Simpson Desert July 2009

Yeah I'm slack I know - still finishing the trip report and very busy at work etc - and then away with the club this weekend. I'll get there soon!
 
This is how we crossed:

https://www.openroad.com.au/travel_4wd_simpsondesertcrossing.asp


Sydney / Bathurst / West Wyalong

We set the convoy meeting time at a reasonable 10 am at McHattie Park Bathurst. Chilly, wet conditions (quite miserable really) greeting my arrival along with the news via CB that our trip leader, John, had a problem with his car (makes a squealing sound going downhill) so he was off to a workshop to check it out. The rest of us met at Elie’s café opposite the park where coffees and the warmth were very welcoming. Eventually we heard from John that his car has a leaky exhaust header gasket and as none was available locally we would head out.

Off we went towards West Wyalong. The participants were John, Series II Land Rover Discovery, his wife Linda in her Suzuki Jimny and their boys Dillion and Caleb; Andrezj and Iwona (pronounced Evona) in the Range Rover; brothers Dean & Scott in a Nissan Navara and Dean’s sons Clinton and Brad also in a Navara and of course yours truly in the Forester.

Upon arrival in West Wyalong Caravan Park we all decided to take cabins because of the wet and cold. We had dinner at a local pub (Tattersalls Hotel) and celebrated Caleb’s birthday.

https://www.gdaypubs.com.au/NSW/west+wyalong.html


West Wyalong / Mildura

On the trip to Mildura I noticed a strange resonance from the rear of the vehicle and after reading all the forum posts about rear diffs and rear wheel bearings it was a bit worrying and so the following morning, suspecting a rear wheel bearing problem, I went to the local Subie dealer, Auto Synergy, where the foreman mechanic, Will, took it for a short drive in the lot and confirmed it was a rear wheel bearing. They put it on the hoist and reconfirmed that it was the right side rear.


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SO, did they have the parts, could they fix it that day?

It turned out, lucky me, that they had the parts in stock (a 2 day wait otherwise) and by shuffling some work they could commence the repair at 12:30. I drove back to inform the group that I would catch up at Port Augusta later that night. I wandered into the heart of Mildura and had a great buffet breakfast, did a little shopping and had a bit of a look around to fill in time.
Also, John had no luck finding a replacement gasket in Mildura so he ordered one to pick up in Port Augusta.

I waited at Auto Synergy while they fixed the car and began my journey to Port Augusta at 3:15 pm. (A big “thanks” to Will and his team) The drive was uneventful and I arrived at the caravan park about 10 pm.


Port Augusta / Marree

By unlucky coincidence, the address for the parts shop in Port Augusta had the same street name as the same named parts shop in Adelaide – guess where John’s gasket went – yep – Adelaide! So he’d have to make arrangements later on for it to be redirected to Sydney. I rejoined the group for some last minute shopping before heading off to Marree, the Oodnadatta Track and our first bush camp.

(https://www.pleasetakemeto.com/australia/south-australia/flinders-ranges-and-outback/information/location/oodnadatta-track).
 
The Flinders Ranges were spectacular and we made a quick detour into one of the gorges for lunch.

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Fortunately we had stopped and refuelled the petrol cars at Leigh Creek because we discovered on arrival in Marree that unleaded had run out and they were waiting for a tanker to arrive. (Brought back to mind the general advice to never count on a fuel stop out in the bush and to always carry sufficient fuel to make it to a subsequent supply.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marree,_South_Australia

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We visited and were amused by the Lake Eyre Yacht Club building and the obvious sense of humour of those who managed it (https://www.lakeeyreyc.com). We also found out that viewing of the water in Lake Eyre (that rarely completely fills) could only be seen by taking a trip in a light plane from William Creek.

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We were warned that a strong wind was predicted so we were careful to set up camp outside of Marree in a relatively protected spot. It was an uneventful night and we enjoyed the first of many campfires. It was quite peaceful to be by ourselves away from towns, caravan parks etc and the sunset, moonrise and stars were spectacular!

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Marree / William Creek / Oodnadatta

Linda’s Jimny had a tyre go flat overnight, so just prior to our morning departure, a quick wheel swap and repair with a tyre plug and we were set to go.

We stopped off at William Creek hotel for a lunch break (https://www.williamcreekhotel.net.au/). It was a hive of activity with pub visitors and a busy workshop.

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The gibber roads were rough in places and threatening to rip our tyres apart and then we had to cope with the idiots who refuse to slow down when passing in the opposite direction. One such clown in a large 4WD and trailer threw a huge rock at me and as I saw it heading in my direction I thought “here goes my windscreen”! There was a very loud “bang” – my windscreen was still intact and I thought that was lucky. However, on my arrival in Oodnadatta, I discovered a substantial ding in the bonnet which obviously had taken the brunt of the impact and the rock had then ricocheted across the LH edge of the windscreen leaving some scrape marks behind – bugger!

