Lower Cooper, Hay River Simpson Desert

13-24 May 2009 12 Days Adelaide - Alice Springs

If youare are a passenger in our vehicles: $3800.00 AUD per person
If you tagalong in either your vehicle or a vehicle that you hire: $2000.00 AUD per person

Click Here to book a place on this expedition

Moonrise through the coolibahs on the lower Cooper

Deep Red Northern Simpson Desert Dune

Lake Caroline - a vast red claypan on the Hay River

Treeline of Hay River trending south into the Simpson from Mt Winneke

Carpets of yellow tops and poached egg daisies.

Bed of the Hay River - a great place to roll out your swag.

Sunset at spectacular Goyders Pillar

Words cannot describe the beauty of Lake Eyre – vast, surreal, it is a place that has attracted great Australian artists like Storier, Olsen and Williams to return over and over again. This expedition takes in the wilds of the Tirari Desert and the Lower Cooper from a base at Etadunna Station on the Birdsville Track. We then head north across the Warburton River into the Simpson Desert. Leaving Poeppels Corner we take the path less travelled northward along abandoned oil exploration roads to Kilpatha Native Well and Beachcomber Oil Well. From here we cross sand dunes to the terminus of the Hay River, soaked up by the sands of the Simpson. As we head north the pink sandy bed of the Hay River becomes more obvious, with stunning stands of River Red Gums. We visit the blazed tree where Cecil Madigan made his Camp 16 during his 1939 expedition and continue north to spectacular Lake Caroline. Our final camp on the Hay includes a drive out to view sunset on the awe inspiring and remote Goyder’s Pillar. We then travel via the Plenty Highway to end in Alice Springs.

Itinerary

Day 1
The convoy departs Adelaide and travels north to Port Augusta at the head of Spencer Gulf. After refuelling we continue north up the Stuart Highway to Woomera. We visit the Rocket Park and tour the town before continuing to camp at Lake Mary.
L D C M P

Day 2
After inspecting the modern mining town of Roxby Downs we travel to the Opal mining town of Andamooka, which still has a frontier feel to it. The historic old town is wonderful, with its incredible pioneer cottages. With a permit from Mulgaria Station, we travel on station tracks out to the northernmost tip of Lake Torrens.
B L D C M P

Day 3
There is some spectacular country as we travel through granitic country to Mulgaria Station homestead and on the the ghost town of Farina. Further north is Lyndhurst, at the junction of the Oodnadatta and Strzelecki Tracks. At Marree we refuel before heading north along the Birdsville Track to Etadunna Station. We camp near Dead mans Hole. We take station tracks west via Lake Florence and Georgia Bore to our base camp for exploring the lower Cooper.
B L D C M P

Day 4
We head to the former site of the Bethesda Lutheran Mission at Killalpaninna, and explore the ruins hearing about the extraordinary clash of cultures that occurred here during the fifty years the Lutherans administered to the Dieri people. We take private station tracks west via Lake Florence and Georgia Bore into the heart of the Tirari Desert to our base camp for exploring the lower Cooper.
B L D C

Day 5
A full day spent exploring this remarkable area, where the white bed of the Cooper cuts through the sand hills of the Tirari Desert. Deposited in the river bed are tertiary fossils including tortoise shells, fish bones and other relics of a time when the climate was very different. There are also spectacular gypseous outcrops, saline water holes and endless stunning landscapes
B L D C

Day 6
We return to the Birdsville Track and turn north, shortly crossing the Cooper. We travel through Mulka Station, which records Australia's lowest average rainfall. At Mungerannie there is the chance for a shower. We continue north on to Clifton Hills Station, the largest on the Birdsville Track. We turn off onto the K1 Line - an oil exploration road that marks the start of our south-north crossing of the Simpson Desert.
B L D C S P

Day 7
We visit Poeppel Corner, the tri state border between Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia. From here we are on the road less travelled. Our track crosses Lake Poeppel and winds through valleys lined with Gidgee Trees as we make our way north to Kilpatha Native Well. Whilst the well was destroyed by oil exploration parties hoping to tap into its aquifer, the area is an archaeological site of immense significance, and holds clues to how the Wangkangurru people lived in one of the harshest environments on the continent. There are the remains of a wiltja that we know was constructed over 100 years ago, as the Wangkangurru left the Simpson Desert in 1901. We continue north to the site of the Beachcomber Well and commence an eastward section over the sandhills.
B L D C

Day8
The dunes are becoming a deeper red the further north we travel -largest dunes of our crossing are encountered on this section. As the track winds northward we start to see the odd stunted coolabah, evidence that we are coming closer the southernmost section of the Hay River. We visit Camp 16, where in 1939 Cecil T Madigan blazed a tree to signify his camp during his historic crossing of the Simpson Desert.
B L D C

