Big Red - Simpson Desert 1985-2010

Hi Gang, just wondering if anyones been up Big Red in the last 10 years.

I was there back in 1985 and back again in 1989.

I remember Big Red was a nightmare to get up in 85, it had a steep ridge about 4 metres high right at the top which everyone got stuck on. Only the good drivers willing to push their 4WD's made it over that last bit and sometimes got hooked at the top stuck on the chasis.

Now, when i came back in 1989 it was dark we had a convey of about 6 cars and we just wanted to find the next town to camp for the night. By accident we went over Big Red, not realising it was the hill. Later that night we got the maps out and we did go over it.

We agreed that over the years that last peak of the hill that no one could get over in 85 must have worn down or the wind over the years could've knocked the top off the hill maybe?

Just curious to see if anyone has been up Big Red in the last 10 years?

How'd you go?

Was that crazy lip at the end still hard to get over or was it easy?

Thanks gang!

Sounds like an epic hill if it's still as steep as it once was.

Going through the deserts doesn't really interest me too much. All that red dust gets absolutely everywhere. It's basically a "strip the car to a bare shell and clean it" job.. I know, I've done it. :D .. I bought my wagon from a dealer and it'd been traded in by a couple from QLD who'd been to the red center. After I rolled my wagon, I had to strip it out to weld a new roof on. It's amazing where that red bull dust gets into. Where ever you think it wont be, it usually is.

Tell me about it, first trip in 85 i hired an old white hilux, second trip i bought my own hilux and it was a little bit punished when arriving back home.

Funny story, the hilux did a few Fraser Island missions, might have to start an new thread about Fraser as that is a great place to go guys!

Anyways, after a lot of beachside driving we sold the old gal years later for 2k to a guy for parts.

He took all the windows out and the whole roof caved in...Hows zat!

The top half shell was so rusted out it wasn't funny!

It's been a while since ive been there too.

I was there in 1991 and the same as you mentioned Black-GU, the peak of the hill had been knocked off a bit from wind or vehicles.

It was still hard trying to get over it. We had to get a huge run up but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was in the 80's.

I remember a story from the 80's about a convoy who couldn't get over Big Red and turned around and drive all the way back to Melbourne. They didn't realise theres the woman's track that goes around the side of the hill....haha!

lol how would you feel.. driving all the way back then being told.. err, why didn't you just go around it? What a disaster.

I wouldn't mind going up through the middle of Australia with the family and seeing the sights. I've just heard all these stories of people getting hi-jacked and also, breaking down and being stuck for days. Those kinds of stories freak me out a bit haha.

I wouldn't do the Simpson Desert alone. I would definatly go with a minimum of 2 or 3 car convoy.

If you did break down or something serious happened, injured or needing medical help then you would be in a lot of trouble.

I have a mate who's driven up the centre to Darwin etc.. he reckons it can get pretty rough on some of those tracks. He was telling me that he was barreling along a rough road and hit a pothole. Turns out the pothole was quite deep and he ended up breaking something to do with the suspension. Then he had to limp it to the next town and was stuck there for days waiting for a part.. I'd hate that to happen lol.

That's full on.

We went to the Simpson back in the 80's as well but we one of the 4WD's in our convoy was a Range Rover.

I can't remember what happened to the engine but we camped in Birdsville i think for days waiting for the part.

He never mentioned how much it cost but I'm sure the guy charged 10x the market price for whatever he needed.

Hey, they had a special on Big Red on that Getaway TV show just now.

It looks like the Big Red is not so big anymore. It still looked like a decent climb but that lip at the end you guys were talking about seemed to have died down over the years.

There was one idiot on TV trying to snake his way up and got stuck but the rest seemed to have gotten over ok.

Did anyone else see that on Melbourne TV?

Ahh really? haha that's amazing.. you make a thread about it then they do a show on getaway about it.

Didn't see it.. damn it!

Spewing I'm not in Melbourne to see it...Ill see when its on over here.

I must be psychic... :)

Next week on getaway, a trip to the Kimberleys... haha

Has anyone here followed the Burke and Wills trek?

Did Big Red last year West to East and the year before East to West, easily done in both directions, tyre pressures were around 19 psi 2nd low and up and over. Was with 2 X 80 series and one 60 series Landcruisers last year and they all did it easily as well, all diesel vehicles.

Interesting TimE, so it sounds like Big Red is not so "big" anymore.

I would love to go back there again!

I did a club trip last year out through Bourke, Thargomindah, Innamincka, Birdsville, Birdsville Track, Maree, Nth Flinders, Strzelecki Track, Cameron Corner, White Cliffs and back to Bourke. We had 9 vehicles in total. We went out to Big Red to have a look at it, at the time Eyre Creek was still flooded and Big Red was as far out as you could go legally. Big Red itself was easy to climb on the eastern side but it was very soft on the western side coming back up. It is recommended now to travel from East to West over the sand hills through the Simpson Desert.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KBOOBI

I did a club trip last year out through Bourke, Thargomindah, Innamincka, Birdsville, Birdsville Track, Maree, Nth Flinders, Strzelecki Track, Cameron Corner, White Cliffs and back to Bourke. We had 9 vehicles in total. We went out to Big Red to have a look at it, at the time Eyre Creek was still flooded and Big Red was as far out as you could go legally. Big Red itself was easy to climb on the eastern side but it was very soft on the western side coming back up. It is recommended now to travel from East to West over the sand hills through the Simpson Desert.

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Agree with this post.

I did Simpson a few years ago and went from East to West and Big Red was just another big hill.


Coming over the top though, I would'nt be keen to go the other way like Kboobi mentioned.

Wouldnt mind doing the Simpson one of these days.

Has anyone on here done it solo mission?

Can you still get access to the Simpson in the wet season or is it just a no go zone?