This post follows Red Centre holiday: overview.
To cross the Simpson Desert you need a pass which cost us $150 per vehicle. I understand that about 15 vehicles a day* do the trip, so it is not an entirely exceptional thing to do. However, it is not routine either and requires careful planning. Continue reading Red Centre holiday: the challenge of the Simpson Desert crossing
Last year, Eoin, a friend of my brother Len’s from university days, being newly retired, hatched a plan to drive across the Simpson Desert, as you do! Eoin’s wife Betty is not a camper, but agreed to go. Len was keen also, but his Nissan X-trail doesn’t do deserts. Len’s son Geoff offered his 15 year-old Nissan Navara twin cab, so the trip became a possibility for Len. Len recalled my wife Margot saying she’d like to see Simpson Desert before she turned 70, so he invited her. Since Len’s wife Nola doesn’t do camping, then yes there would be room for me, should I so desire, although it was well known that I was a very reluctant camper at best and had mostly avoided it in my 70-plus years.
I agreed to give it a go. Continue reading Red Centre holiday: overview
That’s not how it happened – there are no caravans crossing the Simpson Desert – but it’s how it felt! The image is a scan of a card I bought in the Birdsville Bakery. I almost bought this one too by John Murray.
Got back on Wednesday, but it took me 27 hours to log on. Still sorting myself out. Working out how to pay for the holiday, dealing with 571 emails and about 1500 photos we took on the trip.
About 7000 km at a leisurely pace over 26 days. 100 km was a good day in the desert!
Wednesday night Mark was in town and filled us in on happenings in the world. We did hear about Hockey’s foot in mouth in the middle of the desert but not much else. As Mark said, it wasn’t the worst thing that happened in the world, unfortunately.
Hope to be back posting properly next week!
On Saturday 26, July Len and I together with my wife are setting out for Alice Springs and points beyond, returning via the Simpson’s Desert. Len’s wife is doing the smart thing and flying out to the Alice to join us there. If we return it will be on 19 or 20 August. This week my thoughts are turning in that direction with increasing excitement and some trepidation. So blogging might be sporadic this week. After that I won’t be looking at a computer screen until we get back.
(Image from here.)
I will set up the Saturday Salon posts ahead of time, but with no topical input from me, as I’m not clairvoyant!
I’m not usually a happy camper, and have avoided it most of my life, but we’ve invested in modern gear including sleeping bags rated to -10°C. I think a howling westerly and a sand storm would be the most unpleasant. We’ll be doing the desert crossing in a convoy of five, with all sorts of emergency and recovery equipment. No-one in the group has actually done it before, but the detail of planning engenders a deal of confidence, so here’s hoping!
The ‘featured image’ on the front page is from here.