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We were disappointed with the Pink Roadhouse in Oodnadatta where we had planned to have our evening meal. We did however take advantage of a $3 shower before heading off to a bush camp. It was at the roadhouse where I bumped into Andrew (XT_out_west) in his Triton on holidays with his family – small world.

After showering and deciding that we would not come back for dinner that night, some of us headed out of town to search out a suitable camping spot. When one was located I stayed near the edge of the road to direct others into the site. While waiting for everyone, I had walked away from the car to the edge of the road and, as I walked back towards the car, I noticed oil on the edge of the sump guard. Closer inspection revealed that the LHS cam seal was leaking, badly too! I removed the sump guard later and confirmed the diagnosis – the engine took a litre of oil and I thought if this oil consumption continues I would have to turn back and won’t be able to cross the Simpson.

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Oodnadatta / Mt Dare

Good news that now we were travelling at much slower pace the car was not using any, or very little, oil and so I am able to continue on the trip but still had to monitor regularly to make sure it was OK. Our run into Mt Dare was uneventful; on our arrival it was quite hot and the flies were unbelievable – they attacked your eyes and impossible to chase away (ski goggles next time!). I filled 1 x 20L and 4 x 10L jerry cans in preparation for the desert crossing and then had a bite to eat.


Dalhousie Springs

Just prior to our arrival at the springs, the gibber rocks claimed one of the Rangie’s tyres by tearing a hole in the sidewall. I checked my oil and all was good – phew – because this is where I would’ve turned around if the problem continued. The camp ground was pretty full but we managed to find 3 x 2 car spots not too far from each other. After setting up camp most went and enjoyed the warm spring waters – just like a bath – except for the little fish that came nibbling at everyone (cleaning off the dead skin I imagine).

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That evening we sat around the camp fire and were joined by a park ranger doing research on dingoes in the area. He provided us with a fantastic understanding of the local dingoes and their behaviour and so was time well spent. Overnight Andrezj & Iwona had contemplated turning back because of being down to one spare for the Rangie but ultimately everyone agreed they should push on.

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After a lovely morning swim in the warm waters (and more little fish nibbling at us) we headed off to Dalhousie Ruins. Very interesting seeing the remnants of the station and it made one wonder as to why on earth they would build out here!

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Not far out of Dalhousie I hit a series of harsh ruts and bent a rear strut (brand new too – ouch!) which caused the top of the tyre to rub against the spring perch. Took a while to initially diagnose and then apply a bush-mechanic’s repair where we removed the upper strut bolt and substituted a smaller diameter bolt so we could change the camber of the wheel and thereby move the tyre away from the spring perch. Another bolt bashed in between the strut body and the hub prevented the strut from moving back towards the perch. So, we didn’t get a far as planned that day!
 
Purni Bore

We stopped at Purni Bore for lunch and most took advantage of the single shower which after several sessions started to run warm. I took a wander around the wetlands that were abundant with birdlife; there were hundreds of zebra finches in the bushes.

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It was during this day that John discovered a rear suspension air bag was leaking on the Discovery. Repairs by the side of the track did not work and so we headed off to the Lone Gum (a lone coolibah tree in the middle of the desert) to find a suitable spot for our planned 2 night stop-over. Along the way we encountered a couple of locals:

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That night we had wild winds and rain, I thought I would awake in a puddle of water but it had all soaked into the desert. Unfortunately, John & Linda’s roof-top tent let in some water and they got a bit wet.

During our rest day John worked on his car most of the day – to no avail as it turned out the following morning when we prepared for departure; the air bag was still leaking. I reorganised my car, took pics and, as I had erected my shower tent I decided to splurge and use a little water to have a shower which was great – except I had left my towel hanging around the back of the shower tent – so had to do a quick nudie run to retrieve it. Our second night at this spot was much calmer.





After our mid desert stop we continued East in what turned out to be a big day. Following a clash with a bad rut at the end of a salt flat I discovered the other rear strut had bent. Based on our previous experience the bush-mechanic remedy was soon put to effect and we were under way again. We stopped at Poepell Corner (where NT, Qld & SA state lines meet) and then headed for Eyre Creek to which we were looking forward as we’d heard that the bypass (that had to be taken due to water depth & mud at the usual crossing) was very pretty, tall grasses, flowers and lots of bird life.


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Our cars really copped a pounding on the bypass track, at one point my car took a nose dive and I was so sure “something” would’ve been damaged that I stopped for a look – all was OK (or so I thought – after my return to Sydney my radiator blew its stack which I attribute to that dive in the desert). With lack of rear suspension John discovered lots of broken items in his rear drawers – it was a real mess!

