Ultimate Outback - Simpson Desert

Duration: 13 days Adelaide - Adelaide

2003 Departures:
26 April - 08 May
24 May - 5 June
30 August - 11 September
04 - 16 October

The perfect introduction to the outback, experiencing many varied landforms - from sand dune deserts, to vast gibber plains, desert ranges, the romance and history of the Oodnadatta and Birdsville Tracks and Lake Eyre, the lowest point in mainland Australia.

Pricing

AU$ 2,850 / person

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Itinerary

Code: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, C=camping accommodation, S=shower or swim

Day 1
The adventure begins departing Adelaide City hotels at 07.00am and travelling north via Port Augusta to Woomera, before continuing to our camp at Lake Mary, a clay pan surrounded by red sand and native pine trees. L D C

Day 2
After a stop at the modern mining town of Roxby Downs, and when possible visiting the Environmental Division of Western Mining at the Olympic Dam Project, we leave the bitumen and travel up the Borefield Road to our remote camp on the shore of Lake Eyre South. We explore pristine and seldom visited mound springs surrounded by aboriginal archaeological sites and shellbed fossil sites. B L D C

Day 3
When the lake is dry we walk out onto the salt playa and visit the graveyard of tens of thousands of pelicans stranded as the lake dried up in 1991. We travel up the Oodnadatta Track through Anna Creek Station, the world's largest cattle station. A stop at the William Creek Pub, we follow beside the ruins of the old Ghan Railway, deserted stations, water purification plants, and the Overland Telegraph Line. We camp outside Oodnadatta at Lodgers Claypan. B L D C S

Day 4
The morning is spent at Oodnadatta provisioning and chilling out before we leave civilisation and head north through Mt. Sarah and Hamilton Stations. We camp on Hamilton. B L D C S

Day 5,6,7
We enter Witjira National Park, with its vast gibber tablelands and spectacular scenery.We stop at the evocative stone ruins of Dalhousie Station and visit the main spring at Dalhousie Hot Mound Springs, where the desert dust can be washed off in bath temperature spring water. We cross the fabled Simpson Desert, the world's largest sand dune desert, an experience of epic proportions. The dunes are small at first, and we visit Purni Bore where an uncapped bore from the 60's has created an artificial wetland environment. We follow an old Rig Road, before leaving the popular route and following little used seismic lines to Approdinna Attora Knolls, outcrops of flour Gypsum, and one of the few geological formations other than dunes and salt playas in the desert. We are now on the French line, and we travel to the tri state border, "Poeppels Corner". B L D C

Day 8
We continue along the QAA line to the largest of the sand dunes, the Napanerrica dune, also known as Big Red which we cross and roll into Birdsville in Outback Queensland. After slaking your thirst at the fabled Birdsville Pub and washing off the desert dust, tour the sights of Birdsville before heading south to Kootchera Waterhole to camp beside a fiery red dune that juts out into the immense Goyders Lagoon. There is some great birding here at Kootchera Waterhole. B L D C S

Day 9
South along the Birdsville Track when possible following the old "inside track" the original stock droving route. We skirt Sturts Stony Desert, lunch on Mungerannie Station. We visit Killalpaninna, the remains of the Bethesda Lutheran missions on the Cooper. We camp on Etadunna Station . B L D C S

Day 10
South via Marree to Lyndhurst, the junction of the Oodnadatta and Strzelecki tracks. We visit the largest aboriginal ceremonial ochre pits and eccentric philosopher "Talc Alf". We enter the Flinders Ranges, over the next two days you are going to see the best of the Flinders, many areas not available to the public. We camp on private property near a little known aboriginal art site displaying thousands of stone carvings on the red walls of a spectacular gorge. B L D C

Day 11
We travel through the Gammon Ranges via the Nepabunna Aboriginal community to our camp at the springs at Chambers Gorge, a place of awesome beauty. There are some lovely walks here, especially down the dry river gorge at sunset. B L D C S

Day 12
We travel through the eastern Flinders Ranges, then swing west to Blinman. We enter the Flinders Ranges National Park, following the Brachina Gorge Geological Trail and on to our camp at Warren Gorge. B L D C

Day 13
We travel south via Port Augusta where we visit the Royal Flying Doctor Base. We arrive back in Adelaide late morning to drop off at city hotels. B

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