As I compiled the 12 posts on our Simpson Desert crossing photos from the other nine cameras drifted in. Those from Patsy and Don, however, arrived after the series was complete. Their collection contains some excellent landscapes I certainly would have used, had they been available. This selection tells the story of our crossing with links to the earlier posts in the headings. Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing: photos from Patsy and Don
Tag Archives: Simpson Desert
Simpson Desert crossing 10: Cooper’s Creek to Emerald
Len remembered a perfect camping place on Cooper’s Creek from a trip he’d taken with a friend a few years ago, so we eschewed the main camping area and headed down a side-track on the left. When we got there it just didn’t look right. We decided to walk through the bush along the river bank looking for the spot. After about 10 minutes we found it. Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 10: Cooper’s Creek to Emerald
Simpson Desert crossing 9: Birdsville to Windorah
Our task for the day was to drive a mere 389 km from Birdsville to Windorah, not a long way. Progress initially was slow with further horrendous corrugations and driving outside the guide posts: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 9: Birdsville to Windorah
Simpson Desert crossing 8: Birdsville
Birdsville has a permanent population of 115 and is the main centre within the Diamantina Shire with a population of some 322. After crossing Big Red and finding what passes for a road we travelled through some extremely desolate country: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 8: Birdsville
Simpson Desert crossing 7: Big Red
Big Red is the last and biggest of over 1100 sandhills you have to cross in a west-east crossing of the Simpson Desert. Standing some 34 metres above the plain it presents a considerable challenge. Here is what it looked like to us coming down the penultimate sandhill: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 7: Big Red
Simpson Desert crossing 6: Day 5
Margot was up early, grabbing a coffee and warming herself with the already rekindled fire: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 6: Day 5
Simpson Desert crossing 5: Day 4
Ian took this photo of the camp site about 8.25am. It shows how dry the place was and how insignificant we were in the vast desert expanse. Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 5: Day 4
Simpson Desert crossing 4: Day 3
We woke once again to a setting moon. Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 4: Day 3
Simpson Desert crossing 3: Day 2
Mt Dare, Dalhousie Springs and Purni Bore are all in the Witjira National Park. Early on Day 2 we crossed into the Simpson Desert Regional Reserve, the main practical difference to us being that we could now have a camp fire. Within the first hour we came upon the man with his front wheel off I mentioned in this post: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 3: Day 2
Simpson Desert crossing 2: Purni Bore
We arrived at Purni Bore late on Day 1 of the Simpson Desert crossing after a long day. This photo was taken at 5.21 pm according to the camera: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 2: Purni Bore
Simpson Desert crossing 1: Mt Dare to Purni Bore
It was a long day, our first day in the desert, with some severe landscapes and four bodies of water. Within the first hour we had our first technical hitch (see earlier post) where a tap on our largest water container turned itself on, watering the road with about 17 litres of water before we remedied the situation: Continue reading Simpson Desert crossing 1: Mt Dare to Purni Bore
Red Centre Holiday: living was easy in the Simpson Desert
Nothing is more emblematic of living during our Simpson Desert crossing than gathering around the camp fire at night. In memory we did it a half a dozen times. Actually it was only three out of our four nights as a group in the desert, plus once on the way over at Jervois Station and at Cooper’s Creek on the way home. Continue reading Red Centre Holiday: living was easy in the Simpson Desert