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The Essential Guide to The Simpson Desert Crossing

Are you planning to undertake the iconic Simpson Desert Crossing? Nestled in the heart of Australia, the country’s vast interior harbours one of the world’s largest deserts, characterised by longitudinal dunes. The Simpson Desert Crossing is an endeavour for those drawn to adventure, achievement, and rich life experiences. If you’re ready for an unforgettable journey, this guide is your key to conquering this Australian expedition.

You may think of a desert as lifeless, arid, and waterless. Think again. The desert is full of wildlife, including varied bird species and marsupials like Plains Mouse, dingoes, and camels. Dunes are dotted with spinifex, acacia shrubs, grevillea, sandhill wattle, and Mulga trees. Discover springs, salt pans, and sand dunes, making the Simpson Desert a diverse and exciting habitat. As you journey through Australia’s remote regions, please make sure you are well-equipped with our meal planning guide and remember to pack the essentials with this camping checklist .

How long does it take to drive the Simpson Desert Crossing?

Travel tip: the best time to explore the simpson desert parks is spring, from august to october. experience an array of lively colours as the desert foliage bursts into flowers..

• Essential Checklist for Simpson Desert Crossing:

Tips for Driving in Sand Dunes on the Simpson Desert Crossing

Guide to the simpson desert crossing: dalhousie springs to birdsville, looking after our desert parks, and the simpson desert, simpson desert crossing map.

In a 4×4 vehicle allow 3 days to travel 430kms from Dalhousie Springs to Birdsville.

As beautiful as discovering the Desert Parks region is, the remote, harsh, and extreme landscape requires careful planning, preparation, and a reasonable degree of off-road driving capability. Please take a look at our article on how to drive in sand .

Essential Checklist for Simpson Desert Crossing: 

Travel tip: the most direct route to birdsville is the french line to poeppel corner; from there, the k1 runs 8 km to the qaa line that continues to big red and birdsville. the distance is 430 km from dalhousie springs to birdsville..

The Desert Pass provides an information handbook and three maps covering three sections of the Desert Parks. It also allows entry to camping in the eight National Parks and Reserves. A sand flag is also mandatory for your vehicle on the Simpson Desert Crossing .

IMPORTANT: DROP YOUR VEHICLES TYRE PRESSURE FOR INCREASED TRACTION AND PRESERVE THE DESERT TRACKS

Experience driving a 4×4 vehicle in the sand is recommended due to the remote nature of the Desert Parks. If you’re planning a journey to the desert, you can see our guide on how to drive in sand here .

Day 1: Depart Dalhousie Springs Campground and begin the desert crossing on the French Line, including the Simpson Desert Regional Reserve and Simpson Desert Conservation Park. This is a day of sandy track driving over small sand dunes. There are no designated campgrounds, so watch for a spot to camp for the night. Enjoy the isolation of the remote desert as the sun lowers over the dunes, the night sky revealing its beauty of stars.

Day 2: Start the day with a vehicle checkover. Continue along the French Line, the dunes increasing in size. As you progress, pronounce your location on your radio as you pass track markers. This is a safety precaution for oncoming traffic, as visibility between the dunes is poor. By afternoon, you should reach the salt lakes and look for a camp amongst the Mulga Trees.

Day 3: Continue the journey along the French Line as you close in on the iconic landmark Poeppel Corner. (This border landmark is for SA, QLD, and NT.) Take the K1 track to the QAA line. By afternoon, Big Red will be spotted in the distance! Try driving up the massive dune, taking in views from the top. Continue 38 km to Birdsville Tourist Park .

Reaching the iconic ‘Big Red’ sand dune gives a great sense of achievement and marks the end of the Simpson Desert Crossing after days of remote sand driving. Why not celebrate this achievement with a meal at the Birdsville Pub? What an adventure! The Simpson Desert Crossing is now ticked off the bucket list! 

• Note : The dune tracks are rutted and worn beneath the sand due to people driving with tyre pressures too high. Please drop tyre pressure and look after the tracks. See our guide to driving in sand here .
• Take your rubbish with you, including toilet paper!
• Ensure you bury your toilet waste at least 15 cm deep and 100m from a water way or carry a chemical toilet.
• Extinguish fires (though fires are not permitted in the Desert Parks).
• Leave no trace to keep these places pristine for future generations to experience.

The Simpson Desert Crossing is a unique and awe-inspiring adventure that offers a challenging and rewarding experience for well-prepared people. Knowing when to visit and how long to cross the Simpson Desert, having an essential checklist, and following tips for driving in sand dunes will ensure a safe and enjoyable journey. Remembering the significance of looking after our desert parks and respecting the natural environment is essential. Crossing the Simpson Desert can be an unforgettable adventure that allows you to experience the beauty and isolation of the Australian outback. However, planning carefully and taking all necessary precautions to ensure your safety and enjoyment is essential. Following the information and tips in this article will prepare you for an unforgettable journey to the Simpson Desert Crossing.

For more road trip adventures, check out the Savannah Way Gorges , or ways to Escape the Crowds on your Next Driving Holiday . Are you thinking easy camping meals? Please take a look at our complete guide to easy camping meal ideas .

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Simpson Desert Ultimate Guide

A trip to the simpson desert is the ultimate outback adventure. .

From my very first visit to the Simpson Desert back in 2002, I have been captivated by this deeply beautiful and moving place.

The feeling of hundreds of kilometres of dunes stretching out before you beneath an immense blue sky, where few people dare to venture is something you’ll never forget.

So on this page, we’ve put together an overview of this iconic desert, packed with information and links that you’ll need if you’re planning a trip into the Simpson.

The Simpson is made up of 1100 parallel sand dunes that run north-north-west to south-south-east.

Some of these dunes are 200 kilometres long, and tracks like the Old Andado, Colson or Hay River tracks have been made in the swales (the dips) of the dunes and run for tens of kilometres.

Far from being desolate, the Simpson is home to an incredible array of birds, animals and plants. In certain places like Purnie Bore , underground water bubbles to the surface and turns the desert into an oasis where life thrives.

The Simpson Desert is both beautiful AND challenging. If you’re thinking about exploring this magic place, you’ll need to be VERY well prepared.

Which is why we’ve created the Simpson Desert Ultimate Guide to help you start planning your adventure.

Quick Facts

Here are some BIG Simpson Facts:

• Area: 170,000 sq kilometres
• Fourth largest desert in Australia
• The Simpson has the longest parallel dunes in the world
• Some dunes are 200km long
• Estimated number of parallel sand dunes: 1100+
• The tallest dune is Nappanerica or Big Red. It’s 40 metres high!
• Annual rainfall ranges from 150-200mm
• Temperatures ranging from -2 Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded

Where is it?

The Simpson is situated in the far north of South Australia near Lake Eyre, and extends north into the Northern Territory for almost 300km all the way to the Plenty Highway, and east into Queensland to Birdsville.

The Simpson Desert is BIG!

It takes up 170,000 square kilometres. It straddles three states: the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland.

There are no towns or cities in the desert ; only a hand full of Aboriginal Outstations in the north and north-west, and a few pastoral stations.

Click here to download a free location map

Want maps you can buy that show you all the Great Desert Tracks? You can find them here .

There are hundreds of kilometres between fuel, food and water stops on most of the crossings.

If you’re planning a crossing, you’ll absolutely need a well-prepared 4WD and previous 4WDing experience.

However, there’s also ways to experience the Simpson Desert WITHOUT needing to weeks to see it or advanced 4WDing skills (we’ll show you how below).

Getting there

Via the Northern Territory:

• Leave the Stuart Highway at Kulgera, and head to Finke, then drive to New Crown Station.
• Cross into South Australia near Charlotte Waters and head on to Mt Dare Homestead (located in Witjira National Park)
• Then, travel via Dalhousie Springs and Spring Creek to Purnie Bore.

Via Oodnadatta:

• Travel from Hamilton Station to Mt Dare or via the Pedirka Desert to Dalhousie Springs.
• From Dalhousie Springs, travel via Spring Creek then Purnie Bore.

Via Birdsville:

• Route 1: Travel from Birdsville along the QAA line to Poeppel Corner. This is a spectacular part of the desert where you’ll be travelling over some massive dunes! Going can be slow, so take your time and enjoy the trip!
• Route 2: Head along the Shire road which leaves the inside Birdsville Track southwest of Birdsville. Turn onto the QAA Line at the Big Red sand dune 33km from Birdsville and head west into the desert.

National Parks

Much of the Simpson is protected within four national parks (or conservation reserves), protecting a total of 54,338 square kilometres of land.

This sounds like a lot, but when you remember that the Simpson covers almost 200,000 square kilometres, this means that only a quarter of the desert is protected.

These national parks are:

• Witjira National Park
• Simpson Desert Regional Reserve
• Simpson Desert Conservation Reserve
• Simpson Desert National Park

Click on the links above to learn more about each park, how to get there, facilities, what to see and do.

The largest portion of the desert, which lies in the Northern Territory, is now Aboriginal Land, and you’ll need various permits to enter it.

One very popular track which travels through Aboriginal Land is the Hay River Track.

Permits for the Hay River Track are relatively easy to get are available via the Central Land Council. You can apply online here.

If you’re planning on crossing the Simpson Desert via any of the tracks which travel through South Australia, such as the French Line, the QAA Line or the WAA Line, you’ll need to purchase a Desert Parks Pass from the South Australian Parks and Wildlife Service.

Click here to download and purchase a Desert Parks Pass (link takes you to a SA government website). At the time of writing, the cost of the pass was $171.

Be aware that all national parks in the Simpson Desert are closed in summer, from 1 December-15 March.

That’s not a typo, either. Remember: in outback Australia, summer goes from December through March.

This is just a glimpse the Simpson’s history:

• The Lower Southern Arrernte, Wangkangarru and sometimes, Jeljendi Aboriginal peoples have lived in the Simpson Desert for at least 5000 years
• The Wangkangurru people maintained a series of wells in the east of the desert which allowed them to live permanently in the Simpson
• One of the first European (white) people to traverse the Simpson from south to north was David Lindsay in 1886
• Pastoralist ,Ted Colson, and Aboriginal man, Peter Ains, made a crossing of the desert from west to east and back again in 1936
• Cecil Madigan named the desert ‘the Simpson’ in 1929
• Madigan made his famous Simpson Desert Crossing in 1939
• In early 1960s, the French Petroleum Company made a series of exploration tracks which have now become magnets for 4WD enthusiasts
• The Simpson Desert Conservation Park in South Australia was the first reserve in the desert, declared in 1967
• The Simpson Desert Land Claim, heard in 2009, handed back 18,000km of land to the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of part of the Simpson Desert in the Northern Territory

The Simpson Desert climate can be described as ‘arid’.

Its rainfall is low, averaging only 150mm per year. Weather is very hot in summer, but temperate in winter. Winter nights often fall below freezing.

In other words, the climate is one of extremes.

Temperatures average 36-39C in summer and 18-24C in winter. However, summer temperatures of 50C have been recorded!

Ranger colleagues have experienced temperatures of 50C during summer whilst camping at the Mac Clarke Conservation Reserve on the Simpson’s eastern edge, and have, unfortunately, had to sleep in them! We don’t recommend this!

January and February are the hottest months of the year.

July is generally the coolest month in the Simpson. The temperature can drop below freezing, and frosts occur on 50% of mornings.

This table shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures for each month.

Rainfall varies widely in the Outback, and the Simpson’s rainfall is one of the lowest in Australia.

The main influence upon rainfall is tropical lows and cyclones.

That’s right. If there’s a cyclone (a hurricane) in the Kimberly region of Western Australia, it might travel all the way down through the Red Centre to the Simpson Desert.

The Simpson Desert is at the absolute maximum extent of these tropical rain events. It’s also a long way inland, away from the ocean and there are no large mountain ranges to attract clouds.

Therefore, the Simpson Desert climate relies on the tail-end of tropical rainfall events.

Cyclones and other tropical weather patterns lose their puff as they travel south over the Tanami and Alice Springs, so predictably, the Simpson Desert’s rainfall is one of the lowest in Australia.

However, rain can fall at anytime in the Simpson Desert. Some years, no rain falls at all, whilst in other years (like 2010 -2011), there is widespread flooding!

It can also get quite windy at certain times of the year. Dust storms are infrequent, but do occur about 4 -5 times per year.

During October to March when it’s warmer, most of the winds come from the southeast.

In autumn (fall) and winter, it tends to be less windy.

However, like many parts of Australia, the period from October- December can be quite windy, although gales are rare.

Aboriginal people around Alice Springs often call this the ‘sickness’ season, as many people get eye, ear, nose and throat infections at this time of the year, which are thought to be caused by the wind.

When to Visit

May, June and July are the ideal times to visit.

In June and July, you can expect clear days with perfect blue skies, and temperatures of around 20C. The nights often fall below 0C (30F), so make sure you take plenty of warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag.

However, we have to say that there is nothing like a July night in the Simpson Desert, spent sleeping under the stars.

The best views on Earth of the Milky Way are to be found here! You won’t believe the number of stars you’ll see.

Maps and Guidebooks

In this section, we’ll recommend the resources we’ve found most helpful in our explorations of the Simpson Desert.

If you’d like to learn more about the history, exploration, flora and fauna of the desert, then The Simpson Desert by Mark Shephard is the ultimate book to read.

Unfortunately, Shephard’s very enjoyable book (it’s a must for all Simpson Desert fans!) is long out of print. Copies sell occasionally on Ebay and through book collectors at around $130 AUD.

However, if you live in Australia, you might be able to find it at a local library, or have your local library order it in.

Desert Tracks Atlas

Hema’s Great Desert Tracks Map Pack   is the ultimate outback track guide. As well as the Simpson Desert, it covers every desert track right across Australia.

However, its coverage of the Simpson is excellent. You’ll find lots of information on all of the tracks which cross the desert, what to take, how to prepare your vehicle, and an overview of the flora, fauna and cultural history of this fascinating place.

This is a large format, r4 map pack printed on specially coated paper to make it hard wearing. In other words, it’s especially suited to bumping along in the back of a 4WD across the desert.

If you are planning a trip to the desert, DO NOT leave home without this map pack.

In fact, we’d advise that you buy this book before you go to do all of your trip planning.

