Simpson Desert, Aus

This course sand is very ridable, change lanes,swerve past marsupials,whatever. Nothing like bulldust which has the cinsistency of talcum powder .

I woke up early 4:30am or so, shivering, slipped out of the sleeping bag for the thermals, jumped back in, could not get back to sleep and waited for dawns early light. The morning in the desert is distinctly different, the sunrise was indeed spectacular







There was a single bird calling somewhere, the quiet was enveloping, much like the sleeping bag. Steve muttered something from his sleeping bag, so I decided to get up, stoking the remnants of the fire to keep me warm as I watched and photographed the Sun starting to peer above the horizon. I felt much refreshed and invigorated after a solid nights sleep and was looking forward to the days ride.

After a dingos breakfast (as Steve calls it, which is apparently taking a piss and having a look 'round, actually it was a little more then that but I had to throw that term in somewhere) we packed up and headed off.



The riding was more of the same, endless dunes,

This are had some of the rain from weeks before, with wildflowers till out in few places





which were great to ride when feeling refreshed, especially as I could see the start of the rig road appear on the edge of the GPS screen. We only had some 50km of dunes to ride and it seemed to pass too quickly, even though yesterday, 50kms of dunes seemed endless.

Not long after we came to the start of the rig road, which was laid down some 40 years ago by oil companies when they were trying to suck the precious commodity from under the deserts vast landscape. I am sure with the continuing scarcity of oil the areas protection as a National Park will offer it little protection from mans need in the near future.

At the junction of the rig road and the WAA line we came across the first 4-WD we had seen in awhile, overly laded with wood for a campfire, they were headed down the rig road, and then on towards the Birdsville Races the weekend coming. It had turned into an overcast day, the threat of rain spurred us on to make a few miles, not wanting to be stuck in the desert.



Eventually you come out of the dune country into claypans, small, dry salt lakes and areas of packed clay soils, rocky outcrops with rocky terrain



the road opened up allowing higher speeds





Eventually we rolled into the first sign of civilisation we had seen for some time, the SA Parks office for Dalhousie Springs, with it’s associated camping area. We took the time to take a refreshing dip in the natural, warm, arterial springs, enjoying washing away several days of acrid sweat and smell from our skin.



Steve found it a touch too warm but if allowed, I could have poached myself in the water for hours. A trail of clothes indicating were we had been



After a well deserved light lunch of tuna, crackers and an orange, we had 5 spits of rain and decided to make tracks for Mt Dare, to refuel and take on fresh water.



Mt Dare is an oasis of another kind, the distances so vast out here it provided a welcome area for necessary respite, as well as fuel and supplies, we grabbed both before taking to the manager about the state of the track to Old Andado, most seem to head down the easier dirt road towards the Finke but as always we had to take the road less travelled. We had been reassured about the state of the road,





the first bit was twin track not well maintained, right up Steve's alley, taking to it with enthusiasm, it wasn't to last though, with most of the road being well maintained. We came across a small group (three) of riders, heading across to Birdsville on a combination of small bikes CRF250, XR650 and something else. How the guy on the CRF250 was handing the longer transport sections was beyond me.



After old Andado you head back onto the dune country of the Simspon Desert again, this time riding parallel with the dunes, making it fairly easy





,fast going



We rode until just before we ran out of light,



finding a couple of likely trees for my hammock, we set up camp for the night. Coincidentally we were very close to Camp 1 of the infamous "Madigan Line", Birdsville being Camp 24, a line of camp sites from when Cecil Madigan had crossed the Simpson in 1939, he did it in 24 days, we had done it in under 2, taking a longer route.

It was quite cool as usual, Steve in his ninja Chefs outfit prepared the nightly meal. Extra points if you noticed the dirt mound acting as a windbreak in front of the cooker in the foreground.



The only thing notable was the wind, Steve reassuring himself it would die off soon. He was filtering the grit with his teeth, being 5 feet or so off the ground saw me being rocked gently to sleep in my hammock with no grit at all. Steve's "soon" proved to be about 5 am, the other item of note was that I had plonked my arse down on a centipedes hole, prompting it to bite me on my arse through my thermals, much to Steve's amusement. I tried to hunt the bastard down in the dark, commited to throwing it on the fire but all to no avail.

I started reading this post today as I prepare for a 6 day trip thru se Oregon. Called the high desert as the elevation is between 4-7000ft from the Cascade mtns. in the west, to the Rockies in the east. Your pics are superb and definately give the sense of the size and space of the areas that you travel.
Thanks for this great report as your trip is something I have dreamt about for many years.
Here is a pic of where we will be in three days.--Malhuer wildlife refuge-- This is still pretty mellow but becomes more exciting as we head south and east. This was taken july 30 on day 1 of a 15 day tour of the western high desert. Wish I could ride with you guys in the land downunder.

that place makes baja look puny!

