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10G
1st October 2018, 02:55 PM
Just back from a 2 week jaunt up to the Simpson.

Left home and four days later arrived at Mt Dare. Left Mt Dare to cross the Simpson via Madigan Line.

Took us 5 days.

Night 1 we camped at Camp 1A. Night 2, just east of Camp 7. Night 3, between Camps 13 & 14. Night 4 after Camp 22 just at the foot of the last westerly dune of the QAA line.

Great trip, we did it solo, a real adventure. I went overkill with everything as we had to be self sufficient. Carried 260L of fuel, 80 litres of water and 2 spares. We used 125L on the Madigan crossing which was 730kms in length, we went to camps 17-22 with permission of property owners. Worked out to be around 17.3L/100kms which I reckon was excellent.

Not a single problem with anything which I put down to all the prep work I did before we left, we did run low on bread though.

The Madigan track is very rough, average speed was around 15-20kms/hour. It looks like most people do it west-east which is the easier way, as dunes on the east side are quite steep. They also have nasty twists in them at the tops & the bottoms so run ups can be pretty awkward.

Lots & lots & lots of dug out areas where you can see wheels had spun and dug out large holes. Lots of people blame this on people with trailers. My immediate impression was that alot of them were caused by people not turning off their traction control.

I know for a fact the only time I get stuck is when I forget to turn Bog Assist, sorry, Traction Control off, not a problem in low range, but some of the track you can do in high range & that is when I did get stuck.

We went through 12 days after the last people who signed the visitor books on the track. We saw no one from Mt Dare until the top of Big Red while enjoying the view post ascent, I turned and saw this guy walking up the dune from behind me.

The roads into Mt Dare after the Oodnadatta track are atrocious, I don't think I've driven on anything as bad ever. If you're familiar with the rough roads around Innamincka & Cordillo Downs, think of that but 3 times worse. Bumps, rocks, corrugations, more rocks, more corrugations.

The remoteness, isolation, quiet and rawness of the desert is beautiful and alarming. On the 4th day I said to my wife, I probably wouldn't do this track again as it is so very rough, but within 1 day of being home, I was already wondering when I could return.

These Patrols must be bloody tough as our truck got served up a real beating, but not a single thing seems to have suffered, except the rear tyres which have been a bit cut up.

Post Big Red we spent a day in Birdsville as we were stuffed. Next day we travelled to Bedourie for a look see as I hadn't been there before. After that we went on towards Windorah, but ended up turning south before that and started our trip towards Cordilla Downs, I'd not seen the wool shed, Innamincka and home.

Figures:
5047 kms 14 days.
Fuel at Mt Dare $2.50.8
VB Can at Birdsville $8.00
Punctures 0
Headaches 5
Crappy sunrises 0

Rossco
1st October 2018, 06:25 PM
Far out the worst stat there is the price of a VB can, 8 bucks for a can of that rubbish arrgggh ! !

Nice trip, think i did similar fuel figures maybe bit worse but not too bad really. Which way did you go to Mt Dare, via Bloods Ck or the shorter route, haven't taken the shorter road but heard its a shocker. .

Any pics? ?

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GQtdauto
1st October 2018, 07:14 PM
Doing it next year with a few inbetween bits , loved our stay in Boulia behind the racecourse wish I'd put a rod in .

MB TD42
1st October 2018, 07:24 PM
Great to hear...in and out in one piece...tribute to good engineering
I been watching the 4 wheeling western Australia crew while couch ridden...they were heading up the madigan...up to episode three...those roads look great...lol

Cuppa
1st October 2018, 08:26 PM
On the 4th day I said to my wife, I probably wouldn't do this track again as it is so very rough, but within 1 day of being home, I was already wondering when I could return.

The roads into Mt Dare after the Oodnadatta track are atrocious, I don't think I've driven on anything as bad ever. If you're familiar with the rough roads around Innamincka & Cordillo Downs, think of that but 3 times worse. Bumps, rocks, corrugations, more rocks, more corrugations.



