Peter and Shayne from 4WD Adventurer take us on their epic 5-day journey through the spectacular Simpson Desert, roaming mind-blowing landscapes in their 76 Series Toyota Land Cruiser (aka Big Betty).

Early morning found us doing our final preparations in Birdsville before heading into the Simpson Desert. The wind was bitterly cold as we set off. Our first stop was at the base of Big Red – the daunting powder red dune that is considered the start or end of any Simpson Desert adventure. 

We let the tyres down to 15 PSI in expectation of the road conditions ahead. Getting up Big Red from the eastern side was a relatively simple exercise. When it came time to descend Peter confidently aimed Big Betty (our 76 Series Land Cruiser) at the apparently 90 degree drop off at the dune edge prompting me to squeal in protest. Fortunately, he ignored me as the drop was not quite as vertical as it seemed from the top and we made it safely onto the QAA Line heading west. 

The dunes along the QAA Line (on the Queensland side of the Simpson Desert) are the steepest. As you travel further west, the dunes get smaller and smaller until they eventually disappear. Throughout the trip the tracks up the dunes were only wide enough for one vehicle so use of UHF and sand flag were a necessity to avoid collisions on the dune crests. Some travellers tended to use the area channel as a bit of a chat line, allowing for some interesting eavesdropping… One group of older fellows in particular were greatly looking forward to their spicy chicken dinner – the wisdom of which may have been questionable out here! 

Our days in the desert followed a pattern of waking before sunup, an essential freshly ground coffee, and a quick breakfast, then packing up and heading back out. We would drive for around 7 to 8 hours a day. This was not simply driving though. It was ploughing up and down sand dunes, over rocky outcrops and shuddering over corrugations. The average distanced covered per day was 100 to 120km. In this way we covered a loop of over 450 km through the desert.

We would stop occasionally to chat to those travelling in the opposite direction and for a short lunch break. Along the way there was plenty to look and stop for, including enormous glaring white salt pans, Poeppel Corner (where Queensland, the Northern Territory – allowing for some ‘see you in the NT’ jokes – and South Australia meet), lots of bird and plant life. Although we saw plenty of evidence of dingoes and camels in the form of droppings and tracks, they must have heard Big Betty coming as we never saw them.

What we did see a lot of though were flies. Words cannot adequately describe the fly situation. When Peter had done a desert trip in July the previous year there were hardly any however in May we were inundated. They had been annoying at some of our Outback stops but in the desert they were unbelievable. The little buggers were up and about by 8am or so – hence our early wake ups – and persisted until sunset.

Throughout the day they would descend in a swarm as soon as you left the vehicle. Every single one of them wanted to get to know your ears, eyes, nostrils, and mouth intimately. I went through stages of fighting them off furiously then numb acceptance. The fly net was my best friend – Peter braved them without one for the most part. 

 Making up for the bloody flies though, were the sensational sunrises and sunsets. For the most part we hiked up dunes to view them. In the barren, dusty environment the sky lit up in breathtaking reds, pinks, and oranges.  

After sunset we would settle down by the campfire for a beer or glass of wine. Dinners varied – Peter did a slow cooked beef curry in the camp oven and a couple of barbecues over charcoal on our folding fire pit. I cooked a simple pasta dish out the back of Big Betty.

The nights also provided a chance to admire the stars far from any city lights. The Milky Way glowed overhead, and a few shooting stars were spotted. I was even treated to a brief meteor shower early one morning. As we had only Big Betty and ourselves, we were using our trusty Oz Tent once more – a perfect choice for desert and touring adventures as it can be set up in just a few minutes by one-person e.g., Peter. Combined with our self-inflating mattresses and the serenity we were guaranteed some good night’s sleep.

All up we spent 4 nights in the desert. Peter would have been keen to spend a 5th (or even the rest of his life) but I was keen on a hot shower. On the way out we had to conquer Big Red – a much more exciting prospect from the Western side. We initially went up one of the more sedate tracks and then made an ascent of the more hair-raising tracks – luckily, we made it in a shower of sand! We then did it once more to experience the thrill one last time.

The desert done, we headed back into Birdsville and had an afternoon of showers, laundry, and a big Sunday roast dinner at the Birdsville Hotel. The barman was even nice enough to provide a new frosty glass for my wine refill – after we told him we were accustomed to warm plastic cups he insisted that frosty glasses were what one came to the pub for after the desert. Sipping on my icy beverage as we watched another stunning sunset over the airfield I couldn’t agree more!

Shayne & Peter, 4WD Adventurer

https://4wdadventurer.com/
https://www.instagram.com/4wdadventurer/