Simpson Desert - 2013 - No more camp fires

Whoops. I am having a bad day. Jack is correct. But I wonder if it could "migrate" to the Simpson.

Phil

We used some that was already half burnt in the same hole.

Try this one.

My sense of direction is haywire - I meant the Gidgee firewood over the eastern half!!!

It just bugs me for a while then I have a cuppa. Life's too short to worry about it.

We loved the lack of traffic. Saw only one car in the first two days.

Going back next year. And still taking the wood from hume. It is so much easier and a lot better to burn and get good coals for the roasted rack of lamb. Who said camping is roughing it.

Catchya

Phil

(Bunnings wood)"a lot better to burn and get good coals for the roasted rack of lamb"
Surely you jest PJ. Slow growing desert wood is unbeatable for the camp oven.
Cheers Craig................

I cannot argue with that because I have not burnt any "slow growing desert wood". The only "desert wood that I have burnt was junk left at the camp area or some trash left by the last camper. Not in the habit of collecting wood. We just throw a few bags on the roof rack at home before we go. Less chance of getting a car full of ants. And I have seen that and don't want it. One bag will usually do us three nights.

Cheers

Phil

Theres no simple or ideal answer.
Bringing in firewood from elsewhere brings in weeds and pests from other parts of the country, which is a bigger threat than wood depletion.

My preference is to collect wood during the day from well outside common campsites where there is plenty of firewood. And if they ban fires in an area, I simply put up or bypass it.

We are certainly not greenies but we take home what we do not use.

Thats only common sense. Thats how stuuff like Ruby Flock and the rest get spread. Nah Take it from home and take out what you take in.

And how many do not do what they preach. That makes my just as annoyed as those mongrels on the TV.

And thats all I will say on both subjects.

Cheers

You can have the worry about fires. Did you try HF? Or was that the 60 channel radio. We only had the UHF and the satphone which was almost demanded by my doctor. I got the old ham HF sets out last week and may put them in for the Canning. I don't know yet.

We met a bunch at Mt Dare who were going up to the madigan line. Doing that solo would be a good trip. Someone told us the WAA line was the hardest.Well that was like ared flag to a bull. We went in at Purnie and slipped down to the WAA Line across to Lone Gum (and his mates) then up to exit via the QAA Line. It was a continuous run of heavily undulated and overgrown interdune tracks with quite a bit of build up on the dunes. But I wouldn't call it hard going. Just take it easy and you get a good drive and lots or arm workout on te way. It was kind of a let down as far as a "hard drive" was concerned. But don't get me wrong. We will be back.

Phil

Hi Phil
Yes, we have also Iridium satellite phone with SMS option, two 80 channels hand held UHF radio and one 60 channels built in with 1.8m whip antenna. Than we have Panasonic Toughbook CF 31 GPS connected and satellite broadband. So we are pretty good when it comes to calling for help. But when is comes to bushfires, they would be much quicker than any outside help. But at least our vehicle is diesel. We always double-up…second GPS we have VMS and we have also old Magellan Explorist (I hate this one, so we bought a proper thing).

Madigan Line is very hard on hands and that includes passengers…not only driver. If you can imagine, driving different hight of moguls in 4WD in stud of skiing them, that is closest description for most of track. You have to hold your self for days in seat.
We were quite shocked with those cameras on Purnie Bore….what’s next? I don’t thing we will go back to Simpson very soon….there are parts of Australia we haven’t seen yet, and places you just adore to go back like Sandy Blight Junction Road and it’s beautiful forests of desert and she oaks.
We went Canning some time ago and we could still legally see Calvert Range. It was very interesting. We are just wondering why, authorities closed Calvert Range to public? Is it because there are pre-aboriginal petroglyphs and aboriginal descriptions?, Why are these called art anyway, when so called arts are messages, teaching and learning tools and maps? Why are they called art, and we don’t call hieroglyphs art? Isn’t it strange? Is it because originally white people just assumed they only pictures that meant nothing?
These days in some parts of Canning is quite big traffic…but if you wonder to sidetracks such is beautiful Diebel Hills you are most probably on your own, and it is beautiful there.
Hoo Roo Dana

Hi Dada

Re the satphone. It's ONLY for emergencies, not for idle chit chat, and to send the occasional GPS location back home. Apart from that it is switched off.

I just don't understand why people want to take, I should say irrefutably have to take the internet with them. Strange. It's as if their lives depend on it.

I don't even use the mobile at home so not interested in SMS, emails etc or any data (internet) comms. Just like the isolation. The kids are independant and if the house burns down there isn't anything I can do about it.

But we are all different. And OT so I will go.

Thanks for the words on the Canning. I hope that it will happen before my cancer gets the better of me and the doctors efforts. That's why the satphone.

Phil

Hi Phil,
Yes, you right about sat. phone…it is switched off, we have it also for possible emergency. Our satellite broadband is very useful for resent localized weather updates, conditions roads/tracks. Our family and friends don’t even know we have internet with us! We strongly value the isolation.
I hope you could do this for long time yet…good luck!
Hooroo Dana