The two petrol vehicles were getting low on fuel and the difficult drive to Eyre Creek didn’t help. When we reached our camp site my fuel light had been on for 35 klm and I had one 10L jerry can left; Birdsville was 85 klm away so I wasn’t sure if I would make it. The Jimny was in a similar position – so we had to decide if we would press on or put my fuel in the Jimny – we decided to press on. Eyre Creek was as beautiful as we’d heard, plenty of water and a lovely spot for a relaxing stay after a hard drive.


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Big Red & Birdsville

So, it’s Thursday; John spent some time reorganising his load and Clinton made some temporary repairs to his 2nd battery’s bent tray and broken bracket - no rush to leave this lovely place (which in itself could be a trip destination) and after a late start we head off to our final challenge. A bit more dune driving (someone lost count a couple of days ago at 900!) and we reached Big Red. On our arrival a 60 series Landcruiser was preparing to give it a go – didn’t make it the first time but was successful on the second attempt (they were fully loaded). The Landcruiser perched on top for a while then came back East to West (they were playing) and stopped for a chat during which we determined the best way to tackle the dune.

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The Jimny, two Navaras and Foz were soon on top – and first go!

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However, there seemed to be some delay with the Land Rovers – we soon heard over the radio that the Discovery had run out of fuel.

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After some play on top, a Navara went back down to collect John and then they and the Rangie ascended Big Red.

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With some shuffling of loads to accommodate everyone we descended the East face and then aired up for our run into Birdsville. While airing up an elderly couple in an older Triton got themselves stuck on the crest of Big Red – they picked the wrong place to stop! I thought one of us may have to go up and give them a hand but with some shovelling and lots of cussin’ they managed to free themselves. The woman was behind the wheel and she began to turn sideways and I thought “holy crap she going to roll it” but the guy was screaming at her to straighten up – which she did and then went all the way down the dune and left him to walk down; very entertaining J

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As we headed into Birdsville I was sweating on my fuel supply – but I made it – just. As I made a left hand turn to head for the caravan park the car spluttered – so another immediate left turn got me into a conveniently placed service station to refuel – phew!

Late lunch at the Birdsville bakery and then a very welcome shower was followed by a drink overlooking the water at the caravan park and then a very enjoyable evening at the Birdsville pub. After farewelling the group I retired at a reasonable hour in preparation for my early morning departure to head home.

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Birdsville to Charleville

I was under way by 0615; almost had to feel my way out of the caravan park as dew had settled on the inside of my windscreen (left moon roof open overnight). The Birdsville Developmental Rd was a good gravel road and while darkness remained the driving was easy – but – as soon as dawn began the road was very hard to see as I was heading east and the glare on the horizon left a black void in front of me. As the sun rose the surrounding light increased which made the driving a little easier and I was thankful to a couple of cars that passed in the opposite direction because their dust trail hung in the air and, lit up by the sun, it was a perfect guide for me to follow the road.

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I had a breakfast stop atop Deon’s Lookout where I met some guys returning home from a charity ride to Lake Eyre. Spectacular view from this lookout where I also met a really friendly willy wag-tail who constantly approached me.

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Shortly after reaching the tar of the Diamantina Developmental Road I aired up and only then really felt my trip home was now under way.

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After 830 klm I arrived in Charleville and stayed overnight at the Waltzing Matilda motel – just as well I thought as the news that night announced they were going to have the coldest overnight temperature since August 2008. Had a great pizza from the Blue Dolphin café and was fantastic to shower and be indoors for a changes.

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By 0630 at -2C I headed for home – 15 hours later and 1100+ klm, with a few stops along the way, I arrived home exhausted but very pleased to have saved another day on the road.

We saw many other sights along the way, too much for inclusion here and it was a great adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed with a great bunch of people!

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Now that's what I call a great trip report. :rock:
Sounds & looks like it was an adventure of a life time. :raz:
It was most certaintly worth the wait to see & hear all about it. :biggrin: :) :biggrin:

Regards
Mr Turbo
 
Kevin, excellent trip report mate. Can't wait to do it in the foz. Great pictures and glad to see the forester went just as well as the other 4x4's!

defiently worth the wait! LOL
 
Now that's what I call a great trip report. :rock:
Sounds & looks like it was an adventure of a life time. :raz:
It was most certaintly worth the wait to see & hear all about it. :biggrin: :) :biggrin:

Regards
Mr Turbo

X2!!!:cool:

Thanks Kevin, Incredibly Awesome!!!:ebiggrin:
 
first of all! it's about bloody time:ebiggrin: secondly, that was friggin awesome.
loved every word and pic. well done Kev. you should turn it into a novel;):biggrin:
 
Thanks folks - glad you like it!
 
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