The Simpson desert is the world’s largest sand dune desert and one of Australia’s largest uninhabited regions. Known as ‘The ‘Simo’ by enthusiasts the desert ranges across the point where Queensland, South Australia and Northern Territory meet.

The trip was planned by family and friends and was an intergenerational expedition with a diverse set of characters, skills and knowledge (and banter!) along for the ride.

It should go without saying that an undertaking like this needs planning, the right vehicle and the right gear – including a proper recovery kit and at least one vehicle with a winch. It’s always best to travel in convoy in case of issues. We drove a fully kitted out Toyota Prado which was impressive ride. We set out from Melbourne with the rest of the crew coming in from various places around Australia to rendezvous on the Simpson’s western edge. 

[activecampaign form=11]

It’s a day’s drive from Melbourne to Adelaide and then another eight hours or so north to the infamous outback town of Coober Pedy. This is a fantastic place to visit, full of tall tales and eccentric folk who are escaping the mundane, on a hunt for anonymity and the elusive Opal. The town is basically a series of interconnected mines and underground dwellings where the miners retreat to escape the harsh heat of the day.

We stayed in an underground hotel and visited some of the mines, the cemetery and a beautifully decorative underground Serbian Orthodox Church. Close by is the remarkable Breakaway range which is well worth a day trip.

Next day we headed along the Oodnadatta track where we met up with the rest of the crew for the first camp at Algebuckina Bridge (apparently Australia’s most photographed outback bridge). From here we paid a visit to some homestead ruins and then drove on to another outback legend – The Dalhousie Hot Springs – about 180kms north of Oodnadatta in the Witjira National Park. Dalhousie Hot Springs is a literal oasis in the outback, with hot water lake (about 40 degrees), wonderful bird life and a fantastic campground  with dingos wandering through camp at all hours.

Next day it was an easy drive the Simpson National Park’s entrance.

The Simpson can be crossed in a long day’s drive via the busy French Line track, but we wanted to take it easy so we headed south along some of the lesser known tracks for a three day, two night driving adventure.

The desert is what’s known as an ‘erg’ which means it is made of continuous parallel sand dune valleys . The Simpson is the world’s largest erg and the dunes range from 3 metres to around 40 metres in height.

Each day we were treated to fun and challenging driving over dunes and through speedier routes along dried up riverbeds.

It’s a relentlessly stark but beautiful environment with almost zero signs of life – the odd dingo and camel tracks – but no birds to be seen and very little in the way of flora.

After making camp we prepared some excellent campfire meals along with compulsory campfire stories and jokes (the oldies know how to tell a yarn!).

The last leg was scaling the notorious Big Red – a 40m sand dune that has challenged many 4WD enthusiasts. Once ascended it was an easy drive back to the famous outback town of Birdsville (now in Queensland) for a well deserved shower and hot dinner at the pub.

The sublime sunrises, sunsets and silence of the Simpson will not be forgotten.