Fantastic pics and writeup. This is getting transferred from regular subscriptions, to the "epic reports" folder.

Thanks Trev, it's been a great read.

Andrew Linton.

Just the facts.


I shall attempt to supply our trip details to fill in the time void left in this story as the Big Bear (Trev) has gone into hybination(he actually has more pressing things to attend to)


You will see no pictures (don't know how yet)


The text or rosy descriptions will not compare to Trev's but you will have something until we can get the prick to finish his tale.


All the kilometers will be Suzuki K's as the KTM adds between 2 and 5 % to the correct measurements. I didn't collect data for the KTM except for the sand riding fuel consumption and fuel consumption with a blocked air filter and when shit fell or broke from it.


Day 1 Townsville to Blackall 867km
Liters used and price at bowser
50.6 l 150c/l 136.9c/l 150c/l
Big Bear snored like a trooper.


Day 2 Blackall to Noccundra 614km
34.1 l 139.9c/l 154c/l

Strong head wind, lots of transport.​

Met an eccentric Quilpian.


Day 3 Noccundra to Birdsville 641km
37 l 170c/l 158c/l
Toasted sanga in an oven bag at Innaminka.
Love the yellow flowers in the first of the sand pit.
Changed oil in the DRZ. Reduced the crankcase breather aperture to stop misting the rear
of the bike with oil vapor. Mod worked well.
Filled auxiliary fuel containers (10.5 for me and 15 for Trev)
Carried 8 litres of water.
Skankey waitress at the pub.


Day 4 Birdsville to a nice place in the Desert 311km
The fuel calculations will overlap from one day to the next while we camp between
refuels, the days total km will still be shown beside each day.
Off loaded fuel from saddle bags as soon as possible, with the bike back to its normal weight it was play time again. The KTM was 8 to 10 minutes steadier over 20kms. (nominal distance to make sure the Big Bear was traveling OK.) The sand was way easier than I had anticipated with the 400 torquing over most of the dunes in fourth gear. Late in the day when Trev was getting a little tired I slipped in behind him for awhile so as not to drag him across the sand. This was when the scientist in me came out, pushing the front around the sweet sandy curves on the Knolls Track. First with the inside boot down
and then with both feet on the the pegs, the front wheel spraying red sand high into the air. And then I had a helmet full of it.
Brilliant sunset and sunrise, camera doesn't capture the open space feeling.


Day 5 Desert to past Old Andado 410km

Fueled at Mt Dare 17.84 + 10.5 from bags to cross the desert 544km 19.19km/l​

190c/l
Tool carrier flew off the KTM, just spotted it.
Water a little tropical at Dalhousie.
Suzuki dealer took video and pics of our desert bikes.
Very windy camp,had to dig a hole to cook.






Day 6 Old Andado to East McDonald Ranges 367km
24 l 172.9

Handlebars fell off the KTM. Lucky the Big Bear was almost stationary when he
discovered this.
Rained 20 km from Alice Springs but we missed it.
Thanks to Stephen Greenfield for the use of their workshop to change the DRZ's oil
and filter and fit fresh knobs to the rear.
Super Cheap to snaval some spanners (see handlebar thing)
Food stock up plus a whole chicken for lunch. Happiness is a full belly.
Strange feeling riding amongst cars plus nobbies on the slippery bitumen, steady
steady.
Camped early in a huge rock amphitheatre with a brilliant authentic fire and sweet
smelling gum blossom in the air.


Day 7 East Macs to Georgina River QLD 649km
400km to Jervois 23.3 l 176c/l
217km to Tobermoray 15.9 l 175c/l
Center stand broke in half on the KTM .
Cattlewater pass track leading to the Plenty Highway was one of the best for the trip,
I managed to spin the DR around in a washout and kneel on top of the bitch while it
was trundelling along the ground. Nice.
Trev held the 640 flat on the Plenty and probably put the shits up some steady dude
on a truly loaded BMW crawling through the sand; the road surfaced clearly had him
bluffed, dead center of the road at about 50km/h.
The flat plains of western Queensland are wide and vast and scattered with rather
large Red Kangaroos, a safe distance from the road these animals are an awesome
sight on the hop.
An almost dry Georgina River bed made an excellent camp, right shaped trees for
Trev's hammock and mobs of wood for a big arse fire.
Fairly cold with the first bit of dew for the trip.