Whether you’re a ‘desert lover’ (AKA seriphile) or just someone looking for a serious 4WD journey, this informative guide with its easy-to-follow maps, is an indispensable companion.

Another of our favourites is Hema’s Simpson Desert Map .

Just like the Hema Desert Tracks Guide, Hema’s Simpson Desert Map is packed with must-know details.

You’ll find information on road distances, fuel stops, supplies and accommodation, GPS coordinates, info about track conditions, tips for driving, points of interest, notes about history, wildlife and Aboriginal culture.

The Simpson Desert really is a place that captures the heart. Make sure you visit some of the other pages in this section of the website for more Simpson Desert Facts.

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Simpson desert crossing – driving the desert in a 4wd.

Eva Davis-Boermans

Eva is a creator and ocean lover from the south coast of NSW. Passionate about exploring, getting off the beaten track and looking after the planet so she can continue to adventure in it. She’s happiest when she’s out in the surf, behind the lens of a camera or behind the wheel of her beloved Troopy!

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Eva and Adam are on a long, cruisey lap of Australia in their Troopy. As part of their trip, they challenged themselves to drive across the Simpson Desert. Here’s how it turned out.

We acknowledge that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Wangkangurru Yarluyandi people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Please note! Munga-Thirri National Park in the Simpson Desert is currently closed due to flooding of all things. The expected reopening is 30th of June 2023, but please check the national parks website for up-to-date info.

When our ‘Big Lap’ of Aus took a wild and unexpected turn away from the busy East Coast surfing towns, we decided to set our sights on the desert instead and dragged my Dad along for the adventure of a lifetime. And boy am I glad we did because this adventure was the highlight of our year by far. 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of knowing you’re totally alone in the wild, two-day’s drive from the nearest town. It makes you feel small and insignificant and in complete awe of the natural world. It’s worth the heat and the wind and the flies just to get that feeling of being truly alone in the wild.

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Quick overview.

A 4WD crossing of the Simpson Desert, from NT to QLD, is around a 3-4 day adventure. The drive is tough and involves being totally self-sufficient and requires previous 4WDing experience and knowledge.

About the Simpson Desert Crossing

If you look at a satellite map of Australia you’ll notice a big red splodge almost smack bang in the centre. That’s the Simpson Desert – a wild, harsh and beautiful place. It’s about as remote as you can get – there’s no food or water for hundreds of kilometres and temperatures regularly cruise well above 40 degrees even in the cooler months.

It seems totally inaccessible, so naturally, crossing the Simpson Desert is at the top of the ‘To Do’ list for any 4WD adventure enthusiast worth their salt.  

Read more: Remember to leave no trace

How to Get to the Simpson Desert Crossing

You can begin the Simpson Desert crossing from either the east (Birdsville, QLD) or the west (Mount Dare, SA). You’ll obviously need to drive to these points, which can be multiple additional days of travel depending on where you’re coming from.

Where to Stay Along the Simpson Desert Crossing

There are no designated campgrounds in the Simpson Desert, you can just pick a good looking spot between two sand dunes and pitch up there!

However camping is only permitted within 100 metres of the track you’re following (whether the QAA or WAA line) so don’t stray too far afield.

Skill Level

You’ll need plenty of previous 4WDing experience, as well as the skills and knowledge needed to get your car out of tough situations.

The Simpson Desert crossing is incredibly remote, without reception, water sources, or food, so you’ll need to be self-sufficient.

Read more: How To 4WD For Beginners

Distance / Duration of a Simpson Desert Crossing

For our entire trip: 1075km / 6 days / 5-7 hours driving each day

Just the Simpson Desert Crossing: approx 400km / 4 days

Essential Gear for a Simpson Desert Crossing

• Extra fuel – A long range fuel tank or spare jerry cans are critical. On this trip you’ll travel 500km between fuel stops (Mount Dare to Birdsville) and driving in low range on soft sand will use more fuel than normal. A conservative way to estimate how much fuel you’ll need is to figure out how many litres of fuel your car uses per 100km, then double that. We used 20L per 100km while driving through the Simpson
• Extra water – Allow for 10L of water per person per day. You probably won’t use all that but at least if something goes wrong and you get stuck an extra day or two you’ll be fine
• 4WD experience – It goes without saying that crossing the Simpson is a fairly advanced 4WD trip that you shouldn’t take on lightly. Having said that, you don’t need to be a complete pro to do it, especially if you take someone else experienced with you. If you’re new to 4WDing you could up your experience beforehand by taking a 4WD course or trying your hand at some soft sand beach driving as a test run. As always, the most important trick with driving in soft sand is to let your tyre pressure right down and drive in low gear while keeping your revs high
• Recovery gear – It’s a legal requirement to have a safety flag in the Simpson Desert for visibility while driving up and down steep dunes. Other essential recovery gear includes recovery boards and a long-handled shovel for digging your tyres out of sand bogs, and a winch and snatch straps in case you need to be assisted by another car
• Desert Parks Pass – You can buy your Desert Parks Pass at the Mount Dare Hotel at the start of the trip or order it in advance online . Your pass covers all camping in the park and maps of the tracks and essential info so I recommend ordering it in advance to help you plan
• Communication – There’s no reception in the desert so it’s worth hiring a satellite phone in case you get into trouble. You can get them at Mount Dare for $40 per day and drop it off at the Birdsville Info Centre.

And of course

– Two-way radio – A compressor and tire pressure gauge to lower and pump up tyres – Fly nets (I can not stress this enough, these are a must have!) – Shovel and toilet paper – Gas stove and cooking gear – Firewood – Tent/sleeping gear – Camera and drone

Read more:  Outback Driving Survival Guide

What it’s Like to Drive Across the Simpson Desert

Day 1 – alice springs to kulgera.

Distance: 275km Duration:  2 hours 50 mins

This is the most relaxed day of driving, so enjoy it because the next five are going to be BIG. 

Before you leave Alice Springs, fill your water tanks, stock up on at least a week of food and check everything in, on, and around your car because the next mechanic and supplies are in Birdsville!

If you’ve got time for some sightseeing on the way, take the 20km track to Rainbow Valley and check out the stunning multicoloured cliffs. Camp at the Kulgera Roadhouse. They have grassy spots under trees, allow fires, and have a lovely little pool to cool off in!

Day 2 – Kulgera to Dalhousie Springs

Distance: 370km Duration:  around 4 hours 45 mins

Once you leave Kulgera you won’t be seeing any phone service or bitumen roads until you reach Birdsville on the other side of the desert! There are 300km of shuddering corrugated road between Kulgera and Mount Dare. On the way take a detour into the ‘ official’ centre of Australia , because really, when are you likely to ever be there again?

Mount Dare will be your last stop for water and fuel before the desert. Here you’ll pick up a Desert Parks Pass which allows access to Witjira National Park, Simpson Desert Conservation Area, and Munga-Thirri National Park – all of which you’ll cross between here and Birdsville.  

It’s also totally worth indulging in a burger and a beer on the shady lawn and hiring a satellite phone for the trip, just in case of emergencies. 

Camp for the night another 70km down the road at Dalhousie Springs Campground. Right next to camp is a blissful hot spring to soak in and soothe your body after the long drive. 

Read more: Staying Safe Around Swimming Holes

Days 3-5 – Dalhousie to Northern Territory Border

Distance: approx. 330km

Have one final soak before hitting the road into official desert territory! There are a few different tracks you can take across. The French Line is the most direct and popular route but this means it also gets the most traffic meaning the track can become quite rough and chopped up

We opted to take the slightly longer route via the WAA Line. You get a more varied scenery than just sand dune after sand dune (you’ll be sick of them by the end trust me) and the added bonus was that we went entire days without seeing another single soul. 

Most people drive the desert in three days but we had time on our hands and took an extra day to soak it all in. After all, what’s the point in driving to the most remote, stunning, arid, captivating place in Australia and not having time to appreciate it?

As you get further from Dalhousie, the rocky, moon-like plains fade into gradually bigger dunes and the sand beneath you reddens. At the top of each dune, you catch a glimpse of the empty single lane desert track stretching to the horizon before dipping back down to start the next climb.

We drove through the heat of the day (us with aircon, Dad sadly, without) and stopped to set up camp between dunes each night. 

With the extra day up our sleeve, we had time to cook delicious slow-cooked stews on the campfire, roam the dunes in search of animal tracks, witness a flock of hundreds of green budgies zoom past our camp, stand in awe of a spectacular pink sunset and a full moonrise, marvel at the colourful desert flowers in full bloom, and stop to leap around at the top of the reddest, sandiest dunes we could find. 

Day 6 – The Triumphant Arrival in Birdsville!

Distance: approx. 100km

On our last day of driving the sand dunes got bigger and further apart and in places gave way to huge crusted salt flats.

The very last sand dune was the biggest and even had its own name – ‘ Big Red ’. We arrived at Big Red, in the early afternoon on our last day. It took a few test runs but eventually, all three of us managed to drive our way up and over the enormous 40-metre-high dune. 

From the other side of Big Red it’s 35km to Birdsville where a well deserved hot shower, cold beer, and delicious pub meal awaits! 

Tips for a Simpson Desert Crossing

• The Simpson Desert is closed to cars between December 1 and March 15 due to the extremely high temperatures. We crossed in early October and the most comfortable time to travel is between May and October
• You’ll need to take at least a two car convoy to cross the Simpson Desert in order to help pull a car out if it becomes stuck

Simpson Desert Crossing FAQs

How long does it take to cross the simpson desert.

A Simpson Desert crossing generally takes at least 3-4 full days, but you should factor in a few days of preparation beforehand as well as driving to the start of the desert.

Do you need a 4WD for Simpson Desert crossing?

Absolutely. Unless you plan on riding over the desert on a fat bike instead, a high-clearance 4WD is essential. Do not attempt this drive in a 2WD or AWD.

Where is the Simpson Desert located?

The Simpson Desert is in the south-east corner of the Northern Territory and crosses the border in Queensland and South Australia.

How do you get to the Simpson Desert?

The best way to reach the Simpson Desert is by starting in either Birdsville, QLD or Mount Dare, SA.

When is the Simpson Desert crossing open?

The Simpson Desert is closed to cars between December 1 and March 15 due to the extremely high temperatures.

Do I need to book my visit to the Simpson Desert?

You’ll need to buy your Desert Parks Pass before heading into the desert. This gives you access and permission to camp in the Simpson Desert.

When is the best time of year to visit the Simpson Desert?

We crossed in early October and the most comfortable time to travel is between May and October

How many days should I spend on the Simpson Desert Crossing?

The crossing of the Simpson Desert will take around 3-4 days, but account for a few additional days in case of unforeseen misadventures!

Is the Simpson Desert crossing good for beginners?

Nope! You definitely need previous 4WDing experience to tackle the Simpson Desert crossing.

Can you swim at the Simpson Desert?

Surprisingly, yes! At the start of the Simpson Desert crossing you’ll find Dalhousie Springs, a naturally occurring spring thanks to the Great Artesian Basin. Apart from that, it’ll be sand on sand on sand.

Is the Simpson Desert crossing open?

Not completely! Munga-Thirri National Park is currently closed due to flooding of all things. The expected reopening is 30th of June 2023.

Is the Simpson Desert crossing free?

Nope, you’ll need to purchase a Desert Parks Pass before you enter Munga-Thirri National Park.

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10 tips for crossing the Simpson Desert

• Recently we did our first Simpson Desert crossing and it was a challenging but awesome road trip and I can't wait to get back out there again.

Once you get into the desert there are no services or facilities so you have to be very well prepared and completely self sufficient.

Of course just like any road trip, we learned some lessons before and during the trip.

So here are my 10 best tips that I want to share with you and hopefully inspire you to get out there if you're undecided or help you plan if you've already made the decision to go.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments at the end and I’ll do my best to answer.

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Watch the film series about our trip  'South Australian Outback Adventure'  which is available to watch Online -  Click here for more info

• 1. Best direction to cross the Simpson Desert - West to East

The main route across the Simpson Desert between Dalhousie Springs and Birdsville is the French Line and QAA Line.

You can drive either direction but if you are looking for the easiest route, then drive west to east.

The reason is that the prevailing wind which forms the dunes comes from the west resulting in the western side of the dunes being a more gentle slope and the eastern side being much steeper and more difficult to climb.

With this being our first crossing and driving alone, I wanted to stack the deck as much in our favour as possible so we went west to east and I’m glad we did.

There were only a handful of dunes that we had to have a second or third run at to get over but it would have been a very different story travelling the other way.

Obviously if you’re up for the challenge then east to west is there for the taking but just be prepared for a tougher drive.

• 2. Best time of year to cross the Simpson Desert

The best time to be in the Simpson Desert is April to October when the daytime temperature will be comfortable.

Nights will be cool to cold so make sure you carry plenty of warm bedding.

The crossing is closed completely between December 1st and March 15th due to the extreme heat.

• 3. Allow at least 4 nights to drive across the Simpson Desert

We spent 3 nights in the desert after Dalhousie Springs and before Birdsville.

This was part of our 20 day outback ‘circuit’ that took us up through the Flinders Ranges, Marree, Oodnadatta Track, Coober Pedy, Oodnadatta, across the Simpson to Birdsville then back down the Cordillo Downs Road and Strzelecki Track.

On paper, allowing 4 days / 3 nights to cover the 420km from Dalhousie to Birdsville seemed like enough time but in hindsight it wasn’t.

It’s hard to imagine that driving more than 100km each day could be a challenge, but it was.

The main issue is not so much the 1000+ dunes to cross but the fact that the track in between the dunes is like the moguls on a down hill ski run.

Consequently the vehicle is up and down and up and down constantly like a roller coaster and you just can’t get any speed up.

So overall we averaged around 15 km/h of actual distance covered, meaning that we were looking at around 7 hours of driving per day on average to keep to our schedule.

This is certainly doable and we did it, but next time I’ll build in an extra night or two so we can take it easy, have slower starts in the morning and find ourselves a camp at least a couple of hours before sunset.

Once you get out into the desert you find it to be a magical place and the last thing you want to be doing is rushing to get to the other side.

