Simpson Desert Roundtrip
The team:
Margaret & Peter in
OKA196
Gioia & David in a rented Toyota Troopy
us in OKANT01
Getting ready for the trip .... 4 weeks of supplies ....
Ready to roll ...?
1. night spot ..... Hancock's lookout ...... at sunset ......
.... in the morning ....
On the way north .....
Not much space for food and water here .....
Roxby Downs
(photo: P&M)
2. night spot ..... north of Roxby Downs ....
(photo: P&M)
Reaching the Oodnadatta track.....
.... photographer missing ......
... much better ....
Mount springs .....
... some hard-core cyclists .....
... some more dust .....
The weather does not look good ....
..... ups ......
3. night spot ..... Algebuckina Bridge .... a few rain drops during the night .....
Oodnadatta ...
... the pink roadhouse ..... last fuel .... and a new tyre .....
Will the rain catch up with us .....?
The first bull dust .....
4. night spot ..... Dalhousie Springs .....
(photo: P&M)
Some visitors .....
Dalhousie Springs ..... water temperature between 32 - 42 °C .....
(photo: P&M)
... life is hard .....
.... sun downer .....
... with some unwanted visitors ..... flies!!!!!!!
5. night spot ..... Dalhousie Springs .....
Towards Purni Bore ....
The first sand ....
Can be nasty if wet!
The first few dunes ...
... and its flora .....
... and fauna ...
The wetland has dried out ....
6. night spot ..... Purni Bore ...
... and another great sunset .....
We have reached the beginning of our adventure!
Hmmmm ....
... this makes a bit more sense ...
The first few dunes are easy ...
... then the OKAs have to lower their tyre pressure a bit more ....
Dune after dune ....
There are still some flowers left from the recent rains.
7. night spot ..... Colson Track / WAA Line ......
Now it gets serious!
(photo: P&M)
Sometimes it takes a bit more to cross the dunes .....
The axle sometime sinks down to the diff
in the extreme soft sand.
(photo: P&M)
... digging .....
.... snatching ....
.... not only for us .....
Idiots! As if it would decompose!
The good, the bad and the ugly .....
Radio announcement: "One Dingo and 3 vehicles heading east ....."
Another change in weather ....?
8. night spot ..... WAA Line ....
Beautiful weather again!
(photo: P&M)
... flies!!!!
Some repairs .....
(photo: P&M)
... has been bent upwards by 30° ...
Peter doing serious welding job ...
(photo: P&M)
Well done Peter! This will last for ever!
9. night spot ..... The Knolls ....
FLIES!!!!!!!!
Western Brown Snake .... very pretty ... quite dangerous ....
10. night spot ..... The Knolls ....
On the French Line now ....
The wind has blown the sand from the east in recent weeks making the crest of the dunes steep and very soft.
(photo: P&M)
The dunes are getting steeper and higher ....
We need a snatch .....
... every so often ....
Poeppel corner ...
11. night spot ..... QAA .... one tyre catches a nail ....
(photo: P&M)
Lucky! It did not go through!
Dingo ...
Lucky it is not wet anymore!
We are back on the main track .... traffic ....
... more traffic ....
Is he training for the Finke Desert Race .....?
(photo: P&M)
Dune after dune after dune .....
12. night spot ..... QAA Line .... Eyre Creek ....
The last few high dunes ...
(photo: P&M)
Finally: The Big Red!!
(photo: P&M)
View down from the Big Red
On top of Big Red ....
We did it!!!
... hmmmm .... they did it .....
The great team ....
Population: 115 (+/- 7000) ... love it!
 
Make sure no flies come in!!!!!!
The Birdsville Rodeo is on!
13. night spot ..... Birdsville ...
The Birdsville Track .....
Another hard-core cyclist ....
Walkers Crossing ..... Gibber plains ..... floating trees ....?
No, there is no lake out there! .... mirroring ... (fata morgana)
One can virtually see the curving of the earth!
No more need for the snatch strap!
14. night spot ..... Walkers Crossing ...
Technical problems .....
Bull dust .....
Innamincka ....
Looks good .....
..... yummy ....
.... tastes good too!!
Well deserved!
Mumba gas field ....
15. night spot ..... Klaus Bore ...
To view the full journal please click here.
Flinders Ranges - Googs Track - Gawlers Ranges
On the Birdsville Track south .....
... to Montecollina Bore .....
On the Arkaroola Road south, the Flinders Ranges in the back ...
Terrapinna Springs ..... very dry .....
... many dead kangaroos .....
The water seems to be off so they dig holes to get filtered water.
But there is much competition and every so often one drinks from the foul water .... probably the next casualty ....
Towards Mount Fitton
Mount Fitton ruins ....
Always interesting to have a look .....
... remains of the piano .....
In the Gammon Ranges
Towards Mount Freeling
Mount Freeling Station
Back on the Strzlecki Track an
oversize transport comes .... we better get out of the way!
Some travellers have problems with flat tyres ...
The last spare is also damaged and needs repair.
We get this great sticker as "thanks".
Leigh Creek Mine .... being rehabilitated ....
... the town not looking too healthy ....
Early in the morning towards Mount Serle ....
On the Umberatana Road into the Gammon Ranges
Towards Idninha Spring ...
(photo: Gioia)
(photo: Gioia)
Mainwater Well
Wurtupa Loop Track ....
... Gammon Yards to Loch Ness Well ... one way track ...
(photo: Gioia)
... one of the better 4x4 tracks we have driven ....
(photo: Gioia)
Up hill to Gill's Lookout ...
... quite steep at times ...
Bunyip Chasm Hiking Trail
On the way to Balcanoona ...
Bunkers Conservation Reserve
Bunyeroo Gorge Scenic Drive
Heysen Range
South again .... back on the bitumen ...
By coincidence we arrive 5 minutes before the Pitchi Richi Train crosses ...
480 km later .... Ceduna ..... beautiful camp spot ...
Googs track
Googs Lake
sunset ....
sunrise ...
Dinger and Googs grave
The Googs track is called "little Simpson Desert" ...
The woops are asymmetrical ..... make you seasick ..
Towards Tarcoola
Kingoonya
Towards Wirulla .... Major Mitchell's cockatoo ...
Towards Hiltaba Nature Reserve
Gawler Ranges National Park
Venus Bay
The group ....
Woolshed Cave
The tub
Lake Newland Conservation Park
(photo: Gioia)
Ups ....
... the Toyota can't get through .....
We decide to try the beach .... it's high tide so no worries ...
... was a bad idea .....
The sand really is extremely soft, even when wet!
Thanks for the help
We had to lower the tyres to10 PSI
... peeled the tyre off the rim .... destroyed it ...
The rain is coming!!!!
Just made it ....
Great Ocean Tourist Drive, Elliston
Birdseye Highway
Hancook's Lookout
The last sunset for this trip ...
Bridal Track
Back in Adelaide ... cleaning the Troopy .....
|
Created by Level X Webdesign
