The Giles/Horn Expedition 2008 - Simpson Desert

We're back!

So now we're home - update from Craig.

Well, I'd be doing that all again tomorrow.  As far as the Maverick goes - or the Pav as some have disrespectfully dubbed it!! : mechanically 10/10.  Didnt miss a beat, conquered big red, never heated up, didnt use any real amount of oil or water, handled like a legend and soaked up the terrain - other than the mystery bent panhard rod...  Electrically 9/10.  Something is going on with the electrics but this never slowed us down.  My under bonnet compressor blew a fuse that I couldnt find, and a faulty relay played up on my driving lights, all fixed now.  Had to jump start myself three or four times, so a new battery in the wings I think.  4 years to a battery is ok though.  Leaky auxilliary fuel tank - my theory is that the previous dodgy repair has come adrift after many hundreds of kms of corrogations.  Inverter died on the home stretch - well, no more cheap inverters from the big yellow store!!  And yes Dave, I did indulge in a wheel balance in Broken Hill - there is no denying the Nissan/Maverick Death Wobble, and anything to reduce it is fine by me!! 

The mighty experimental rear bar.  I had this built by a good bloke before I left;  I wanted to carry two jerry cans and the spare tyre on swingouts.  It was a rushed process, involving phonecalls and emails and the end result was pretty good after a couple of minor adjustments.  The Mark 1 version stayed the course until Broken Hill - where, appropriately, it Broke.  A design flaw when you look at it, the top of the arm that holds the spare should have been stronger, and clearly bore the brunt of the vibs and rough roads.  The weld and the arm itself fractured, and half an hour and $60.00 later it was repaired nicely and on our way.  The rest of the bar seems to have stood up well and I'm happy with it, although carrying 2 jerry's of fuel proved unnecessary.  You can never be to careful though... if that tank had started leaking earlier the bar could have been a lifesaver.

The biggy is the tyres.  Love those Hercules Terra Tracs.  No punctures for the whole trip.  The rear tyres look a bit choppy and I reckon they've worn noticably - maybe 2mm in the whole 6000km, but for a fairly budget tyre, seriously overloaded and often pushed at fair speeds for the conditions, gotta be happy.  I've seen Coopers and others looking just as choppy - I doubt that the outback gibbers and the crystal-topped roads around Lake Eyre spare many tyres from this.

Fuel consumption - we used 960L in almost exactly 6000km.  On that basis, 16L/100km over the whole trip.  This seems fair; we kept track as we filled up as well, and on a on a good day on the blacktop we got 12 L/100km, which is pretty sweet for fully loaded with a roofrack full for wind resistance, and on a bad day offroad in low range we could get worse than 20L/100km, which is just painful whoever you are... Sounds like a 4.2 diesel with 400,000 on the clock to me!  (On the day that the fuel leak really let go, I dont want to know!!)  I do remember that the strong headwinds for the first few days left us with around 15L/100km

Overall, the trip was great and I recommend it.  I just wish we had more time to explore each place more, and all the places in between!  Although the desert wasnt the challenge we expected, seeing the outback and the variety of terrain and just experiencing the isolation and the huge areas of nothing, was worth it all.  Definately be going back.  For the most part even the kids enjoyed it.  Two days home, and the memories of setting up and breaking camp each day are fading, while the outback experience remains.

Copi Hollow to Hay

Milparinka to Copi Hollow/Menindee Lakes

Hi All! Just thought we'd do another update and upload some photos. Here we are at the beautiful Menindee lakes, in the Copi Hollow caravan park...very nice. Had a great day today, a good run from Milparinka to here, via Broken Hill to have the Pav (Maverick/patrol = pavalova) repaired - Craig's fancy spare wheel carrier tried to fall off, along with the balancing weights on the front wheels. (Note from Craig - Ha!  its called routine maintainence!! :-) ) 

Had lunch in a great park - the best I've ever seen - charlotte went nuts! Nice to see some civilisation however,,,one of the girls commented it was nice to see a town that didn't consist solely of a pub. Back on the tar roads now...only a couple of days to go. From here to Hay (pub dinner...yay) then on saturday the long haul from Hay to home...approx 600kms. Finally got rid of the comment that was posted on Craig's first entry - some idiot leaving rude comments. Had him blocked...hehehe. Flicking through emails too - going well Leonie? I see there are no screams for help...heheh. So, will probably update again tomorrow night, and then again when we get home. For those at work - will see you Tuesday! Cheerio, Dave and Co.

An update from Milparinka!

