BACK IN BIRDSVILLE FROM THE SIMPSON DESERT TRIP

Woww...That about sums up my experience over the last 4 days driving through the Simpson Desert.

I went on the track that runs west of Birdsville for some 500-600 k's west through the Simpson desert. The first 30 k's is dirt, then you come to BIG RED, a 30 metre sand dune that is a big local tourist attraction. After gettin over big red its all desert country. The next 110 k's takes you to the Northern Territory border, then I went another 20 k's along a dry lake and across a few k's of dunes to Poeppels corner. This where the three states of NT/SA/QLD meet. See the map below

The simpson desert is similar to Fraser Island where I have driven a lot at. Lots of sand driving except the dunes are mostly red and higher. It is also slow going, average 20-30 k's an hour so the 170 one way trip takes 8-9 hours to do. Its also a lot more remote than Fraser Island but you still see the occasional groups of 4wd drivers crossing the desert and motorbikes and dingoes..

The silver flash easily made it up and down the high dunes. I was impressed. I had the tyres down to 20 going out there and 15 on the way back to ensure ease of access across the dunes. The Simpson desert trip would have to be one of the top highlights of my gap year so far.

TOMORROW I am heading nrth approx 250 k's from Birdsville to Diamantina Nat Park which is also in Qld. Then going south back some 400 k's into South AUS to Innamincka area for a few weeks. Cool place there, went there last year, on the cooper creek.

Hey I took a video as I drove over some dunes so you could experience the fun times with me.

Click here for your simpson desert virtual driving experience http://youtu.be/q5Y8PTbDsIg

Heres som pics of my desert experience. CLICK ON ANY PIC TO GET A FULL SCREEN VIEW..

BIG RED dune. There was a higher track to the left side

This was the 2nd dune I crossed nearly as big as Big Red

Desert dune wildflowers

These large prickle dudes are just waitin on the dunes for unwary tourists wearin thongs. I also got 3 of them stuck in my hand when I went to sit down on top of a dune to watch the sunset. Put my hand out to brace myself, forgot about them, Ouch....

Running repairs. The underfont protection Bashplate fell off again after takin some rough treatment.

The endless desert

Sunrise over the desert at Poeppells corner

Froggy and Huggy riding along the dry Lake near Poeppels corner

The man in the moon was watchin over me

Sunset over the desert

On top of BIG RED. There is a small lake nearby

See Poepeels corner in the middle. On the right Birdsville along the dotted road line, thats where I went. Bottom right see Innamincka in Sth Aus, going there in about a week after goin nth to Diamantina Nat Park 1st