• 4. Buy your desert parks pass well in advance

A  Desert Parks Pass  issued by National Parks South Australia is required to enter and camp in:

• Witjira National Park east of Dalhousie Springs
• Simpson Desert Conservation Park
• Simpson Desert Regional Reserve

All of which you will travel through crossing the Simpson Desert.

It also allows you to camp for up to 21 days at a time at these desert parks:

• Innamincka Regional Reserve
• Malkumba-Coongie Lakes National Park
• Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre National Park
• Tallaringa Conservation Park

The pass is valid for 12 months from purchase and comes with a permit, handbook with plenty of information and maps of the desert parks.

It’s $182 but when you consider it covers the cost of camping as well, then you only have to stay a handful of nights before it’s actually pretty good value.

With my long list of things to do in preparation for our trip, I had left ‘Buy a Desert Parks Pass’ pretty much to the last minute, or until a few days before we left at least anyway.

I was thinking that I would just jump online and pay the money and print out the permit, and the later I left it, the longer it would be before the 12 months expired.

What I soon found out once I got online was that it included the handbook and maps which needed to be posted so I needed to allow about 3 weeks for it to arrive!

That was obviously not an option so instead I bought ours at the Oodnadatta Pink Road House which worked out okay (it was $160 cash only).

So if you are planning to buy one online from the SA National Parks website, make sure you do so at least 3 weeks before you plan to leave.

Click here to order your pass  as well as find out where you can buy one enroute.

Call National Parks on (08) 8648 5328 for more info

• 5. Carry about double your usual fuel usage for the Simpson Desert crossing

Driving in sand will have you revving higher and going slower than normal and you can expect to use significantly more fuel than you normally would for the same distance.

There are no services at all between Mt Dare in the west and Birdsville in the east so you’ll need plenty of fuel to allow for the higher usage AND some in reserve for unplanned situations.

As a guide, our 80 Series Landcruiser with 4.2ltr turbo diesel averages around 17 litres / 100 km normally.

We left Coober Pedy with our main tank (90 ltrs) and long range tank (166 ltrs) completely full, so around 256 litres on board.

Travelling via Oodnadatta, Dalhousie Springs and across the French and QAA lines to Birdsville we covered around 814 km.

In Birdsville I filled up again and we had used 164 ltrs to get there from Coober Pedy.

164 ltrs for 814km = 20.1 litres / 100 km average

Overall pretty good considering the low speed high revving we were doing across the desert and the fact the Landcruiser was fully loaded.

Keep in mind though that roughly half of the 814km was fairly easy going between Coober Pedy & Dalhousie Springs so assuming my normal 17 litres / 100 km for that leg of the trip, it looks something like this . . .

• Total Fuel Used Coober Pedy to Birdsville = 164 ltrs
• Coober Pedy to Dalhousie 377km @ 17 ltrs / 100 km = 64 ltrs of the 164 ltrs used
• Dalhousie to Birdsville 437km using 100ltrs = 22.9 ltrs / 100 km

That works out to about 34% higher fuel consumption than average for the Simpson Desert leg, which I'm pretty happy with.

We had around 90 litres in reserve by the time we arrived at Birdsville which is a comfortable amount and would have given us the capacity to detour or back track in the event of an emergency, track closure (rain etc.) or other unforeseen event.

If you don’t have that much fuel capacity on board then you can fill up at Mt Dare. Mt Dare to Birdsville across the desert is approximately 510km.

• 6. Vehicles need a sand flag when crossing the Simpson Desert

Besides being common sense, it’s now mandatory to have a sand flag on your vehicle when driving in the Simpson Desert.

The flag must be at least 300mm x 290mm and fluorescent red orange or lime yellow in colour.

If mounted to the front bull bar or front of the vehicle the flag must be 3.5 metres off the ground and if mounted to the roof rack, the flag must be at least 2 metres above the vehicle roof.

Once you get out into the dunes it soon becomes apparent why the flags are necessary.

As you’re approaching the crest of the dune, the first sign you’ll see of a vehicle coming up the other side is their flag waving around and this will give you time to move to the left and avoid a head on collision.

We use this modular  3 Piece Bushranger Safety Flag available from Snowys   which attaches easily to the bull bar with a quick connector and packs up into a carry bag that’s just over a metre long.

Motorbikes don’t need a sand flag but must have their headlight on at all times.

• 7. Use UHF Channel 10 when crossing the Simpson Desert

Make sure you have a good UHF radio in your vehicle and keep it on channel 10 to communicate with other vehicles.

We found this is especially useful when approaching oncoming vehicles and we could volunteer to pull over and let them though if we could see a clearing on our side of the track or vice versa.

It’s also handy to warn oncoming traffic on the other side of dunes that you are approaching the summit.

• 8. Carry a satellite communicator or PLB when crossing the Simpson Desert

There are no facilities, services or mobile phone reception between Dalhousie Springs and Birdsville, a distance of approximately 420km.

If anything goes wrong you are on your own.

Carrying a satellite phone or other satellite communicator (Spot Tracker, Garmin InReach) makes good sense.

If you don’t have one of these devices and don’t feel the need to rent one for the trip, then I'd recommend that at the very least you carry a Personal Locator Beacon like the Ocean Signal RescueMe PLB  so that in the event of an emergency (accident, snake bite, serious breakdown etc.) you can send a distress signal to emergency services and get help.

9. Collecting firewood & campfires in the Simpson Desert

Crossing the Simpson Desert from west to east you will pass through three different National Parks/Reserves and each has their own wood fire restrictions.

The only park that allows wood fires is Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Regional Reserve (South Australia) but keep in mind that collecting firewood is not allowed in any of the parks so if you do plan to have a wood fire then make sure you bring your own firewood.

Below are the specific details of each parks' fire policies and a link to their website if you want to check the latest information.

• Witjira National Park (South Australia)

Wood fires are prohibited year round in all areas of the park except the Mt Dare Campground.  However wood fires are also banned at Mt Dare from November 1st to March 31st.

Collecting firewood on your way through Witjira is also not allowed.

Alternative solid fuel fires are permitted in portable firepits, braziers or similar receptacles only, except from 1 November 2019 to 31 March 2020.

More information

• Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Regional Reserve (South Australia)
• Wood fires and solid fuel fires are prohibited between 1 November 2019 to 31 March 2020.
• You must bring your own firewood, as the collection of firewood within national parks is prohibited.
• Gas fires and liquid fuel fires are permitted through the year, other than on days of total fire ban.

The South Australian Government has a page dedicated to fire restrictions in SA PArks which you can check out here

• Munga-Thirri National Park (Queensland)

The Queensland section of the Simpson Desert crossing runs through Munga-Thirri National Park and you'll be driving along the QAA line.

Fires are not permitted in the Munga-Thirri National Park (Queensland) at any time of year so make sure you have your own fuel stove for cooking.

• 10. Trailers are not recommended for crossing the Simpson Desert

While trailers are not banned in the Simpson Desert, they are actively discouraged from being taken and for good reason.

Driving up and over 1000+ dunes is challenge enough for vehicle and occupants without the added drag of a trailer.

Towing a trailer will require much harder revving and tyre spinning which will certainly take a toll on the track surface, making it harder for those following.

You’ll may also find yourself needed to disconnect the trailer and winch or snatch it up seperately on the tougher dunes which would take the fun out of things fairly quickly.

Also, if your trailer breaks and needs to be recovered, it could cost thousands of dollars.

If despite that you do still want to take your trailer then I’d recommend driving west to east as it will be the easier way to go.

• Additional Reading:
• Click here for all posts about our South Australian Outback Adventure
• Essential Outback Communications in Australia
• 8 things you must have in case you get stranded in the outback
• Watch our Simpson Desert Film:

The film series we made from our Simpson Desert crossing  South Australian Outback Adventure  is available to watch Online.

The 3 episode series will give you a first hand account of our trip, the challenges we faced and what to expect when you get out there.

You'll also get to see the Flinders Ranges and a decent amount of Outback South Australia.

• HEMA Simpson Desert Map

Discover the Simpson Desert with detailed mapping, relevant points of interest and essential touring information for the journey. One side of the map covers the desert at a scale of 1:500,000, while the other is at 1:1Million for planning purposes. Marked on the mapping are roads and 4WD tracks checked by the Hema Map Patrol, distance markers, topographical relief and touring points of interest including 24-hour fuel, camping areas and caravan parks, facilities, services and more. Also included is information on travelling the desert, what you need for the trip and relevant contact information.

• SA OUTBACK ADVENTURE
• SIMPSON DESERT

Affiliate Links: Some of the links on our site are affiliate links which means that if you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This helps us to run the site and keep the wheels turning and adds no cost to your purchase. We would never recommend a product or service that we don't use ourselves or trust.

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33 COMMENTS

Thank you for sharing this trip, I’m now arranging to travel from the UK to Mongolia and return in July/August this year in my 4 wheel drive Sprinter, it’s alraedy driven from Uk to Malaysia 3 years ago, one month in China,but I will be crossing the Kazakhstan desert and the Mongolian grasslands, no roads?

Awesome Richard, sounds like you are pushing the Sprinter way beyond where Mercedes ever thought it would go ?

You make no mention of importance of correct tyre pressures. I have crossed the Simpson 3 times and I believe that lowering tyre pressures to 15 to 18 psi is one of the most critical pieces of advice for this crossing. My next crossing will be east to west. I have done about 60 kms in that direction once when we had a vehicle failure and although it was much steeper, it was much smoother. I think that this is because inexperienced people go west to east, many without the sand driving knowledge and they chop the approach to dunes by having to much pressure in their tyres and going to fast.

Thanks Anton, lowering tyre pressures is definitely critical. I have a separate blog talking about what tyre pressures I run http://www.expeditionaustralia.com.au/2016/03/what-tyre-pressures-do-i-run-on-road-trips/

Love your work Steve, I intend taking the family across the Simpson and your tips were most welcome.

Cheers Brad, have an awesome trip 🙂

great advice Steve! very useful.

No worries Mariano, cheers.

Hi Steve - love your article. We were thinking of doing the trip travelling west to east as you suggest. I have a question about the type of car which could pull off the trip - we have a Range Rover Velar - newish model from Range Rover - my doubting friends have said it is a city based SUV and would not recommend it - any idea if it could do it?

Hi Conrad, it's a great question. I'm no expert on luxury 4x4's but as I understand it, the Range Rover might be targeted at the Toorak Tractor market but is no less capable a 4X4 than other models. In England I'm sure they get driven all over wet and muddy fields dragging horse floats around. I'd certainly love to see you give it a go and prove your friends wrong - send us a pic from the top of Big Red if you do. What I'd suggest is that you send an email to a Land Rover Club and ask them what they recommend you do to prep it for the trip. I'm sure they would be just as keen as me to see you succeed and uphold the great Land Rover reputation so I'd expect they'll be more than willing to help. Good luck.

great advice Steve, I will follow up and send a picture if I do it.

did you make it?..

Great info Steve hope to follow your tracks though the Simpson soon

Love this helpful info. Really looking forward to our trip. Thanks for the pointers. David Gosden

We have just completed the crossing from West to east in a single vehicle. The 10 tips given in this article are mostly pretty accurate and sound but may I add that if you use the right vehicle that is properly equipped then it’s almost unchallenging to a walk in the park. Yes, it’s the selfish, thoughtless people who want to tow a camper trailer that make the various tracks tougher going, especially if towed by an under powered car such as most twin cabs. This is the great outdoors at its best so sleep on a swag under the stars in a good sleeping bag, you don’t need a tent let alone a camper of any sort. Channel 10 on your radio is a must but one convoy coming from the east didn’t have one and another were using the wrong channel......thank god for the flags. The desert pass is a rip off and no one checks it. We crossed easily and comfortably in 2.5 days in a V8 series 200 Landcruiser using 136 litres of fuel from Mt Dare to Birdsville. We only used low range twice and our diff locks once in the whole crossing and that was because those 3 sand dunes were ripped and gouged by people towing trailers being bogged. It’s a great drive but not the huge challenge it’s cracked up to be in most articles and from what people say.....unless of course if you are towing a big, heavy camper trailer with a Ute.

What tyre pressure to you go across with I will b doing it in a 2000 Troopy carrier

From one Old bloke too another, the Desert Parks pass isn't a rip off. I have no problems at all with paying small amount to maintain our Desert Parks. It may not look like it to you but they make sure we can continue to drive those areas rather than closing them off

btw, I agree with everything else you said.

I absolutely agree with everything else you said.

Hi Am thinking about crossing Simpson desert in may

Should i re think this due to current flood conditions

Kind Regards Paul Radford

Hi Paul, I think the current rains will have cleared by then but it would be worth checking with the SA National Parks and see what they think.

It's worth pointing out that these days you can order the Desert Parks Pass online FROM the date that you need it, not the date you buy it. So you can buy it in advance..... makes it a lot easier as you get your maps etc well in advance

We are planning to do the trip in our BT50 with tent in Sept. which is my first 4WD after owing a Troopy. Not sure about working an auto and winch after a workhouse like the troopy. Any pointers please? Regards, Dennis, dENIS

Hi Dennis, my mate and I and our wives did a west to east crossing in August last year. He has an auto BT50 and we have a manual PX1 Ranger. The auto was definitely the way to go as it always has you in the right gear and not running out of puff just near the top, as often happened with our manual. I found third gear low range to be the best gear choice. Also, make sure you fully disengage your traction control by holding the button down for about 5 seconds until the dash icon blinks. Only pushing the button once doesn't fully switch it off. We found this out after reading the manual...amazing! You need to do this every time you start the engine. We took the WAA line instead of the French Line all the way which was really dug up by the Big Red Bash traffic....and trailers! The WAA was a much better way to go as it was a lot less busy and the track was better. Have a great trip. I'm very jealous.

Auto 4WD's are great they take away the need for any real experience in 4wd as the vehicle does all the thinking for you. However the thing you need to keep in mind is you can't push start an auto and towing a broken auto is difficult in remote area such as the Simpson Desert. I would love to convert my VDJ79 Landcruiser to a auto.

Just a question , would a 4wd Amezs Mitsubishi Canter motorhome be able to traverse the sand dunes - if so I guess would be an extremely slow process -

Hi Steve love your stories, am thinking next year of taking my 86 Subaru Brumby 4x4 across the simpson, it has lift kit and wider tyres it,s a light vehical so i dont think i will have.a problem, what do you think.