Day nine – Algebuckina to Mt Dare

After managing to bend the rear panhard rod on the Maverick somehow, somewhere on the Oodnadatta track between Marree and Algebuckina Waterhole (probably on the horrendous 67km road out to Halligans Bay on Lake Eyre), stopped to see about repairing or replacing it at Oodnadatta. After being firmly instructed that the entire rear end of the vehicle was a nightmare, from the two inch lift right down to the washers on the shockers being on backwards, and that it should be rebuilt and realigned before disaster struck, we were running out of time and decided to go on to Mt Dare and have the rod strengthened there. This turned out to be a good road for the most part, after taking advice on which road to take and the Mt Dare hotel was worth the visit. They were very helpful, and just as happy to point out how overloaded we were and the various faults with the vehicles – stopping short of telling us not to go on to the desert! Cabins tonight, dinner at the hotel, beautiful site, good value visit around

Day Ten – Mt Dare to Dalhousie Springs

After a quick visit to the NT border to look for Sharps grave – which we couldn’t find – we were ready to leave Mt Dare when a cold front came through, blended with a dust storm. For a second it hailed, then rained steadily for maybe 20 minutes. Temp dropped from mid 30’s to mid 20s in seconds, and of course when we left the roads were slippery and ready to coat the vehicles with lovely red mud! Locals assured us that this would be the start of some cooler days, no weather to worry about. We decided to stay at Dalhousie springs rather than go on to Purni bore; the spring there is amazing. Above body temperature, it was actually too hot for Charlotte to get in. Much swimming, beautiful at dawn…. The packing up every day is by this stage becoming tedious, and we’re looking forward to our rest day in the desert. Because of stopping short at Dalhousie, it wasn’t looking likely that we would reach the lone gum tomorrow, so we were now just going to see how far we could go.

Day eleven – Into the simpson.

We set out toward Purni Bore and the French line. Purni is interesting, when the bore was opened it created an oasis and wetland in the desert. It flowed so strongly that it actually affected the flow of other outlets in the Basin, such as the springs at Dalhousie; so the flow was reduced. The water comes out of the ground at 85 Celsius – a little warm for swimming! We were glad we had stayed at Dalhousie, a much better camp plus the swimming. From there we were on the French line through to Colson Track, where we turned down and joined the WAA line and headed for the Erabena track junction. The WAA line we thought might be more challenging than the very tame beginnings of the French line, but it was just small dunes and a narrow but well used track. Different from the French line. We were already seeing the amazing variety of the terrain and the landscape in the desert. We had planned to go further down to the Rig Road but had been advised that it was more corrugated; we had had enough of corrugations! And we were really here for the dunes. We were averaging about 40km p/h. Lone Gum wasn’t happening today. We camped pretty well halfway along the line between Colson and Erabena.

Day twelve and thirteen – Poeppel Corner

Next day we reached the lone gum before lunch and saw camels there; The lone gum is just as it proclaims – A lone Gum! The thing is it has no business being there and thriving the way it appears to be, a coolibah tree in the middle of the desert where all the other growth is scrub and desert grasses. After visiting the gum, we headed back up to the rig road and along to Knolls track, where we flew up to the french line, half hoping for some challenging dunes, and half hoping we would make Poepple corner to camp and have our rest day. Knolls track turned out to be good travelling, and after that the French line was nothing difficult either. We were starting to wonder where the great challenge was. We figured probably on the way out on the QAA line. We made Poepple corner in time to play “jumping in and out of QLD, NT and SA” for a little while, then when we tired of this silly behaviour, we set up for the night in a nice little space, set up the Jimmys Thunderbox, and settled in for a two night stay – no up at 6 to pack, no driving all day to set up in twighlight, no complaints from kids about lack of space in the back of the Maverick. Wine around the campfire. Startrails with the camera. The sound of some other camper’s extremely poor music choice wafting on the breeze… We spent the next day with the kids in the screen tent playing games and doing craft stuff that Sam had brought along – brilliant stuff. For KUC readers, it was like FAST in the desert. A little maintenance on the trucks as well. Craig’s magical home grown electrics needed straightening out for one thing…

Day fourteen – Big Red.