There are times when I've hated some roads like you (the north/south road through Millstream Chichester, in the dark, comes to mind) but also like you find that the pain & worry pale into insignificance in comparison to the overall adventure, & are soon forgotten - other than that slightly smug internal smile when you think about having done it & 'survived'. :)

Did you take the 'short route' between Dalhousie & Mt Dare? That is really rocky, not bone jarringly so, just slow, but I preferred it to those atrocious corrugations over the last few kms into Mt Dare.

Rossco
1st October 2018, 08:59 PM
There are times when I've hated some roads like you (the north/south road through Millstream Chichester, in the dark, comes to mind) but also like you find that the pain & worry pale into insignificance in comparison to the overall adventure, & are soon forgotten - other than that slightly smug internal smile when you think about having done it & 'survived'. :)

Did you take the 'short route' from Dalhousie to Mt Dare? That is really rocky, not bone jarringly so, just slow, but I preferred it to those atrocious corrugations over the last few kms into Mt Dare.Remember driving into steep point on the useless loop rd with maaassive corugations, started to get s#itty then did a reality check and thought of where i was, pretty awesome and better than work that's 4 sure. Yep take the good with the bad all part of it plus makes it memorable and more worth it in the end. Just cracked a beer and plodded along at a snails pace. On the way out was dreading it but passed the grader driver then onto freshly graded road, sweeeeeeet[emoji4]

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10G
2nd October 2018, 07:07 AM
Great to hear...in and out in one piece...tribute to good engineering
I been watching the 4 wheeling western Australia crew while couch ridden...they were heading up the madigan...up to episode three...those roads look great...lol

Yep I've seen those clips. Personally I don't think those guys did quite the right thing, driving at night is not the safest thing to do & driving up until midnight is even more unsafe. I'm guessing they may have had quite a bit of trouble in their trip as lots of the dunes, on their east sides, were pretty short & sharp, many without the option to take run ups. They were on their way home from Brizzy as well, so I'm guessing they were more interested in getting home rather than looking at the surroundings.

10G
2nd October 2018, 07:09 AM
Far out the worst stat there is the price of a VB can, 8 bucks for a can of that rubbish arrgggh ! !

Nice trip, think i did similar fuel figures maybe bit worse but not too bad really. Which way did you go to Mt Dare, via Bloods Ck or the shorter route, haven't taken the shorter road but heard its a shocker. .

Any pics? ?

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We went into Mt Dare via Dalhousie, Pedirka etc.

10G
2nd October 2018, 07:12 AM
Did you take the 'short route' between Dalhousie & Mt Dare? That is really rocky, not bone jarringly so, just slow, but I preferred it to those atrocious corrugations over the last few kms into Mt Dare.

Yes I think it was the short route, it's sounds just like your description. We passed a guy towing a camper trailer with a Honda CRV all kitted out for city driving.

10G
2nd October 2018, 08:49 AM
I ran some Nitto Trail Grappler MTs that had about 3000ks on them. Heavy tyres but seem to be bloody tough.

Not a single puncture but the rears got a bit chewed up, not badly but quite noticeable. Reckon I'll get about 40,000ks out of them whereas the Cooper ST MAXXs I have are getting close to 75,000ks, I've retired them now.

10G
29th March 2019, 11:13 AM
What, no pics! I've let you all down, sorry.

Sunrise Day 1 on the Madigan Line

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:15 AM
On top of the hill at Camp 2

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:18 AM
Old Andado Station

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:21 AM
Near the Hay River Track intersection, could be around Camp 15.

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:22 AM
In between Camps 13 & 14.

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:25 AM
Just a bit past Camp7.

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:27 AM
Inside the re-opened Betoota Pub. Bottles are originals.

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:28 AM
On top of Big Red. We had the entire dune to ourselves for about 15 minutes early one morning.

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:30 AM
View from the top of Big Red

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10G
29th March 2019, 11:33 AM
A beautiful sunset one night, this was facing west. Facing east was a beautiful pink moon, first one I think I've ever seen, it was the colour of the setting sun, but nowhere near as bright.

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