To Maxine and Colin have Ben through the Simpson in groups the included a short wheel base canter with a substantial cabin in the back with all the comforts. Don’t know your specs but that one did really well and we could drink coffee in aircon comfort and watch videos of the day. The brumby that came with us did fine with standard 13 inch. I personally have taken an l across numerous times with a lift and 14 inch wheels. Just keep the revs high as they will drop off during the climb

Absolutely love the Simpson Desert, I have done it at least once a year for the last 5 years and totally agree with everything you said in your 10 points except one. I have travelled in both directions West to East, East to West. Yes the sand dunes are taller East to West, however the approach is generally not as rutted, so we have found East to West easier.

Hi Steve The Simpson is a fantastic trip which ever track you take. Great points you make, my only comment would be about fires out there. That there isn't as much wood as you think and animals need it for protection and nesting. Bring your own fire wood or don’t have a fire.

Thanks for the feedback. I've updated the post above with more detailed info about the fire restrictions in each section of the crossing and collecting firewood is not allowed at any point so best to bring your own.

Will a stock hilux with 31inch ko2's and no lift do the simpson alright

Yep. Just reduce your tyre pressures.

Comments are closed.

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• Find a Park

Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park

More information.

Click the button below to view more information.

Check the lat­est Desert Parks Bul­letin before vis­it­ing this park. 

Locat­ed with­in the dri­est region of the Aus­tralian con­ti­nent, the Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park is in the cen­tre of the Simp­son Desert, is one of the world’s best exam­ples of par­al­lel dunal desert and at 3.6 mil­lion hectares, it is the largest nation­al park in Australia

The Simp­son Desert’s sand dunes stretch over hun­dreds of kilo­me­tres and lie across the cor­ners of 3 states – South Aus­tralia, Queens­land and the North­ern Territory.

The park fea­tures a wide vari­ety of desert wildlife pre­served in a land­scape of var­ied dune sys­tems, exten­sive playa lakes, spinifex grass­lands and aca­cia wood­lands, and is linked to Witji­ra Nation­al Park.

Simp­son Desert parks in South Aus­tralia and Queens­land are closed in sum­mer from 1 Decem­ber to 15 March. Vehi­cles are required to have high vis­i­bil­i­ty safe­ty flags attached to the front of the vehicle.

Opening hours

Open dai­ly.

Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park is closed from 1 Decem­ber to 15 March each year.

Access may be restrict­ed due to local road con­di­tions. Please refer to the lat­est Desert Parks Bul­letin for cur­rent access and road con­di­tion information.

Clo­sures and safety

This park is closed on days of Cat­a­stroph­ic Fire Dan­ger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

You can deter­mine the cur­rent fire dan­ger rat­ing by check­ing the Fire Ban Dis­trict map on the CFS  website.

Check the CFS web­site or call the CFS Bush­fire Infor­ma­tion Hot­line 1800 362 361 for:

• Infor­ma­tion on fire bans and cur­rent fire conditions
• Cur­rent CFS warn­ings and incidents
• Infor­ma­tion on what to do in the event of a fire .

Lis­ten to your local area radio sta­tion for the lat­est updates and infor­ma­tion on fire safety.

Contact details

Vis­i­tor infor­ma­tion, book­ings and park management:.

Port Augus­ta Nation­al Parks Wildlife Ser­vice South Aus­tralia office

Phone: (+61 8) 8648 5300 Email: desertparks@​sa.​gov.​au

Emer­gency contacts:

Med­ical, fire (includ­ing bush­fire) and police emer­gency sit­u­a­tions Phone: Triple Zero — 000

Police Assis­tance Phone: 131 444 for non-urgent police assistance

Nation­al Parks and Wildlife Ser­vice SA – After-hours duty offi­cer Phone:0408 378 284

Injured wildlife:

With­in the park Please con­tact Port Augus­ta Nation­al Parks Wildlife Ser­vice South Aus­tralia office on (08) 8648 5300 or the after-hours duty offi­cer on 0408 378 284.

Out­side of the park Please con­tact a local wildlife res­cue group.

Desert Park Pass

Head­ing to the out­back? Pur­chase a Desert Parks Pass which enti­tles you to 12 months vehi­cle entry into sev­en desert parks. 

The pass also allows you to camp for peri­ods of up to 21 nights at a time in the desert parks (exclud­ing Wab­ma Kadar­bu Mound Springs Con­ser­va­tion Park, where camp­ing is not permitted). 

The Desert Parks Pass is manda­to­ry if you’re plan­ning to trav­el into Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Park or are trav­el­ling east of Dal­housie Springs in Witji­ra Nation­al Park. Day vehi­cle entry and camp­ing is avail­able for all oth­er Desert Parks. 

• Buy a Desert Parks Pass now
• Buy a Desert Parks Pass in person
• Park Pass FAQs

When to visit

The most enjoy­able times to vis­it the Simp­son Desert are autumn, win­ter and spring. Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park is closed annu­al­ly between 1 Decem­ber and 15 March. This clo­sure is to ensure pub­lic safe­ty as tem­per­a­tures can exceed 50 degrees. A break­down dur­ing this time could be fatal.

Getting there

Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park is locat­ed 957 km north of Port Augus­ta. Access may be restrict­ed due to local road con­di­tions. Please refer to the latest

It is acces­si­ble via the fol­low­ing routes:

From Kul­gera: Trav­el via Finke to New Crown Sta­tion, then via Char­lotte Waters to Mount Dare Home­stead in Witji­ra Nation­al Park, through Dal­housie Springs and Spring Creek to Purni Bore.

From Ood­na­dat­ta: Trav­el via Hamil­ton Sta­tion and Dal­housie Springs, Spring Creek then Purni Bore.

From Birdsville: Enter via the QAA line to Poep­pel Cor­ner. Depend­ing on the road con­di­tions, the 160 km jour­ney from Birdsville to Poep­pel Cor­ner may take you 6 to 8 hours as it trav­els over some of the biggest sand dunes in the desert. Allow plen­ty of time. Trav­el via the Shire road which leaves the inside Birdsville Track just south­west of Birdsville. This joins the QAA Line at Big Red sand dune 33km from Birdsville and heads west into the park.

If you are trav­el­ling through this area for the first time, it is rec­om­mend­ed that you cross the reserves from west to east to take advan­tage of the gen­tler upsweep to most dunes. Reserves of fuel, water and food, as well as basic vehi­cle spare parts and recov­ery equip­ment, must be carried.

You can also access the park from the north via the Hay Riv­er Track in the North­ern Ter­ri­to­ry to Poep­pel Cor­ner, or the Col­son Track to the French Line with per­mis­sion from Cen­tral Land Coun­cil at Per­mits — Cen­tral Land Coun­cil (clc​.org​.au) .

Assistance dogs

Assis­tance dogs are per­mit­ted in most pub­lic places and are there­fore wel­come in South Australia’s parks and reserves. Assis­tance dogs must be appro­pri­ate­ly restrained on a lead and remain under your effec­tive con­trol at all times while in a park or reserve.

As per the dogs in parks and reserves pol­i­cy, if the dog is not an accred­it­ed assis­tance dog, they must be trained to assist a per­son with a dis­abil­i­ty to alle­vi­ate that dis­abil­i­ty and meet stan­dards of hygiene and behav­iour appro­pri­ate for a dog in a pub­lic place. How­ev­er, refusal may be giv­en if the per­son with the dis­abil­i­ty is unable to pro­duce evi­dence the dog is an assis­tance dog with the appro­pri­ate training.

Before tak­ing your assis­tance dog into a park that does not nor­mal­ly allow dogs, it is high­ly rec­om­mend­ed that you con­tact us so we can pro­vide you with the lat­est infor­ma­tion on any poten­tial haz­ards with­in spe­cif­ic parks that may affect your dog. Please con­tact the park via the con­tact details pro­vid­ed under the con­tact tab or con­tact the vis­i­tor ser­vice cen­tre via email .

Pets not allowed

Dogs are not per­mit­ted in this park.

Dis­cov­er which parks you can walk your dog in on our find a park tool or read 12 dog-friend­ly walks in Ade­laide Parks by Good Liv­ing for inspiration.

The only ser­vices avail­able between Ood­na­dat­ta and Birdsville are at Mount Dare in Witji­ra Nation­al Park .

Plants and animals

On the crests of the sand dunes small grass­es and herbs, such as sand hill cane-grass thrive, while on the more sta­ble sands tri­o­dia species like lobed spinifex and oth­er small grass­es and shrubs dom­i­nate. These spinifex tus­socks can often grow to form large donut-like shapes as the cen­tre of the plant dies out, while new growth con­tin­ues at the out­er edges.

Desert veg­e­ta­tion depends on sea­son­al con­di­tions. Many plants have short life cycles, grow­ing, flow­er­ing and set­ting seeds with­in a cou­ple of months of rain. After rain the sand dunes can become cov­ered in a ver­i­ta­ble car­pet of wild­flow­ers, as the long dor­mant seeds of poached-egg daisies and fleshy ground­sel spring into life.

The swales between the sand dunes col­lect more water and nutri­ents than the sand dunes and so can sup­port larg­er shrubs such as ere­mophi­la, gre­vil­lea and aca­cias like mul­ga and gidgee – par­tic­u­lar­ly around Poep­pel Cor­ner where low open wood­lands of gidgee spread out to the hori­zon. The playa lakes in these swales also sup­port small clumps of salt-tol­er­ant sam­phire and oth­er herba­ceous plants around their periphery. 

More than 150 species of birds inhab­it the Simp­son Desert. Com­mon birds include crest­ed pigeons and zebra finch­es, while galahs and corel­las are often seen con­gre­gat­ing away from the mid­day sun in a tree over­look­ing a water­hole. The desert is home to sev­er­al species of birds of prey such as the mighty wedge-tailed eagle (often seen soar­ing on the desert ther­mals), as well as black kites, nan­keen kestrels and brown falcons.

Look care­ful­ly for the eyre­an grass­wren on the slopes of sand dunes, scur­ry­ing from one sand­hill cane­grass clump to anoth­er. Fol­low­ing a good sea­son, the Simp­son Desert can become a birdwatcher’s par­adise as flocks of birds arrive to take advan­tage of the water and abun­dant food, par­tic­u­lar­ly around the playa lakes and tem­po­rary water­holes. Watch out for water­birds, chats and the rare Aus­tralian Bus­tard. To escape the sear­ing heat of the day, many of the Simp­son Desert’s mam­mal inhab­i­tants only come out at night. Small mar­su­pi­als includ­ing dun­narts and ampur­ta come out to feast on insects, while Din­goes are out search­ing for big­ger prey such as rab­bits. If you’ve got a good field guide handy, try to iden­ti­fy the dif­fer­ent tracks on the sand dunes in the morn­ing. The desert is also home to fer­al ani­mals includ­ing rab­bits, camels and foxes.

As you dri­ve, remain on the look­out for some of the rep­til­ian inhab­i­tants of the desert. Aus­trali­a’s biggest lizard, the per­en­tie, can be found out here as well as the more com­mon sand goan­na. paint­ed and cen­tral beard­ed drag­ons can be found sun­ning them­selves next to the track, while the desert python (the woma) and small­er beaked geck­os and desert skinks may be seen if you take the time to look.

Flo­ra and fau­na species lists

To down­load flo­ra (plants) and fau­na (ani­mals) species lists for this park, use the ​ ‘ Cre­ate Sim­ple Species List’ tab under ​ ‘ Flo­ra Tools’ or ​ ‘ Fau­na Tools’ in NatureMaps .

Useful information

• A Desert Parks Pass is required to enter and camp in Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park
• Desert Parks Bulletin 
• Desert Parks of South Aus­tralia brochure

Down­load the Ood­na­dat­ta Track vis­i­tor brochure and the Birdsville and Strz­elec­ki vis­i­tor brochure.

• Remote area trav­el information
• Parks man­age­ment plans

Out­back Road Report

1300 361 033 (24-hour auto­mat­ed ser­vice) North­ern and West­ern South Aus­tralian Out­back Roads Tem­po­rary Clo­sures, Restric­tions and Warn­ings Report

• Impor­tant: Col­lec­tion of fire­wood with­in nation­al parks is pro­hib­it­ed. Dead wood plays a vital role in pro­vid­ing shel­ter for ani­mals and adding nutri­ents to the soil.

Traditional owners

In the 19 th cen­tu­ry, most Simp­son Desert Abo­rig­i­nal groups were con­cen­trat­ed around the water­cours­es on the desert bound­aries. Pri­or to this time, the Wangkan­gur­ru actu­al­ly lived in the desert; and to the west of their tra­di­tion­al bound­ary the Low­er South­ern Arrernte lived on the edge and part­ly in the desert. Fam­i­ly groups were gen­er­al­ly con­cen­trat­ed around native wells, or ​ ‘ Mikiri’ which pro­vid­ed the only per­ma­nent source of water.

In good sea­sons, they could spread out away from these sites, tak­ing advan­tage of ground­wa­ter and the flush of new life that rain brings to the desert.

Abo­rig­i­nal groups liv­ing in this area were hunters and gath­er­ers, but they also trad­ed exten­sive­ly with groups to the north and south. Ground-edge axes from quar­ries in Queens­land were trad­ed, as were sand­stone grind­ing stones and ochre from the North Flinders Ranges. Some stone imple­ments and work­ings can be seen in the park, but are not com­mon. All Abo­rig­i­nal sites are pro­tect­ed, so please do not dis­turb them.

Abo­rig­i­nal peo­ples have occu­pied, enjoyed and man­aged the lands and waters of this State for thou­sands of gen­er­a­tions. For Abo­rig­i­nal first nations, cre­ation ances­tors laid down the laws of the Coun­try and bestowed a range of cus­tom­ary rights and oblig­a­tions to the many Abo­rig­i­nal Nations across our state. 

There are many places across the State that have great spir­i­tu­al sig­nif­i­cance to Abo­rig­i­nal first nations. At some of these places Abo­rig­i­nal cul­tur­al pro­to­cols, such as restrict­ed access, are pro­mot­ed and vis­i­tors are asked to respect the wish­es of Tra­di­tion­al Owners.

In places where pro­to­cols are not pro­mot­ed vis­i­tors are asked to show respect by not touch­ing or remov­ing any­thing, and make sure you take all your rub­bish with you when you leave.

