In the “Dead Heart” of the Simpson Desert we followed Cecil Madigan, who in 1939, left camp on camel from Andado Station, headed east in the first attempt to cross the northern part of the Simpson Desert, one of the most inhospitable areas in Australia. For us, preparation for the trip had been vital as fuel calculations, repairs, food and water needed to keep our vehicle weight down. Of course the hot breakfasts, morning and afternoon teas, 2 course dinners and lunches by Andrew from Global 4WD tours were first into his truck.

I had always thought of the Mac Clark Reserve as an isolated prehistoric region, but of course, we were heading north then east across the Simpson where very few people venture the hundreds of kilometres or so from any other vehicle, never mind homestead nor town. This is born to fact at Camp 2, The Twins, where a small old diary records visitors. We placed our names, a few measly pages into the book recording visitors back to the 1970’s

After crossing the Hale River, We started confronting the dunes and Spinifex. Madigan had stated at Camp 6: 'We were into the desert. It was going to be tough.’ Even with our well-prepared 4WDs, Madigan's words were realised as continuous driving over Spinifex moguls placed enormous pressure on vehicle suspension and tyres. We lost tyres and front springs but the reward of travelling in experienced hands made light of such serious problems.

GPS helped us find each of Madigan’s 25 Campsites, the prizes of this tour and also corrects the inevitable constant drift to the south in our easterly course. We needed to straighten up after coming down the angled ridges and zigzag course needed to negotiate the dunes. At Madigan's Camp 11 the visitor's book shows paucity of entries again highlighting the remoteness of Madigan Claypan. Like his journey, we celebrate with a corroboree then all varieties of Scotch at Camp 15 on the Hay River.

At Camp 16 we find the “Blaze Tree” ( M 39) with little growth except where the blaze is grown over. This excites thoughts of a possible future trip to safeguard the tree, as there is evidence of vehicles parking near its delicate roots. Onwards to Mulligan River and into Gidgee trees stretching as far as the eye can see, the desert changes and the Spinifex thins out. We arrived at the Rabbit fence and the Kuddaree Waterhole at the head of Eyre Creek. Visiting the Annandale ruins we find gold, ( XXXX of course) the last vital Camp, 25 , the Birdsville Pub.

This was a great but hard trip. The experience of Global 4WD shone through when needed and the Food and Catering made the journey an absolutely fantastic experience.

Ian Miles