Simpson Desert Expedition
The Simpson Desert has been for many years a destination for the more adventurous four wheel drive travellers as it offers many challenges that, if not more difficult, certainly are more interesting than the drives on local tracks. The Simpson, as it has become known, offers two major routes that are available to those who traverse the desert and each is unique in its own way.
The Rig Road was constructed by flattening the sand ridges, levelling out the dunes or hills, then capping the track with clay to form a road that allowed the oil rigs to cross ridges far more easily than on French Line. Clay capped tracks still exist and are plentiful in numbers allowing travellers to explore the area while on relatively good roads.
The French Line is the more direct route from Birdsville to the western side of The Simpson where it delivers travellers to Dalhousie Springs or on to Mt. Dare Station. This is the sand ridge Mecca of Australia with many hundreds of sand dunes to be crossed. This is an isolated area where no facilities are available so visitors need to be self sufficient and need to be travelling in reliable vehicles.
This is known to very well to Global 4WD as we've been visiting the Simpson Desert as far back as 15 years ago. We have run countless tours into most areas of this fascinating country not only across these two major tracks but also into areas seldom visited by other travellers. Proper preparation is essential to a successful expedition with breakdowns being almost non existent if your vehicle is thoroughly inspected and prepared prior to departure.
The Simpson Desert / Hay River / Lake Eyre Expedition
Andrew Morse and David Hobbs own and operate Global 4wd Training and Tours and they have been conducting tours and testing 4WD equipment in outback Australia for approx 16 years. They enjoy the opportunity to take people into areas that they would never venture into alone.
Global 4wd Training and Tours has developed the route that you will travel, from our vast experience gained from our many trips into the Simpson Desert/ Hay River regions and the red centre.
We aim to present these areas in the best possible way so that you can experience the uniqueness of our bush and desert with local knowledge. For that reason we are always looking at ways to improve the experience of your expedition to this region.
The weather and road conditions have a strong influence on where, when, and how we travel and on how long we take to travel the section for each day. Some sections are long but there is little that we can do as there are no satisfactory places to camp along the way in some areas.
The weather is usually fine but the days may heat uprather quickly so we will take advantage of the cooler parts of the day and travel early. The days are carefully planned and the camping is booked where applicable, but, as we know, our best-laid and set plans always come under test in these remote areas.
We will have daily group meetings to discuss the days travel so that you are prepared for what we shall experience during each day. Whenever or wherever you have a question or query on the expedition, please feel free to ask your guide.
To say the least, this is a challenging tour that should only be undertaken with a group. The Simpson Desert is an extremely popular destination however the weather and travelling conditions are not always kind. It is preferable that the Desert is only tackled with the help of a guide with considerable experience and knowledge in this environment. We enjoy returning to the Simpson each year at this time and we are confident that you will find it a favourite of yours as well.
Best regards,
Ralph Martell & David Hobbs
The Simpson Desert is one of the great Deserts of the Southern Hemisphere. Although a very remote dry area, there are times when the vegetation gets a little moisture and regenerates. We have chosen July to cross the Simpson Desert just after the winter rains when we hope to see the prodigious regrowth that brings this remarka ble area to life for just a short time.
As well as the unique vegetation we will see many species of native wild life and, possibly feral camels that echo the early exploration and pioneering of central Australia.
There is much to see on the Simpson Desert crossing. On this trip we will follow the full length of the Hay River as we head South to Poepples Corner. From Poeppels Corner we will explore some of the creeks and Rivers that flow into Lake Eyre that form the Warburton Groove. It has been a relatively dry couple of years and this is the reason that we have chosen July to attempt this expedition.
We hope you will enjoy this expedition as much as we have in the past and that you will come away with the sense of awe and respect that we feel for this area and its early explorers and pioneers.
Global 4WD prepares and provides all meals on the trip except on “free” days. You are responsible for your own refreshments (alcohol), red wine is a favourite, as it does not require refrigeration. You may want to bring along a selection of your favourite snacks and other personal food needs.
If you do have any dietary requirements we will need to know this well before departure as preparation and food stocks can be very difficult in this remote and isolated region.
Meal times are very important as we try our hardest to get the meals to you at there best. When meal times are given please adhere to this, this will ensure that the catering will be a most enjoyable experience.
Breakfast will usually include fresh fruit, cereals, toast or croissants and a light cooked meal.Due to time constraints, lunch will generally be pre-prepared sandwiches and salads so that we can get back on the road. Of course we will take the time to boil the billy and have a cuppa!
Dinner is our main meal for the day and you will have worked up an appetite after the day’s activities. BBQs and damper (and a few beers) are traditional Aussie bush fare, but we will also have a variety of soups, curries, chicken, seafood, and pasta dishes.
We will take the opportunity to have a few short breaks through the day and some refreshments as time permits.
Supplies of fresh fruit and veggies will be difficult to maintain through to the end of a long trip, so please bear with us when we have to resort to tin or dried ingredients.
Simpson Desert/ Central Australia Expedition
This is an expedition that should undertaken by every four wheel driver or outback traveler at least once in every lifetime or more often if they enjoy the beauty of the real outback. On these expeditions we cross several deserts both sandy and rocky while enjoying isolation and tranquility that the vast centre has in abundance. We shall see very few or no other travelers on our journey across the red sand as we cross approximately 1,100 sand ridges.
Whether we cross from east to west or west to east or from north to south, you will be awestruck by the sheer size of each desert and the amount of nature to be observed there. We often see thousands of hectares of wild flowers especially after the rainy season has passed but also we shall see salt lakes that have no equal. The sand changes colour as we cross it so photographers are in their element not only at sunrise and sunset but also during daily travel.
Facilities are limited here so we need to be self sufficient for the crossing and traveling in groups is almost mandatory. Each night will be a bush camp with toilet and shower facilities set up and yarns around the campfire are the standard far each night. Our tour guides do all the food preparation, cooking and cleaning up so every traveler has plenty of time to enjoy the remoteness and sheer beauty of Central Australia.
A pre expedition meeting will be held approximately one month before departure where we discuss meals, vehicle preparation, fuel requirements, distances traveled each day, water needed, tyres and particularly vehicle suspension. All other topics related to this expedition will also be discussed during this meeting to ensure that we have a truly memorable trip that should see us wanting to return in the years to come.