Day 8 Georgina River to Kynoona 586km
250km to Boulia 16.1 l 142.9c/l
Trev showed me around his old work area, Selwyn Mine
KTM smashed the chain con link in half.
Passed the ore trucks of Cannington mine.
389Km to Mckinlay 19.2 l 152.9c/l
Kidmen country, mobs of rich Mitchel grass
Blue Healer pub for a feed and first tub in six days.
NYLs at the bar didn't stay around long after we arrived, we didn't smell that bad.
Small room, lots of snoring.


Day 9 Kynoona to Balyando Crossing 752km
412km to Muttaburra 24.1 l 150c/l
KTM sucked a full tank in 360km,choked air filter.
Big Bear serviced the filter on the grass in front of the servo.
Past big mobs of cattle being driven along the back roads.
Met the managers of Prarievale Station, the young bloke took my loaded DR
for a run.... loved it.
410Km to Balyando Crossing 22.85 l 147c/l
Camped 5k down the Scartwarter road, last camp of the trip.


Day 10 Scartwater Road to Townsville 403
Didn't fill up at home but the tank was low thanks to a few kms of fast tar.
Saw a Braham Cow stuck in a billabong but didn't have enough ponies to tow her
onto dry ground.
Past by a V-8 on the Lake Dalrymple Road, near sucked the handgrips from the bike.
The feeling of heading home set in when we hit the Flinders Highway 80k out.
Another journey complete.
Thanks for the ride Trev.




Someone was curious as to what gear we took and what we should have left behind.
Usually I gather up all the crap I reckon I may need a few weeks before a multi day ride and leave it sit on the floor, gradually kicking out the stuff that is not a necessity and refining the stuff that is. After using this process for several years the kick out piles never amount to much any more.


I try to carry all my stuff in a 45 litre backpack, normally only using the saddlebags for fuel.
On the rear guard behind the toolbag is an ultra-light super comfy Thermarest mattress rolled in light canvas( groundsheet and bed ). I use a 360gram down sleeping bag with a thermolite liner which adds 8 degrees to the warmth factor. As far as clothes go, a spare t-shirt(for the pub), well worn jeans(light), spare dry-cool boxers, thermals top and bottom, rag hat, spare socks, tek towel and dunlop volley shoes(compact). In the pack goes a compact first aid kit, epirb, spare camera battery and compact charger, flash cards for camera, AA batteries and sd cards for GPS,spare goggle lense, paper maps of the areas being travelled, head lamp, bike pump, trangia meths stove, 500ml plastic fuel bottle,clip together cutlery, plastic cup, single tent fly, 3 litre camelbak bladder and 2@ 750ml bottles on the side(usually empty unless camping out), sealed up emergency food( dry bisciuts, packet of tuna,mob of jellybeans, small tin of corn) and a very compact toiletries bag.
Food can be collected along the way but I usually carry 250g of rice and 2 flat packets of tuna. If water is not an issue then 150g of rice will feed two people but it requires about 600ml of water to cook said amount of rice. A few museli type bars are usually stashed in there and a bag of trail mix or nuts.

Hello Trevor,

it has been great riding along with you !
A warm and dusty report, a joy to read.

A couple of questions when you get time...

Any issues with the DRZ (breakages or things you would do differently) on a long run like that?

Why the backpack - wouldn't that tire you out compared to loading the gear on the bike?

Cheers
Chris

:fyyff

so what do you think caused the centre stand to break on the Austrian sex toy?

The vibes, design, abuse any number of things; but it sure is broke.

What tyres do you run on the DRZ?

I currently use Dunlops on both ends. 907- 90/90 on the front and a 606- 120/90 on the rear.
Have used alot of MT 21's in the past but sometimes depends on what is available.
The 907 last very well for an aggressive tred pattern and finds good grip on all surfaces.

Thanks for sharing. I really love the sunrise and sunset pictures, especially with the tree silhouettes.

Was wondering what kind of saddle bags you had on each bike. The Adventure looks like it was sporting Andy Bags.

Any comments on how the saddle bags held up over your trip?

Thanks again.

The KTM had bags made by a local upholsterer and designed by Trev to fit to his racks(not sure what brand).

The bags on the DR are home made from truck tarp to hold a five litre fuel bottle. One strap goes over the seat while the other slides under the seat. Tube supports inside the side covers hold the side load and secure the bags from flapping, zip ties ack as a fuse here in the case of a big impact.

I used a few zip ties thanks to a nasty washout while Trev wore a side buckle off polishing 200 km of saltbush across the Simpson.

So as not to upset the handling of the bike too much, try to secure the bags as far forward and as low as practically possible.

Thanks!

Great report I can almost smell the cologne :huh