Abo­rig­i­nal peo­ples con­tin­ue to play an active role in car­ing for their Coun­try, includ­ing in parks across South Australia. 

• DEW Park management
• DEW Abo­rig­i­nal partnerships

European history

Euro­pean set­tle­ment brought about the decline of Abo­rig­i­nal occu­pa­tion of the desert. White set­tlers intro­duced influen­za to the Abo­rig­i­nal groups, dec­i­mat­ing the pop­u­la­tion. Groups were dis­placed as pas­toral prop­er­ties took over their land, while oth­er Abo­rig­i­nal peo­ple were attract­ed to work on prop­er­ties and to towns and communities.

The first Euro­pean to see the grandeur of the Simp­son Desert was the explor­er Charles Sturt in 1845, but the desert was not ful­ly recog­nised and named until the 1930s when anoth­er explor­er and geol­o­gist, Cecil Thomas Madi­gan, named it after Allen Simp­son, the spon­sor of his sub­se­quent expe­di­tion and then pres­i­dent of the Roy­al Geo­graph­i­cal Soci­ety of Aus­trala­sia (South Aus­tralian Branch). The explor­ers who came after Sturt, main­ly gov­ern­ment sur­vey­ors, named a num­ber of the famil­iar land­marks in the area. 

Notable among the ear­ly sur­vey­ors was Augus­tus Poep­pel who sur­veyed the junc­tion of the bor­ders of North­ern Ter­ri­to­ry, Queens­land and South Aus­tralia in 1880. The orig­i­nal peg mark­ing Poep­pel Cor­ner was removed to Ade­laide for preser­va­tion in 1962 by Dr Reg Sprigg and now forms part of the His­to­ry Trust of South Aus­trali­a’s His­toric Relics Col­lec­tion. On 25 August 1968, Bill Hay­lock of the SA Geo­det­ic Sur­vey placed the cur­rent steel and con­crete post to mark Poep­pel Cor­ner. In 1989, the Friends of the Simp­son Desert Parks erect­ed a red gum repli­ca of the orig­i­nal peg near the cor­ner post.

The first suc­cess­ful Euro­pean cross­ing of the desert was in 1936 and is cred­it­ed to E. A. Col­son, who, with Peter Ains (an Abo­rig­i­nal com­pan­ion) and five camels, trav­elled from Mount Etingam­bra east­wards via Poep­pel Cor­ner to Birdsville. Geol­o­gist Reg Sprigg and his fam­i­ly com­plet­ed the first motorised cross­ing in 1962, with Dr Sprigg’s Geo­sur­veys of Aus­tralia company. 

In 1936, the French Petro­le­um Com­pa­ny was con­tract­ed to con­duct seis­mic sur­veys and explore for oil and gas deposits. These work­ers spent months at a time in the desert, build­ing what are now known as the French and QAA lines, Rig Road and oth­er tracks, thus open­ing up the desert for oth­er explor­ers, pas­toral­ists and tourists to follow.

The Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Con­ser­va­tion Park was orig­i­nal­ly pro­claimed as a nation­al park in 1967, but changed to con­ser­va­tion park clas­si­fi­ca­tion in 1972. The region­al reserve was estab­lished in 1988, link­ing the con­ser­va­tion park with Witji­ra Nation­al Park. In 2021, the con­ser­va­tion park and region­al reserve were com­bined and reclas­si­fied to become Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park. The enor­mous size of the park (3.6 mil­lion hectares) allows a wide cross-sec­tion of diverse flo­ra, fau­na and sand ridge for­ma­tions to be protected.

Rangers recommend

We have picked the brains of our park rangers to find out what they would rec­om­mend you see and do whilst vis­it­ing this park.

• Vis­it­ing the Lone Gum – the thriv­ing Coolabah that stands alone along­side the Rig Road. The soli­tary tree, far from the near­est water­course, gen­er­al­ly grows in heavy clay soils. There is no oth­er tree of its kind in the region, how it comes to be here still remains a mystery.
• Pho­tograph­ing the Approdin­na Atto­ra Knolls – the rare gyp­sum out­crops which were once the high­est dune crests in the area. Due to fragili­ty and great sci­en­tif­ic impor­tance, man­age­ment works have been under­tak­en to pro­tect them from the impacts of vehi­cles and animals.
• Stand­ing in three dif­fer­ent states at the same time at Poep­pel Cor­ner, in the Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park. A repli­ca of Augus­tus Poep­pel’s orig­i­nal mark­er stands near the cur­rent sur­vey­ors peg (the orig­i­nal is now in Ade­laide, as part of the South Aus­tralian His­tor­i­cal Relics Col­lec­tion) where these three states meet. Not far away you might find some of Poep­pel’s orig­i­nal mile­posts and his­toric markers.

Bushwalking

There is cur­rent­ly no bush­walk­ing infor­ma­tion avail­able for this park, please con­tact the park office for more information. 

Cross the Simp­son Desert and explore par­al­lel red sand ridges that extend across an area of up to 500 km. The best time to cross the Simp­son is from mid-March to mid-August when the tem­per­a­ture is milder.

Know before you go:

• Vehi­cle flags are now manda­to­ry in this park. Read more about park safe­ty require­ments under the Safe­ty tab.
• You must have a  Desert Parks Pass to do this trip.
• The use of trail­ers in the Simp­son Desert is strong­ly dis­cour­aged. Car­a­vans and motorhomes should not be used. Seri­ous dam­age can be caused to vehi­cles and the envi­ron­ment, and dif­fi­cul­ties are like­ly to result.
• Read the Desert Parks Bul­letin before under­tak­ing your journey.

Stay in the park

Camp out under the stars and expe­ri­ence the beau­ty of the out­back. The best camp­ing spots are towards the salt lakes in the cen­tral region where gidgee wood­lands pro­vide shade, shel­ter and soft ground for pitch­ing a tent. You can camp with­in 100 metres of the pub­lic access tracks in Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park, but there are no facilities.

A sep­a­rate camp­ing per­mit is required if you intend to camp in Queens­land en route to Birdsville through Munga-Thirri Nation­al Park .

There are no ser­vices between Ood­na­dat­ta and Birdsville, unless you take a detour to Mount Dare Home­stead. A camp­ground with toi­lets and show­ers is avail­able at Dal­housie Springs and Purnie Bore in Witji­ra Nation­al Park.

Impor­tant infor­ma­tion for campers:

• A Desert Parks Pass is required to enter and camp in this park

Volunteering

Want to join oth­ers and become a park friend.

To find out more about Friends of Parks groups please vis­it Friends of Parks South Australia.

You could join oth­ers to help look after a park. You can take part in work­ing bees, train­ing and oth­er events.

Mountain biking

There are no des­ig­nat­ed moun­tain bik­ing trails in this park. 

• Which parks can you ride in?

The inter­na­tion­al Trail Users Code of Con­duct is to show respect and cour­tesy towards oth­er trail users at all times.

Ensure that you:

• keep to defined walk­ing trails and fol­low the trail markers
• wear stur­dy shoes, a hat and sunscreen
• car­ry suf­fi­cient drink­ing water
• be aware of weath­er con­di­tions and avoid walk­ing dur­ing the hottest part of the day
• Walk, hike or trek – what’s the difference?

When camp­ing in a nation­al park, it’s impor­tant to:

• always let some­one respon­si­ble know your trav­el plans, espe­cial­ly when trav­el­ling in remote areas. It’s a good idea to let them know when you expect to return
• check the weath­er fore­cast before you leave, includ­ing overnight tem­per­a­tures on the Bureau of Mete­o­rol­o­gy . Even dur­ing very mild weath­er, the nights can get very cold
• bring plen­ty of water and food to be self-suf­fi­cient – the qual­i­ty and quan­ti­ty of water can­not be guar­an­teed with­in parks
• always camp in des­ig­nat­ed sites (where applic­a­ble) – do not camp beneath trees with over­hang­ing branch­es, as they can drop with­out warn­ing. It’s also a good idea to check that there are no insect nests nearby
• check to make sure you’re not camp­ing in a nat­ur­al water­way, as flash floods can hap­pen at any time
• bring your own fire­wood if camp­fires are per­mit­ted, as the col­lec­tion of fire­wood with­in nation­al parks is pro­hib­it­ed. Extin­guish your camp fire with water (not sand or dirt) until the hiss­ing sound stops
• ensure that you are famil­iar with the fire restric­tions for this park.

Can I have a fire or barbecue?

• Ensure you are famil­iar with the fire restric­tions for this park.
• You must bring your own fire­wood, as the col­lec­tion of fire­wood with­in nation­al parks is prohibited.
• Gas fires and liq­uid fuel fires are per­mit­ted through the year, oth­er than on days of total fire ban.

4WD and safety flags

When 4wdriving in the park, it is impor­tant to be aware of the following:.

• Stan­dard road rules apply when dri­ving any­where in the park, includ­ing the laws for speed lim­its, drink dri­ving, vehi­cle reg­is­tra­tion and seat belts.
• Take extreme care when dri­ving in the park – be aware of blind cor­ners, crests and nar­row two-way tracks.
• Observe all track and safe­ty signs, espe­cial­ly ​ ‘ No pub­lic access’ signs.
• Do not take your vehi­cle off the des­ig­nat­ed tracks. Wildlife can be threat­ened and pre­cious habi­tat and indige­nous sites can be dam­aged by off track driving.
• Make sure you know what to do in the event of get­ting bogged and always car­ry a shovel.
• When dri­ving on sand, deflate your tyres as appro­pri­ate for your vehi­cle. Don’t for­get to rein­flate your tyres to the manufacturer’s rec­om­mend­ed pres­sure before leav­ing the park. Take care when low­er­ing tyre pres­sure as there is risk you could roll the tyre off its rim. Also, remem­ber that low­er tyre pres­sure can mean a change in how the vehi­cle handles.
• Vehi­cle flags are now manda­to­ry in this park.

Safe­ty flags

All vehi­cles must be fit­ted with a safe­ty flag when trav­el­ling in the Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert National.

Flag require­ments:

• min­i­mum 300 mm wide by 290mm high
• made of flu­o­res­cent mate­ri­als, red-orange or lime-yel­low in colour.
• With front bull­bar – flag pole attached to the bul­bar, with top of the flag a min­i­mum 3.5 metres from the ground.
• With­out front bull­bar – flag pole attached via brack­et at the front of the vehi­cle, with top of the flag a min­i­mum 3.5 m from the ground; alter­na­tive­ly flag pole attached to the front of the roof rack, with top of the flag a min­i­mum 2 m from the roof of vehicle.

Motor­bikes

Motor­bikes are cur­rent­ly exempt from hav­ing to dis­play a safe­ty flag, how­ev­er head­lights must used at all times dur­ing travel.

Pub­lic Access Routes (PARs)

• Pub­lic access routes are estab­lished under the Pas­toral Land Man­age­ment and Con­ser­va­tion Act 1989 to pro­vide pub­lic access over pas­toral land with­out the need for trav­ellers to ask per­mis­sion from the lessee.
• Pub­lic access routes are not roads or part of the for­mal road net­work. They are unim­proved and unsur­faced dirt tracks intend­ed to pro­vide four wheel dri­ve access in dry con­di­tions only.

Dingo safety

To remain safe and to keep din­goes wild, please:

• ensure you store rub­bish, food, shoes and leather items securely
• do not feed the din­goes – they are nat­u­ral­ly lean animals
• always stay close to your children
• do not encour­age, excite, or run away from dingoes
• if you are attacked, aggres­sive­ly defend yourself.

Know before you go

Every nation­al park is dif­fer­ent, each has its own unique envi­ron­ment, it is impor­tant to be respon­si­ble while enjoy­ing all the park has to offer.

Please ensure that you:

• leave your pets at home
• do not feed birds or oth­er ani­mals, it pro­motes aggres­sive behav­iour and an unbal­anced ecology
• do not bring gen­er­a­tors (except where per­mit­ted), chain­saws or firearms into the park
• leave the park as you found it — there are no bins in nation­al parks, please come pre­pared to take your rub­bish with you. 
• abide by the road rules (main­tain the speed limit)
• respect geo­log­i­cal and her­itage sites
• do not remove native plants
• are con­sid­er­ate of oth­er park users.

A Desert Parks Pass is required to enter and camp in Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park.

• Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park map (pdf)

Maps on your mobile

If you have a smart­phone or tablet you can down­load the free Aven­za PDF Map app and have inter­ac­tive nation­al park maps on hand when you need them.

The app uses your device’s built-in GPS to plot your real-time loca­tion with­in the park onto a map. The app can be used with­out a net­work con­nec­tion and with­out roam­ing charges. You can also mea­sure area and dis­tance, plot pho­tos and drop place­mark pins. 

How to get it work­ing on your device:

1. Down­load the Aven­za PDF maps app from the app store whilst you are still in range (its free!). 2. Open up the app and click the shop­ping cart icon. 3. Click ​ ‘ Find’ and type the name of the nation­al park or reserve you are look­ing for. 4. Click on the map you are after and install it (all our maps are free). 5. You will now find a list of your installed maps on the home page of the Aven­za app. 6. Use our maps through the Aven­za PDF map app while in the park and nev­er take a wrong turn again.

Sin­gle day entry is not avail­able for this park, you are required to pur­chase a  Desert Parks Pass to enter this park.

Entry and camp­ing (for up to 21 nights at a time in a des­ig­nat­ed camp­ing place) is cov­ered by the pur­chase of a Desert Parks Pass.

The Desert Parks Pass is manda­to­ry if you’re plan­ning to trav­el into Munga-Thirri – Simp­son Desert Nation­al Park or are trav­el­ling east of Dal­housie Springs in Witji­ra Nation­al Park. Day vehi­cle entry and camp­ing is avail­able for all oth­er Desert Parks. 

Camping and accommodation

Entry and camp­ing (for up to 21 nights at a time in a des­ig­nat­ed camp­ing place) is cov­ered by the pur­chase of a  Desert Parks Pass.

Sin­gle day entry is not avail­able for this park.

Other fees and permits

There are no oth­er fees or per­mits asso­ci­at­ed with this park. 

Your park pics

Acknowledgement of country.