Well, the QAA line yielded no further challenges. For the entire trip we had been over maybe 2 dunes that needed thinking about – and one of those was because I decided to go straight over instead of around on the main track (sometimes you have to choose your own adventure!)(there were a number of dunes along the line that had been covered in soft sand and the main track would go around the softest part and over, but someone had been through and gone straight over most of them with no regard for the main track… for the most part this would have been plain stupid fully loaded the way we were, but one or two “up and overs” were possible, with some fun slipping down the other side) And finally – Big red was before us. In the words of Dave “Meh – that’s not so big” (these words would come back to haunt him…!) As we arrived we saw a ute with a camper trailer trying to get over the main “challenge” track. It was a sight to behold. Then we wondered why they were winching the whole arrangement over the top!! We spoke to the guy later and it turned out they hadn’t realized that the other track to the right was the Easy track that they could have used… So, drawing on weeks of experience and advice from forums and radio chatter of others, Craig applied the following technique and tackled Big Red, the biggest ol’ dune in the Simpson desert. Low range, Second gear. 15inch Tera Trac A/T Tyres deflated to 18 pounds. Right boot very close to the floor, 3600 rpm on a 19 year old 4.2 diesel engine with 404,000 on the clock... it has to be done. Did not come here to not get over Big Red. The mighty Mav soared straight up the dune and as the front wheels went over the crest, I’m thinking “Yes! I’m there!!” and as you would do in the high country, I back off the pedal thinking my momentum is going to carry me over. And I stop dead exactly where I am, because this is not the high country, this is soft, soft sand in the hot, hot desert… bugger. I gave the airlockers a quick try but in sand like that at a standing start, uphill, they only dig you in, so back down it was. Second attempt, straight up and over, lesson learned. That’s how little challenge the rest of the trip had been, the dunes were so firm that you just rolled over the top, and it took Big Red to really learn something about sand driving. Dave on the other hand approached with much the same technique, however his 22 year old Toyota troopy, 4.0 litre diesel with 424,000km just did not want to go there. It was harsh. After a few attempts, the Troopy had to go the easier way over. There is much I could say here, the perfect opportunity to win the Maverick V Toyota debate… but that’s just not the kind of guy I am. Is it Dave? Heh heh heh… Interestingly, several other vehicles were having just as much trouble getting over, and not all were Toyotas either!! There may be something to Daves theory that the track had been churned up some by others who had ago after me. Someone fishtailed up, and failed, leaving extra soft sand humps to get over which didn’t help any vehicles that were, um, already struggling a bit… So on to Birdsville to purchase obligatory “I climbed big red first go” stickers regardless of the validity of the statement, and a pub dinner and cabins for the night. Mmm, cabins.

Day 15 and sixteen – Birdville to Innamincka Via Cordillo downs

After asking around we decided to stick with the plan and go via Cordillo downs and the largest shearing shed in Australia, rather than the slightly shorter Walkers Crossing route. Cordillo turned out to be a good road, gibber rocks but graded not all that long ago by the look so a pretty good drive. Spent the night near Arrabury station and continued on to Innaminka via Arrabury rd and the Burke and Wills Dig Tree. The site of the tree where supplies were left for Burke and Wills when their support party left just hours before they arrived there has been preserved and set up as a camp site and recreation area, with an info shed. The last section of road into Innaminka was pretty bad, gibber and corrugations, but no worse than Lake Eyre road. Lunch at the Innaminka hotel and stocking up before going on to Coongie lakes for a night. This was a pretty place, had a swim but the lake is basically on top of a claypan so you can imagine what it’s like to walk in! Where we camped Dave walked right across the lake and it only cam up to his hips at the deepest point.

Day 17 and 18 - Cullyamurra waterhole

Realizing we didn’t have enough fresh water for a second night at Coongie Lake, we headed back to Innamincka and Cullyamurra Waterhole for a two day stay, after paying for water at $9.00 per ten litres, and that’s where I’m writing this. Nice campsite, we tried fishing with spinners and artificial bait last night with no luck, but today we had prawns from the shop and caught quite a few undersise and Adam caught one nice one that he’ll have for breakfast tomorrow. Now we’re just resting in the cooler weather and swimming and fishing. Tomorrow on to Tibbooburra via Cameron corner – corner of NSW, SA and QLD – before basically heading for home via Broken hill, Hay, and Eildon. May not get a chance to update this again for a couple of days, see how we go. The vehicles have been brilliant, the mighty Evacool Fridgemate fridge hasn’t missed a beat the whole trip, and the kids are starting to realize you can live without TV – although not without MP3 players…

Since typing this, the internet at Innaminka broke, so we couldn’t upload there! So, our visit to Cameron corner went well. Great little pub, turns out the bloke that runs it was a truckie at esso when it blew up – Craig had taxi’d him around for a few weeks!  Last night we camped at Milparinka, having by bypassed Tibbooburra – figured we’d get along a bit further, as the roads between innaminka and here were better than we thought. On to Broken Hill and Hay today…

Day 7 to now...

So, here we are in Birdsville.

It's been a long time since we last blogged - typical Telstra, no coverage where it counts!

Had the clutch fixed - think I told you about that (while it was happening.)  From there stayed in Maree at the caravan park - that was an interesting experience.  Nice little park, lots of dust and very little water.  Good shop though, who repaired my second puncture for the trip.

From there to Oodnadatta - the pink roadhouse, where I had an Oodanburger.  in a word, Awesome.

