE HEADING TO ALICE AND HAVE VERY LITTLE FUEL" they left there full names and a list of contact numbers.... lucky for them 2 ladies on a cancer walk stumbled upon them and gave them assistance and made sure they made it to Mt. Dare.

This is a real reality check and it could of been a much different out come, this happened 8 months before we went through and other then the two ladies we were the next lot who went through....... if the ladies didn't find these guys 8 month previously we may of stumbled across two Hilux's with 3 dead guys.

As you said it's hard going.

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Follow Up By: Member - Trouper (NSW) - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 18:17

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 18:17

olcoolone,

You mentioned 'Gordan's book' can you give more details on that?

regards....jeff

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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 19:21

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 19:21

Gordans book is not commercial available, Phil did a trip with him I think in 2006 and Gordan did a lot of research and wrote a book about 100 and something pages.

It covered the History and track details.

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Follow Up By: olcoolone - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 19:23

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 19:23

Sorry meant Phil G ...... got him and Phil G mixed up so Stephen is asking the same question...... Who's Gordan.

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Reply By: Crackles - Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 22:22

Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 22:22

"Any advice?"
*Don't travel the route alone. 4 cars would be ideal.
*Unlike other popular Simpson tracks further south this is more like an endurance event than an outback tour.
*You need to be completely self sufficient especially mechanically.
To be honest I wonder if any trip leader asking for advice on a forum 6 weeks out is prepared for a remote route such as this??
Hope your trip goes well Dean & Sue.
Cheers Craig.................

AnswerID: 455390

Follow Up By: Member - Stephen L (Clare SA) - Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 09:12

Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at 09:12

Hi Craig

How true with your last statement

"To be honest I wonder if any trip leader asking for advice on a forum 6 weeks out is prepared for a remote route such as this?? "

When we did our trips, they were 12 and 24 months in the preparation, with the Geo the hardest by a country mile. From all my contacts, I was only able to details from one great chap in Melbourne regarding Geosurvey Hill.

Cheers

Stephen

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