The state government acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First Peoples and Nations of the lands and waters we live and work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect the deep spiritual connection and the relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to Country. We work in partnership with the First Peoples of South Australia and support their Nations to take a leading role in caring for their Country.

Top 10 essentials for crossing the Simpson Desert

The biggest requirement for any remote overland travel, especially crossing the Simpson Desert is you have to be prepared. On our recent two way (east and west) solo vehicle crossing of the Simpson Desert we put together a top 10 essentials list to ensure all the safety and comfort aspects of our trip would be considered and covered before we left.

Below are our top 10 essential items for crossing the Simpson Desert

Satellite telephone (and/ or with) an epirb.

Satellite telephone - A sat phone is an absolute must for any remote outback travel where there is limited to no reception. Heads up- The Simpson Desert is a complete black spot for all major and minor Mobile phone carriers. A Sat phone connects to the relevant satellite network you are signed up to and can connect almost anywhere world wide. We use a Garmin Inreach unit which although is unable to make calls, it can send and receive text messages, emails and is a registered epirb.

The idea behind the epirb is the comfort of instantly contacting emergency services from anywhere, in the event of a serious emergency and it’s handy when it’s all in the single unit. During peak periods of crossing, you will regularly pass other vehicles who will often be able to help, but depending on the situation it may be in a restricted capacity. What you need to be prepared for is a situation when medical services are required immediately or as soon as possible.

To learn more about the inreach range click here

SA Desert Parks Pass and Handbook

You will receive the two when purchasing your Simpson permit along with a deserts park paper fold out map. You must have your Deserts Park Pass and Handbook when travelling the Simpson Desert (and others) and produce both if requested by a ranger. The pass last’s 12 months and in non-transferable as it is specific to your vehicle. The permit pass allows you (multiple) park entries and camping, the handbook is a complete resource on all you could possibly need to know for your trip.

The handbook covers; conditions of entry, travel requirements and recommendations, estimated travel times, basic first aid, safe desert driving tips, track, animal and camping info and important information about the local aboriginal communities. Each National Park is broken down into sections and further specific information provided. The handbook is completely invaluable and we would recommend have a very good read over the information before heading into the crossing- there is plenty of common knowledge information but also many other unique points you may not have considered before.

To purchase your permit click here

As a mandatory requirement of entry, each vehicle must ensure to have a sand flag on the car. A sand flag needs to be 3.5m from the ground and have a high visibility flag on top in fluorescent red orange or fluorescent lime yellow.

You will need a flag to be your point of visibility to oncoming vehicles. When cresting a dune or even short tight level section, your Sand Flag will be what others often sight first before your vehicle. If you haven’t had adequate radio communication ahead, it could be the only thing that prevents a head on collision in low visibility areas like when cresting sand dunes.

Can you make your own? Sure, but you need to use a strong suitable rod-like material as a flag pole, attach it very securely to your vehicle, ensure it meets the standard regulations and be sure your flag is secured correctly so it doesn’t come off or tangle in any over head trees.... the best safest option is to purchase a regulation flag from a reputable reseller.

We use a ‘ Bushranger 4x4 Gear sand flag with supplied bull bar mount, its flex, height and durability was extremely impressive on the dunes of the Simpson.... We found it to be the tallest of all the flags on the track and this made us feel very visible at the crest of each dune.

UHF set on channel 10

A UHF radio is a highly recommended item to have for a Simpson Crossing- although not mandatory. Having driven the Simpson Desert twice in 7days, we strongly agree it will make your trip safer and you’ll feel much more confident cresting the some 1,100 sand dunes. We use a GME unit and the device was perfect for communication with oncoming convoys, when hoping to overtake a group or slower vehicles, to alert or receive information on dune hazards, to give and receive acknowledgement with other travellers (etc). Due to its versatility a UHF is such a valuable tool to utilise in such a variable visibility area.

To see GME's full range of UHF's click here .

Fuel/ jerrycans

Sufficient fuel is a calculated consideration you need to make before heading into the Simpson. If you have a long range tank (depending on its capacity) you might have no need for jerrycans, but if you have a limited capacity you need to do some research on distances V the fuel consumption of your vehicle to ensure you are well prepared before hitting the dunes. The Simpson is sandy, and at time rough dune driving with periods of flat sections. The Handbook states from Birdsville to Mt Dare is 510km (Eyre Creek Bypass omitted which is a further approx 68kms on top) and approximately just over 26hrs of driving. Make sure to take into consideration if your common calculations are for when your are towing or if your usually highway driving.

With the Simpson Track requiring 4WD and low range you will use higher than normal fuel and the rule of thumb we seem to encounter is double you normal track fuel consumption. We personally found that this would be excessive for us, we have a 150L factory fitted long range full tank and we also carried 2x 20L jerrycans giving us 190L of Diesel. We only used 111L to get over to Mt Dare from Birdsville taking the French Line and 149L to return back East via the WAA, Rig Rd and K1. If you’re unsure and can manage the weight- ere on the side of ‘more is safer’. Be aware fuel at Mt Dare is going to be at minimum $2.45/L and it is usually sitting about $1.75/L in Birdsville.

Tip; keep to the bare necessities when packing the car, as the lighter your vehicle the lower your fuel consumption will be.

Its simple really, one of the most important survival aids in the desert is water, you should aim carry as much water as you possibly can. It is recommend you should carry at least 7-10L per person/per day and the latter as a minimum in the hotter months according the RFDS. You should account for enough water to cover drinking, cooking and some limited washing. If you have external tanks, where possible it is advisable to have multiple tanks in the event one tank is punctured you could loose your entire water supply. We run an ORS internal 45L water tank that sits between out back seats and the cargo barrier. Mt Dare and Birdsville both have either access to tap water or sell boxed water.

Recovery gear (sand tracks, snatch strap and shovel)

Sand track recovery aids are one of the best items you can keep in your kit. There are two main options when looking at these types of aids being a hard plastic version such as the Maxtrax and a compact rubber rolled version such as those from Bushranger 4x4 gear . The benefits of the hard plastic versions are that they can be used as a shovel and are often easy to mount to roof racks. The rolled rubber versions whilst not being as versatile worked a treat for us as we have no available storage space on the roof.

Snatch straps are another must have item when crossing the desert. There are often travellers spread across the various tracks who will be only too happy to help snatch you out if you get stuck with your strap and shackles. Be sure to have an appropriately rated strap for your setup and we strongly recommend using a damper blanket if possible to help prevent damage and injury if something were to go wrong.

A shovel is a very multipurpose item that can be used in a number of desert situations, from recovery to daily use. A shovel can be your most valuable tool if required to dig yourself out should your vehicle become stuck, the most common type of inconvenient situation people encounter in the Simpson. A shovel is an extremely handy tool used to help maintain and to extinguish your camp fire, also move around hot coals for cooking. And lastly it is a MUST when digging a hole for your outback bush toilet needs. Just add a box of matches and a roll of toilet paper and your impact on the desert environment will be extremely minimised, helping protect the beautiful pristine arid lands.

You can use a long handle shovel (pictured above) and securely mount it to the roofrack or choose a compact folding shovel that can be placed anywhere within your set up.

Good quality tent/swag with warm bedding and appropriate clothing

During the winter months is the most common time to cross the Simpson and it should be noted the nights are really bitter and often zero degrees and below. Ensure you have an adequate roof top tent, tent (with decent sand pegs) or swag with you and set yourself up with very warm and comfortable bedding. We used our iKamper roof top tent and had all 5 of us spread across the king sized mattress. We packed our quilt and extra fleece blankets and sleeping bags for our kids, we still needed beanies and jumpers to sleep at night and also each morning.

During the days it was cooler when we were heading west and warmed up on our trip back east. We chose to drive from early morning (around 8-8.30am onwards QLD time) to avoid the bitter chill and pull up earlier in the afternoon to enjoy the warmer temperatures (around 3.30pm QLD time). Long sleeve shirts (and jumpers) helped with cooler weather but also the suns rays. Flies weren’t too extreme (until Dalhousie Springs for us) but some might like to pack their fly nets in case.

Food (cooking appliances/ fire wood)

If your travelling with a fridge in your vehicle you will find it easier to bring a variety of foods for the trip. Pack for about 4 full days minimum, incase you encounter a delay. Ensure you have food to not only cover the 3 main meals each day but also in between meals for the car (esp if crossing with kids). You will spend majority of your time in the car driving, so have plenty of easy and nutritious snack food on hand.

We took a little portable burner and our small saucepan set for dinners but also used our spun steel pan with campfires where permitted.

We kept it fairly simple, cereal and shakes for breakfast, salad wraps at lunch stops and then we enjoyed a variety of dinner meals. Keeping it simple not only helped when stocking the car pantry and fridge, but it also kept our need for utensils/pans/plates (etc) and water for washing up much more minimal.

Wheelie bin bag

A portable rubbish bin/ gear bag- This one has made the essentials list as the Simpson Desert and surrounding National Parks have no rubbish collection facilities. You must collect all of your rubbish and take it with you to drop at the garbage tips located at each end of the track, one on the way to Dalhousie and one on the way into Birdsville.

Burning rubbish in a campfire is not acceptable nor is it guaranteed to remove all waste, and it is illegal to dump it in the bush. So do the right thing, bag it up and chuck it into a wheelie bin until you get to the tip at the end of your trip.

We use a Bushranger 4x4 Gear wheelie bin/ gear bag and it was perfect for the Simpson because this Wheelie Bin is a sturdy PVC bag and comes with a centre divider. We filled one side with rubbish bags and then one side with fire wood (as collection is limited). We use a large garage bag liner and then tie up any smaller bags to keep contents from leaking or spoiling in the bottom of the bin or being an attraction to the wildlife, plus this also makes it easier to empty the entire bag in one go.

If you enjoyed reading our Simpson Desert Essentials then check out our recent article on Safe Ouback Driving Travel Tips .

If you have any questions or would like to get in touch we would love to hear from you. 'Contact Us'

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Know before you go: Simpson Desert

24 May 2022 3 min read

The Simpson Desert is often called the Holy Grail of four-wheel driving in South Australia.

More than 1200 kilometres from Adelaide, it lies at the border of SA, the Northern Territory and Queensland, and covers more than 170,000 square kilometres.

In SA it is located within Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park and the eastern section of Witjira National Park .

With its massive parallel dunes that can stretch for up to 200 km, dazzling salt pans, huge open spaces and a clear view of the Milky Way when the sun goes down, the desert is stunning by day and night.

It also has a rich Aboriginal heritage and is home to the Wangkangurru people.

Despite its dry appearance, the Simpson has a surprising array of wildlife, including reptiles such as the sand goanna and central bearded dragon, mammals like the fat-tailed dunnart and ampurta, and even dingoes. There are also feral pests such as camels and foxes.

After rain, it becomes a birdwatcher’s paradise, with 195 species of birds recorded there, from zebra finches to wedge-tailed eagles. Even water birds can congregate around seasonal waterholes and the temporary lakes that appear on the salt pans.

A good downpour also means that the desert can be swiftly covered in wildflowers such as poached egg daisies and fleshy groundsel, which has a vibrant yellow daisy-like bloom.

The conservation park is also home to a series of fragile gypsum outcrops known as the Approdinna Attora Knolls. They are of great spiritual significance to the local Aboriginal people, as well as being geologically important.

The ideal time to visit the Simpson is from May to October, when temperatures are lower. For safety reasons, both the conservation park and regional reserve are closed from 1 December to 15 March, when temperatures can soar past 50 degrees Celsius.

Access to the Simpson and Witjira is only permitted by purchasing a yearly Desert Parks Pass per vehicle, which includes entry and camping, as well as maps, park information and a safety handbook.

Tracks are only suitable for high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicles, and it is preferable to go with at least one other car and carry a CB radio set to Channel 10, plus a satellite phone or high-frequency (HR) radio and an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) in case of emergency.

All vehicles entering the park must also attach 2.9 metre fluorescent sand flags to improve visibility.

If you would rather have an expert guide on your desert odyssey, a number of commercial operators run Simpson tours, from chauffeured safaris to tag-along tours that allow you to drive yourself.

Get up-to-date information and check the National Parks South Australia website before you go.

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Posted on October 13 2023

A Guide to Crossing the Simpson Desert in a 4x4

The Simpson Desert is close to the collective hearts of explorers all over Australia, its history and notoriety making it a golden reference on the resumé of any four-wheel driver.

Necessary Information

Sprawled across the borders of South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland, the Simpson Desert is closed between December 1 and March 15 each year and is one of Australia's most popular and challenging 4WDing playgrounds. Crossing the Simpson Desert takes a minimum of four days and demands low range and high ground clearance from your vehicle. The best time of the year is May to October, primarily for the purpose of getting far away from the soaring temperatures of a desert summer.

This remote area of Australia provides some epic journeys, but careful planning is needed to ensure you and your 4WD get through safely.

Permits: Camping permits are required for Munga-Thirri (Simpson Desert) National Park , while a Desert Parks Pass is required for entry and camping in the Simpson Desert Conservation Park and Regional Reserve, as well as for camping at Purni Bore in Witjira National Park.

Self-sufficiency: While in the desert, self-sufficiency is essential. Carry at least seven litres of water per person per day, and emergency food and water for another seven days. All emergency supplies (food, water, first-aid kit, sat phone and so on) should be kept in an easily accessible spot. Water is an important way to combat the extreme heat you can experience crossing the Simpson, but remember — temperatures can drop extremely low at night, so pack accordingly.

Desert gear: Desert driving experience is essential, and you should definitely carry traction aids and recovery gear. It's also important to remember that as of March 16, 2014, sand flags are a requirement to drive in the Simpson Desert. Your sand flag must be 300x290mm in size, made of fluorescent materials, and the flag must be 3.5m off the ground.

Communication devices: For communications, scanning UHF CB channel 10 for approaching vehicles is another precautionary rule to abide by for safety going over sand dunes. A UHF radio is a good way of keeping in touch with nearby vehicles, but it is also wise to have a satellite phone and/or a personal locator beacon (such as a ZOLEO or Garmin device) which can be used for general communication and trip updates with friends/family, checking weather conditions and to contact emergency services.

Handy items: Some other handy items to have onboard include a shovel, an axe/saw/chainsaw for cutting wood when wood fires are permitted, a portable tyre pressure gauge and compressor, jump starter, and some cash — some of the stops along the way might not be able to accept cards.