Did some shopping there (filled the trucks $2.20 a litre) then further on the Oodnadatta track.  Camped at Coward Springs - a little oasis in the middle of nowhere with a nice spring to have a swim in...very cooooool.

From there to Mt Dare, where we stayed in a cabin at the pub.  Great.  Would go back there any day...not only an excellent pub, but very friendly people who also ran a mechanic's business (which was good, as craig had bent a panhard rod and needed it strengthened and welded)

Been having some overheating problems - had it looked at, but they can't find a reason.  Have taken the lights off the front for now...is helping.

Next morning in Mt Dare we went for a drive to the NT border and back.  When we got back, started filling up with diesel and it began raining....very heavily.  It was the heaviest rain (and hail, and lightening) that they'd had in years.  Made the 70km drive to Dalhousie springs very interesting indeed - the trucks are covered in salty mud, that has now baked hard.

Stayed in Dalhousie for a very cold night - i forgot to mention it has been incredibly windy the entire time.

after dalhousie, into the desert.  stopped at purnai bore for lunch on the first day, then camped on the rig road for the first night.  Second day went to the lone gum for a look, then onto poppel's corner to camp and stand in 3 states at once.

Had a rest day at poppel's, so we stayed there two nights.  LOTS OF FLIES! LOTS AND LOTS OF FLIES!  DEATH TO THEM ALL!

Left Poppel's this morning, onto Big Red.  Sad to say the troopy didn't make it over the main track - had to take the right hand one...she just didn't have the puff to get over.  Craig made it on the second go.

Still buying my sticker saying i've done it - I didn't take the chicken track! just didn't like the burning clutch smell and overheating engine...

Got to say, all in all the Simpson Desert was a bit of a dissapointment.  maybe it was just the hype building up to it, but once there, it wasn't really that great! Beautiful in its own right, and changing around every corner, but still very tedious and unexciting.  Didn't really look much different to the terrain leading up to it.  As for a 4wding challenge, well, there was none.  A beginner in a stock truck could have done it quite easily (shoulda come pammy...you would have done it in the excel, let alone Jimmy!)

But, still, now we can say we've done the simpson desert.  I will go back, and do it east to west - it might actually be a challenge then!

So. we're in Birdsville tonight for Bec's 14th Birthday - going to the pub, to have cake and all manner of tasty things.

not sure when we will have mobile coverage again (im at the internet cafe now...costing a fortune) but will post some photos etc when I do.

Signing off...Dave and Crew.

Day 6 - Flinders Ranges to Maree (or close enough!)

Day 5 - SkyTrek!

Day 4 - Burra to Flinders Ranges

day 2 and 3

Tonights entry by Craig; Well here we are in Burra, having a luxury night with amenities and camp kitchen after bush camping the last two nights.  Last night camped at the Big Billy bore campsite in the Big Desert, mallee scrub as far as the eye can see, made damper in the camp oven but mostly it was inedible because the camp oven was fairly new and not properly “seasoned” ( have to bake them from a while to burn/melt off the crud they come encrusted with…!) (only half did it when we got it… lets not get into it…!)

Road through the big desert was non-dramatic, but looks like it becomes dramatic pretty quickly if it rains.  Would be a good place to go back and explore, but not this time.

The weather has chased us, the wind yesterday and today was just ridiculous and driving into it with full load and roofrack was not fun… Dave was back to third occasionally in the troopy and even the mighty Maverick had to drop back to 4^th on a straight at one point.  Fuel consumption goes downhill somewhat at times like that… but for the most part even loaded up the maverick is doing its 15L/100km.

Both trucks are fine but then have barely been offroad yet... The Mavericks  new rear bar hasn’t fallen off, in fact, its lookin good.  Some minor corrugations on the first day when we camped at Langi Ghiran National park near Ararat were no trouble, it stays locked, doesn’t rattle much.  Had this made by a bloke in Melbourne, "Alwaysonthefly" from the 4wd monthly forums who offered to help out; I wanted to be able to carry jerry cans on the back safely.  I think its working out...

Leannes birthday today so we had safeway mudcake.  Yay!  Kids have been pretty good stuck in the car for hundreds of k's.  Daves two are doing ok too, good routine so far!  Tomorrow we will get to the Flinders ranges and stay 2 nights, so a day off from pitching and breaking camp.  Already feeling that...

Its freezing; Charlie says so too.  Sitting in the camp kitchen with the gas burner going trying to keep less than frozen.  It's all a bit uneventful just getting there, but the countryside changes all the time and its actually much greener so far than I imagined, even around Burra.

Anyway, till next time... have a look at the photos uploded - some dont even have the trucks in them!! :-)

(Hey - its all about the trucks!!)

Day 1 - Tinamba/Sale to Ararat

We're off!

Testing!