It’s important to remember that tracks are impassable when wet also, and there are fire restrictions in various regions and various times of the year.

Crossing the Simpson Desert

The largest parallel sand dune desert in the world, the Simpson puts 1136 dunes in your path. Crossing it east to west is the most challenging, as the eastern dune faces are generally steeper due to the wind direction. The biggest dunes are on the eastern side of the desert, diminishing in size as a trend to the west. Wherever you choose to enter from, drop your tyre pressure and maintain low speed. This not only makes your own journey easier but does so for those who come after you as well.

As an example, the drive across the French Line and QAA line is the shortest, the most used and the most difficult route, for the simple fact that many of the climbs have been dug out from use. These signs of use are greatly increased when travellers don’t adequately deflate their tyres and drive at consistent speeds, however with some pre-trip desert vehicle preparation these churned sections are negotiable.

Now let's dive into some of the main tracks used when heading on a 4WDing adventure across the Simpson Desert:

French Line & QAA Line

The shortest and most used route across the Simpson Desert can also be the most difficult to traverse due to traffic volume. There are a number of large dunes to cross and many of the climbs become degraded in the course of any given season.

Another major route is the Rig Road, which is the longest and most southern route across the desert and was once the easiest trip before the clay on top of the dunes eroded. The Rig Road was originally built to allow trucks to access the oil exploration area, so it's a better option for larger vehicles; the track also retains a strong feeling of remoteness that can be missing from the French Line in the peak season.

The WAA Line is less trafficked than the French, and also has less corrugations with which to contend. The dunes are also lower, but are often more technical as they can have double dune crests. The WAA leaves the Rig Road where the Colson Track strikes north and heads directly east, crossing the Erabena Track before meeting the Knolls Track. Most travellers then head north to meet the French Line.

K1 Line & Warburton Track

Another option, which is an easy run south between the dunes from Poeppel Corner to the Rig Road-Warburton Track junction, is the track called the K1 Line. The Warburton Track itself is used for access from the Birdsville Track to the Rig Road-K1 Line, though it can be put out of commission when it’s flooded.

Colson Track

This track starts at Numery Station about 120km east of Alice Springs, and ends where it joins the WAA Line, A permit from the Central Land Council is needed to cross the Aboriginal Land.

The Madigan Line

The most remote route across the Simpson Desert is the Madigan Line, which cuts across the north of the desert and follows Cecil Madigan's route from his 1939 expedition. It links the Hay River Track in the east and the Colson Track in the west, with most travellers opting to drive west to east to make driving over windswept dunes easier.

Getting prepared for the Simpson Desert

Being prepared pays dividends in remote areas such as the Simpson Desert, with many fated expeditions in years gone past a stern reminder of that. From Aboriginal explorers through to the early European settlers and up until now, the Simpson has resided in the hearts and minds of lovers of Australia’s red centre; so make your addition to that proud history a memorable and safe one.

At Hema Maps, we strive to provide the   most comprehensive and accurate maps and guides for outdoor enthusiasts   looking to explore Australia's natural wonders.

Did you find this information useful? If so, please share it with your fellow explorers. Whether it's by SMS, social media, or email, your friends and fellow adventurers will appreciate the valuable tips and insights we've shared. Let's work together to make the most of every adventure. 

Great article! Lot’s of helpful information.

The Madigan Line is Now only to be Driven West to East Permits must be obtained from Central Lands Council Alice Springs we do 4 tour a year over the Madigan Line and the amount of people doing it from East to West is alarming and Dangerous can you please put this information in your publication thank you

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Extremely detailed, great map/book.

Over the years of exploring the mid west area we have found this map very helpful and handy. It does a good job of representing the real time roads and tracks within the region.

Works ok after update to correct continual restarting issue. Down point- Have to press target button every time the unit is started to center position on map. Setting not held in memory. Getting used to operating this unit. Go on a trip in one month, can test operation more then.

Needed a paper map for a road trip. This is a great product, very detailed and good quality.

Simpson Desert

Description

How to use this trek note.

• To download this information and the route file for offline use on a phone, tablet, headunit or laptop, go to the app store and purchase ExplorOz Traveller . This app enables offline navigation and mapping and will show where you are as you travel along the route. For more info see the ExplorOz Traveller webpage and the EOTopo webpage.

Environment

Preparation, best time to visit, closest climatic station, working on it....

• Drive east on QAA Line. for: 17.55 km time: 42:07
• Drive east on QAA Line. for: 20.39 km time: 48:56

What to See

Dalhousie springs - sa, purni bore - sa, mokari oil well - sa, lone gum tree - sa, approdinna attora knolls - sa, poeppel corner - sa, narrow-leafed hop bush - qld, gypcrete interdunes - qld, georgina gidgee interdunes - qld, spinifex dune - qld, eyre creek, qaa line - qld, big red sand dune - qld, where to stay, services & supplies.

• Wildflowers

Nearby ExplorOz Treks

• Binns Track - Oodnadatta to Mt Dare
• Birdsville Track
• Cordillo Downs
• Dalhousie to Finke via Bloods Ck
• Dig Tree Circuit
• Innamincka Memorials and Markers
• Inside Track
• Maralinga via Colona
• Maralinga via Nullarbor Roadhouse
• Oodnadatta Track
• Painted Desert
• Simpson Desert French Line
• Simpson Desert Rig Road
• Simpson Desert WAA Line
• Strzelecki Track
• Walkers Crossing

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REVISED 2024 SURVEY SCHEDULE RELEASED

Due to the impending and widespread flooding in the eastern Simpson Desert, we have had to transfer

our 2024 operations to the Strzelecki and Sturt Stony Deserts in South Australia.

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Five Days on the Madigan Line Crossing the Simpson Desert – Part 2

Adventures , Simpson Desert Adventure Diaries , Camping , Guides , Outback , Overlanding , Stories by Peter , Touring 4

In this adventure diary story, we share our five days on the Madigan Line crossing the Simpson Desert. We will discuss daily kilometres, track conditions, Madigan camps, and a whole lot more. This is not a guide on everything you need to know about the Madigan Line, but a day-to-day recount of our five days crossing the Simpson Desert on this iconic bucket list track.

Please be aware that that this is an extremely long story so you will need to give yourself a good 15-20 minutes to read it. As a result, I have split this in two parts for those that do not have much time. It is rather difficult trying to condense five days on the Madigan Line crossing the Simpson Desert when there is so much to share. Hopefully you enjoy it, and if you have any feedback, let us know at the bottom of this story.

In part two, we cover days three to five, Madigan camps 11 to 21, then Birdsville. If you have not read part one of ‘Five Days on the Madigan Line Crossing the Simpson Desert’, read it here first.

Madigan Line, Simpson Desert

Day 3: camp 11 to camp 16.

Total Distance Day 3: 89kms Total Drive Time: 8 ½ hours

I woke up just before 6am on day three. It was a cold morning, but the early morning light was sensational. The reds and purples with the stars still shining bright was a sight to see. Orion was in the east and could be seen perfectly before the sun came up.

I had been having problems with the take to dealer light coming on most mornings when I started the 76 Series. It was a bit of a concern, but nothing seemed to be wrong. I then remembered that I had issues with the throttle controller when I first fitted it a few years ago bringing up the same warning light. Once this was unplugged the light disappeared and did not raise its head again the rest of the trip. After our Just Autos dyno tune there is no real need for the throttle controller. I only ever used it on trips like this where it is extremely bumpy. By setting the throttle controller to eco mode, it requires a lot of pressure on the throttle to do anything. This does help with fuel economy as your foot constantly bumps the accelerator pedal. With this disconnected, I just needed to be more conscious of what my foot was doing.

We left camp at 9am and hoped for an improved track. The first half an hour or so was promising, we were covering more distance than we had the previous day. But not long after the track was back to its rough self, and our speeds slowed significantly. After an hour leaving camp, we came across lots of camel tracks, I was getting hopeful that I might finally see a camel in the desert. We also came across cat and dingo spore once again. But seeing these two animals was going to be difficult.

The sand dunes were large at the start of our drive but soon got smaller and smaller. The track also started to wind between the dunes. Camp 12 was found an hour and forty-five minutes after leaving camp. Another visitor logbook has been placed at camp 12, so we obviously signed it. Just after midday we came onto camp 13. Another camp in the open with little around it. We had not seen a tree for some time now, just plenty of spinifex. The vegetation was still dense but far different to the day before. We searched for somewhere to have lunch, but finally just stopped on the track as we could not find anywhere to pull over. At 3pm we found camp 14. Unfortunately, someone had vandalised the camp marker sign which became common for a few more Madigan camps to come. I do not want to waste much time on people like this, so I will let you imagine the thoughts I have for such individuals.

Less than half an hour later we came to the Hay River Track and camp 15. To this point we had been travelling east on the Madigan Line. At Madigan camp 15 we turned south and drove down the Hay River Track parallel to the Queensland border. We were still in the Northern Territory. According to Cecil Madigan’s journal, camp 15 was their best camp of the trip mainly due to the change in landscape from the previous few camps. Along the Hay River Track there are an abundance of box trees which is a stark contrast to the desert landscape we had just been through. While we stopped at camp 15, my dad went for a walk and came upon another toilet paper disaster. I know I have had a whinge about this earlier, but please read our story on how to use the toilet in the bush if you are unsure.

As we were now travelling south between the sand dunes, our pace picked up, it was much faster going. We thought we might camp beside the Hay River, but it was still too early so we pushed on to camp 16, just over an hour from camp 15. Camp 16 on the Hay River Track is where you will find the Madigan Blaze Tree. When Cecil Madigan camped here back in 1939, he blazed or carved his initial and the year ‘M39’. At the time of doing this, Cecil Madigan stated that he would be very interested in knowing who next sees this tree. Little did he know that many a traveller in the decades to come would pass through and see this same tree. Unfortunately, the carving is no longer visible with the growth of the tree over the years. But the tree has been fenced off to preserve this piece of exploration history. There is another visitor logbook if you wish to date and sign your name, I of course did.

Madigan Camp 16 is where the Madigan Line continues east toward the Queensland border off the Hay River Track. It was almost 5pm so we were all keen to find a decent camp spot and open a nice cold beer. We went east and continued our bumpy drive over the dunes. Approximately 30 minutes later we found another great camp spot just below a dune and setup camp. Everyone was well into their camp setup routine by now, all swags and awnings were setup in a matter of minutes. I continued my daily tradition of cracking open my first cold beer and climbing up the dune to watch the sunset. A creature of habit I know, but it never gets old sitting on top of a sand dune watching another spectacular Simpson Desert sunset. This day the sunset was one of the best we had, so I cherished every moment of it.

I was the cook again, so once the sun had set, I scurried down the dune and got to work. This recipe I will share soon as it was said to be the best one of the trip. It has been aptly named, Desert Chilli. A simple meal comprising beef mince, onions, bacon, chilli beans, a few spices, and topped off with fried egg. A serious protein hit that everyone needed after our biggest day of driving even though we only covered 89kms.

Day 4: Camp 16 to Camp 21

Total Distance Day 4: 128kms Total Drive Time: 8 hours

Day four was the coldest morning so far along the Madigan Line, a cool 2 degrees. There was a bit of dew around and all our gear was slightly damp, so we took our time to get moving making sure everything dried out. We left camp a bit before 9am and headed east towards Queensland.

The track continued to be rough but as we got closer to Queensland it started to improve. We saw plenty of camel tracks again, but still no luck actually seeing one. How hard can it be? They are huge creatures. I wondered if this was going to be another Simpson Desert adventure where my camel tally remained at zero. Just over an hour from camp we found camp 17. Camp 17 is close to the Queensland border and was probably the best Madigan camp we had seen so far. This camp is scattered with gidgee trees, completely different to the camps we had been through the day before. If arriving at a good time, camp 17 would be a fantastic spot for a night’s camp.

Not long after leaving camp 17 we crossed the Queensland border and entered Munga-Thirri National Park. This is the National Park section of the Simpson Desert on the Queensland side. As we crossed the border we started to travel in a south easterly direction. Our progress was a lot faster as we travelled between dunes for a period, then over a dune, before travelling between the dunes once again. The landscape had completely changed from the day before. There was an abundance of trees and wildflowers. The wildflowers provided a beautiful change in colours from the reds and greens, with lots of yellows and purples. Not only were the dunes getting bigger, but the vegetation also seemed far bigger than before.

A couple hours after leaving camp 17 we found camp 18. As it was still a little early for lunch, we continued on our journey and found a nice spot in amongst the trees between camps 18 and 19. After lunch, we reached camp 19 not long after 2.30pm. A few sand dunes later and we were out of Munga-Thirri National Park and into Adria Downs Station. Another private station that we obtained permission to travel through. As we entered Adria Downs Station, we saw our first and only salt clay pan of the trip. I do love the salt pans, with their contrasting bright white against the reds and greens of the desert. The track through the clay pan was soft, thankfully not too soft as it would have been a muddy mess. We stayed on the track through the clay plan. If you are travelling through the Simpson Desert, please do the same. There is no need to do donuts through the middle of these beautiful clay pans.

Then a miracle occurred. We saw our first camel!

It was a big camel, and I was surprised at how they can be so difficult to see being so large. But once it moved, I realised why we never see them. They are ridiculously fast. Faster than I expected. I was also amazed at how they stay on the track. When we continued along the track and came over another dune, we could see the camel jogging along the track well ahead of us. When we came over the next dune, it was even further ahead but still on the track. We were driving at around 15-20km/h and it was moving much faster than us. Eventually the camel decided that it had enough of being followed and went north in between the dunes. Within a minute it was gone.

Not long after seeing the camel, the track improved significantly, probably due to the station as there was now plenty of cattle about. I even found fourth gear, I almost forgot where it was. We then found Madigan camp 20, a lovely looking camp right beside Kuddaree Waterhole. This would be a good camp, but it was still a little early and the flies were bad. It was just after 4pm so we continued south towards camp 21. The track was much faster going but we had to be cautious with all the water about. There was an abundance of trees, and the birdlife was fantastic. An hour or so later we found camp 21. It was decided this would be our last camp along the Madigan Line in the Simpson Desert.

My evening ritual continued but I was joined by the rest of our party for a beer on top of the small dune above our camp. Everyone slapped their cans together and thanked one another for an awesome trip. I took in every moment of this final evening in the desert, sad that it was all about to end, but at the same time jubilant to have almost completed the Madigan Line.

The final evening required something special so, I decided I would make the best damper I had ever created. Even if it was a disaster, our spirits were so high I don’t think anyone would have noticed. But it was a ripper damper!

Day 5: Camp 21 to Birdsville

Total Distance Day 5: 123kms Total Drive Time: 6 hours

I woke up before the sunrise. It was a chilly morning but not as cold as the day before. The sunrise was beautiful again today. The desert was making sure we returned once again.

We were only 90kms from Big Red and 120kms from our destination, a beer and feed at the Birdsville Hotel. We left camp 21 not long after 8am and drove south toward Annandale Homestead Ruins, only 20 minutes away sitting beside Eyre Creek.

Annandale Homestead was abandoned back in 1939 when Cecil Madigan made his journey across the Simpson Desert. He refers to the homestead in his journal and how it was still filled with furniture, ledgers, books, and even dynamite. We searched for the dynamite but came up empty handed. He wondered how people survived in such a place, as I did while I walked around. There is little left of Annandale Homestead other than a few walls of one building, the chimney of the main homestead, a few pieces of machinery, and the fencing posts of the cattle yards. I am always amazed that the chimney seems to be the last thing standing whenever you come across ruins in the outback. I am sure there is a reason why, maybe someone will let me know below this story.

Our journey then continued south beside Eyre Creek towards the QAA Line . Unfortunately, we missed the track to camp 22 and continued along the track beside Eyre Creek. It was a shame to miss this camp, but I will make sure I see it next time. Any excuse to return. Camps 23 and 24 are not accessible. The track south was easy going with the odd washout. We made good time and reached the QAA Line just under two hours after leaving Annandale Ruins. As we got closer to the QAA Line , we started to hear plenty of radio chatter. After not hearing another soul for days, it was a bit of a shock to hear someone else on Channel 10.

We then headed east on the QAA Line , across Eyre Creek towards Big Red and Birdsville. During the 20kms or so to Big Red, we passed at least 30 vehicles. From no traffic in 5 days, it was a surprise to be around so many other vehicles. The feeling of isolation withered away and the realisation that the adventure is pretty much over hit me hard.

One final obstacle lay in our path to having that cold beer at the Birdsville Hotel, Big Red. We came up on top of Nemesis and there it was in all its big glory. My excitement returned as I knew we were about to have a little fun. Our fuel consumption had been far better than expected, so we had plenty of fuel for a few runs up the biggest sand dune in the Simpson Desert. I engaged third gear low range and took my first run up Big Red, a success of course. I then let my dad jump in the driver’s seat and let him have a go. Much to his surprise he succeeded first go. After a bit more fun up and down Big Red, we aired our tyres back up and headed on to Birdsville.

Before our beer at the Birdsville Hotel, we stopped and got rid of all our rubbish at the local dump. Never leave your rubbish in the bush. Our next stop was to refuel as I was keen to see how much fuel we all used for the trip. I knew we did far better than I expected. To read our fuel consumption on the Madigan Line, read our story here. After we filled up, we setup camp in the bush camping section beside the caravan park, had a well-deserved hot shower, and then off to the Birdsville Hotel for a nice cold beer and pub feed. The perfect way to finish off a Simpson Desert adventure.

What an Adventure

That covers Madigan camps 11 to  Birdsville, during our Simpson Desert crossing along the Madigan Line.

If you are interested in reading Cecil Madigan’s journal of his epic Simpson Desert crossing back in 1939, ‘Crossing the Dead Heat’, this is where we purchased our reprinted copy. I highly recommend purchasing a copy and reading this if you are planning on doing the Madigan Line to cross the Simpson Desert.

I hope you enjoyed reading our epic five days on the Madigan Line crossing the Simpson Desert. If you want to read any of our other Simpson Desert and Outback Australia stories, you can find them all here. To read about our fuel consumption during this trip, you can our story here.

This was not intended to be a guide on crossing the Simpson on the Madigan Line, more a day to day recount of what we saw, kilometers travelled, and a few other things. If we ever post a guide on the Madigan Line, explaining permits and so on, you will find it all here.

One last note. I would like to say that the highlight of this trip was being able to do this with my dad, Stan. Being able to share this adventure with him was very special. If you still have the opportunity to do the same, make the time and do something similar. Don’t put it off, do it! Thanks for coming on the journey dad, I look forward to many more…

Thanks for reading. If you want to keep up to date on future stories, join the 4WD Adventurer Community here .

The thoughts of Peter

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Thank you Peter for this amazingly detailed account of a bucket-list trip. Awesome photography too which really makes the story jump off the page. I’m curious to know in which month you travelled? Apologies if you’ve already included it in the text and I’ve missed it. I’m planning to do the trip in late June ’23 and your notes will be the ‘Lonely Planet’ of the desert! Thanks& Regards Boestey

G’day Boestey,

Thanks for the message and feedback, really appreciate it.

Most definitely a bucket list adventure. Absolutely loved this trip, so far the best of our desert crossings. We travelled at the start of August, so there had been many people through before us. The caretaker had left for the season at Old Andado Station Homestead, so it was really quiet there when we passed through. There will likely be more people around in June/July, but as you are travelling one way you will probably only bump into people when they are stopped for lunch or camp.

If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to contact us.

Thanks Peter for your great travel-log on the Madigan Line. Really enjoyed it, thanks. I also like very much your attitude towards respecting the bush and the environment and glad you printed about the ravages of toilet paper, one of my biggest pet hates. Thanks. I’ve joined your 4WD Adventure community, looking to find like minded adventurers while I plan my trips away. The Madigan Line and Hay River Tracks are the top of my list. Take care, stay safe and thank you. Kevin Waters-Marsh (Swampy)

G’day Swampy,

Thank you so much for your feedback mate, awesome to know that someone out there has found this enjoyable and helpful. And thanks for joining the community, I hope you find our future stories useful.

Hopefully sharing the toilet paper mess and how one should actually use the toilet will help educate others that might not be fully aware. It will take some time, but I really hope we get there. Sharing this stuff on social media, it was quite interesting the responses I have got from some people that just did not know the best way, which was surprising to me. But glad we have got the message out there for change.

I highly recommend the Madigan, it has been by far the best part of the Simpson Desert that I have seen. Although, I will take any time in the desert over a day of work that is for sure. When I do the Madigan again, I will definitely drive the Hay River Track south to the end and then back track to complete the Madigan. I was just a little unsure on fuel and distances this last trip, plus others travelling with us had to get back by a particular day which did limit us for time. Next trip I will also take the track north from Camp 11 which is the actual route Cecil Madigan took, the current track bypasses this but it is still accessible.

If you ever have any questions feel free to send us an email or drop a comment below our posts.

Thanks mate.

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5, 6 & 7 Day Simpson Desert Explorer Treks

Slow Travel: Pack-free Desert Bushwalking

Maximum group size: 10 trekkers

Simpson Desert Explorer Trek

Departure Dates: 

6 Day Trek - BARE SOLE 18 > May 23, 1 day 4WD/4 days trekking/1 day 4WD $3120  Fully Booked

7 Day Trek - Desert NightSky  May  22 > May 28, 1 day 4WD/5 days trekking/1 day 4WD $4550 Fully Booked

6 Day Trek - May 27 > June 1, 1 day 4WD/4 days trekking/1 day 4WD $3900  Fully Booked

5 Day Trek - June 16 > June 20,  Private Charter - Fully Booked

7 Day Trek - July 3 > July 7 ,  Private Charter - Fully Booked

7 Day Trek - July 15 > July 21, 1 day 4WD/5 days trekking/1 day 4WD $4550 Fully Booked

7 Day Trek - August 25 > August 31, 1 day 4WD/5 days trekking/1 day 4WD $4550 Fully Booked

Trek Grade: 

The Simpson Desert Explorer is our shortest trek for the year and is just the right duration for first time Desert Bushwalkers or if you are short on time and wish to combine your NT holiday with other experiences in the Red Centre.

You walk alongside our team of packcamels accompanied by 4 cameleers who are your crew for the duration of the trek.

Our cameleers are not 'tour guides', they are experienced and seasoned stockmen/women who are specialists in handling and working with camels, and have a wealth of experience in walking the desert and knowledge of its flora & fauna, and are respectful of our First Nations people who call the desert home.

We will be walking in the dune fields of the western Simpson Desert. The landscape consists of towering red-crimson dunes, wide inter-dune corridors, small (usually dry!) creeks, large Breakaway ridges and scattered timber of Coolabah, Bloodwood and Mulga. Spinifex is the dominant plant species, however much of this hardy plant was destroyed in the widespread and destructive 2011/12 bushfires, and many of the dunes and swales are now spinifex-free, which does make for easier walking.

Walking in this landscape is on firm sand and occasional claypans and gibber flats. If the western Simpson receives good soaking rain in late March, there may be a profusion of yellow flowers such as poached-egg daisy & 'Yellowtop' covering the landscape, and supplying our camels with fresh feed.... however it's not until we actually get out there in April 2022 that we will know the extent of any rainfall.

May, June and July is ideal walking weather in Central Australia and over the course of a 5 to 6 hour walking day you would walk approximately between 8 to 10 kilometres.  Our pace of travel is determined by the camels and their ability to negotiate the dunes or other landforms in the landscape. They carry all your personal gear, and all you have to carry is your day pack. 

This is a very real, very Australian desert experience. Camels are the perfect cross-country vehicle and so we don't follow roads or tracks, and there is no vehicle back-up: we don't need it! Camps are chosen for the availability of camel feed, and we never camp in the same place twice. And in addition, as we are Australia's only trekking company that specialise in remote desert travel, you won't 'bump into' any other groups of trekkers. 

All of our treks are active participation-based experiences and the cameleers will involve you with loading and unloading the camels as much as you wish to be involved. Similarly, your assistance is always greatly welcomed with the numerous camp chores to be done at the end of the day such as collecting firewood or helping to shepherd the camels as they feed.  

Looking for a longer trek? 

What's included

4WD transfers to/from Alice Springs to the western Simpson Desert

All camping equipment - swags, stools, tents. You bring your own sleeping bag and eating utensils

All meals, though we do not provide snacks

LOTS of space...

Trek RFDS Medical Chest, First Aid and emergency communications equipment

Crew of 4 to 5 cameleers

Desert Silence!

Trekking with an environmentally aware responsible business 

(A detailed Trek Information Guide is sent to you when you book)

What's not included

Pre and post airfares and accommodation. We can organise this for you

What else is required?

Travel Insurance. We can advise on which policy is suitable

You must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 to travel with us. All our cameleers and support crew are fully vaccinated

Where are we trekking?

In the shaded area of the map in the Simpson Desert, the world's largest parallel sand ridge desert

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Queensland officially drought-free for first time since 2013

Shires in state’s west the last to have drought declarations revoked after heavy rain earlier this year

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Queensland has been declared completely free of drought for the first time in 11 years.

Months of flooding rains have transformed much of the state’s dusty red-earth interior into a network of swollen creeks and rivers awash with green shoots and birdlife.

Diamantina and Bulloo shires, located more than 1000km west of Brisbane in Queensland’s channel country, this month became the last two local government areas to have their drought declarations officially revoked. They had been in drought since 2013.

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Droughts are “burnt into the psyche” of Jo Sheppard, the chief executive of the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, experiencing many as she grew up on a cattle station in the neighbouring Paroo shire.

“A 10-year drought is incredibly difficult to endure … it takes its toll psychologically, it’s that uncertainty, you have no idea when a drought will end,” Sheppard said.

The state’s drought-free status is cause for celebration, she said. “It’s a rare occurrence and certainly welcome.”

Notwithstanding the state-wide declaration, there are still large pockets of land untouched by significant rainfall. According to the department of agriculture and fisheries , 35 properties across Queensland still hold “individual droughted property” status.

Pat Gibson grazes cattle in the Diamantina shire. Rainfall in January was welcome relief to some of the worst conditions he’d ever seen, but he remains cautious about the years ahead.

“It’s always teetering on the borderline of drought out here,” he said. “It’s central Australia, you’re on the edge of the Simpson desert, you know it’s going to be around the corner.”

In 2015, drought declarations peaked when 88% of Queensland was identified as in drought.

The chair of the Agforce sustainability committee and central Queensland grazier, Mark Collins, said extensive rainfall across much of the state has given many producers “breathing space” to “enjoy the moment”.

Global heating has exacerbated recent droughts in Australia , and is predicted to increase their length and intensity in the future. “We’ll keep adapting as best we can, farmers are innovative,” Collins said. “The cycle of drought and flood is one we are accustomed to.”

The federal government last week pledged $519m over eight years to fund the next stage of the Future Drought Fund, with a greater emphasis on global heating adaptation. The Productivity Commission last year found the fund, introduced by the previous Coalition government in 2019 , underspent its annual budget and should focus more on programs with “lasting public benefit”.

Sheppard said farmers are becoming increasingly prepared for drought. “I saw that within my own family in my lifetime … we certainly become a lot more strategic, rather than just hoping that the drought breaks,” she said.

Wangkamahdla woman, Avelina Tarrago, said the rains have had a “spectacular” impact on the landscape.

“The land has been needing that nourishment for a long time,” Tarrago said. “It’s wonderful going out on country after those rains, the bush flowers and foods that come out, it’s phenomenal.”

A fifth-generation grazier in Queensland’s channel country, Stephen Tully, said drought is analogous to the landscape. “It can be this slow cancer that creeps across everything in the landscape, you notice it in the animals, the birds, everything starts to disappear.”

“But when it does rain, the country celebrates, it’s boom and bust, it’s always been like that,” Tully said.

Karen Monaghan, a Wangkangurru Yarluyandi traditional owner from Queensland’s channel country, said drought affects “every crevice” of outback life. Lately she’s been spending her mornings by the Thompson River in central Queensland.

“Usually it’s a dusty creek bed,” Monaghan said. “Now the lilies are up and the birds are going crazy trying to catch small fish.”

“It’s a beautiful sight. It brings you life.”

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• Productivity Commission

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