Day 9
The track winds northward along the riverbed of the Hay, past spectacular stands of majestic River Red Gums. The river bed is now becoming more defined the further north we travel. We detour to visit spectacular Lake Caroline, a vast red claypan
B L D C

Day 10
Not far up the track we cross the Tropic of Capricorn. Further north we climb Mt Winneke and gaze out at the vast spectacle of the northern Simpson Desert, with the treeline of the Hay River stretching out to the horizon. We replenish our water at Batton Hill Camp, and travel out to the remarkable Goyders Pillar for an unforgettable sunset at this singular geological feature discovered by Winneke.
B L D C

Day 11
We depart Atnetye Aborignal Lands and visit Jervois Station, owned by the Broad family who also have Etadunna. There is a small shop here, and the chance to have a shower. We continue on along the Plenty Highway for our final camp.
B L D S C

Day 12
We travel west to meet the Stuart Highway. Southward we cross the Tropic of Capricorn and the highway's highest point above sea level before arriving in Alice Springs hotels mid morning and the end of an incredible adventure
B P M

Code:
B=Breakfast
L=Lunch
D=Dinner
C=Camping Accommodation
S=Shower or Swim
M=Cell Phone Reception
P=Public Telephone

Further Information and Resources

Download Here a printable itinerary
Passengers Download Here a triplist to see what you need to bring (.pdf 443k)
Self Drive participants download here a triplist to see what you need to bring (501k)

Suggested Further Reading

Bonython E. (1985) Where the Seasons Come and Go. Illawong
Bonython,Stewart. (1989) The Great Filling of Lake Eyre in 1974. Royal Geographic Society S.A.
Bradman,Arnold,Bell.(1991) A Natural History of the Lake Eyre Region. The National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Cunningham, Mulham,Milthorpe and Liegh (1992) Plants of Western N.S.W. Inkata Press
Douglas, John & MacFarlane, W.V. (1989) South Australia from Space. ANZAAS -SA Inc., Adelaide.
Farwell George (1950) Land of Mirage Cassell and Company
Favenc, Ernest (1988) The History of Australian Exploration 1788-1888 Golden Press Pty. Ltd.
Henry M.(1994) From City to the Sandhills of Birdsville. Copyright Publishing.
Jessop John (1981)Flora of Central Australia Reed Books
Kotwicki, Vincent (1986) Floods of Lake Eyre. Engineering & Water Supply Dept.
Latz, Peter (1995) Bushfires and Bushtucker IAD Press
Litchfield, Loius (1983) Marree and the Tracks Beyond. Published by the author. Copies available in Marree en route.
Marla-Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District Plan (1997) Maree - Oodnadatta Soil Conservation District Board
Percival, Dinah & Westney, Candida (1989) Fence People, Yarns from the Dingo Fence. Hutchinson Australia.
Shephard M (1992) The Simpson Desert Natural History and Human Endevour. Royal Geographic Society S.A.
Slater Peter, Slater Pat and Slater Raoul (1986) The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds. Rigby Publishers.
Stevens C. (1989) Tin Mosques and Ghantowns. A history of Afghan Cameldrivers in Australia
Tyler M.J., Twidale C.R., Davies M & Wells C.B. (1990) Natural History of the North East Deserts. Royal Soc.S.A.
Urban A. (1990) Wildflowers and Plants of Central Australia. Portside Editions Ltd.
Van Oosterzee P. (1995) A Field Guide to Central Australia. Reed Books.
Van Oosterzee P. (1991) The Centre - A Natural History of Australia’s Desert Regions. Reed Books.White M. (1994) After the Greening. The Browning of Australia Kangaroo Press.
Wilson G (1993) The Flying Doctor Story. Cyan Press
Zeidler, W. & Ponder, W.F. (1989) Natural History of Dalhousie Springs. South Australia Museum, Adelaide.

Program Includes:
11 nights camping in swag complete with mattress, fitted sheet, doona, doona cover and pillow
Crockery, cutlery and all camping equipment
All meals commencing with lunch on Day 1 and concluding with breakfast on Day 12
Transport as per the itinerary in a comfortable expedition vehicles equipped to travel the outback roads with experienced driver
Entry fees, permits, visits and entry fees
Use of appropriate reference materials
Support of a motor mechanic if needed for self-drive participants whilst in remote locations
Satellite Emergency Phone Access

Program Excludes:
Cost of transfers to and from Adelaide or Alice Springs
Comprehensive Travel Insurance
Costs of a personal nature
Any optional activities elected by participants
All camping equipment for self-drive participants
Fuel costs for self-drive participants
Costs associated with damage, breakdown and recovery of vehicles used in self-drive transport or costs associated with vehicle preparation for the program.

Self Drive Participants:
You will be required to have a roadworthy, four wheel drive vehicle appropriately equipped for travel in isolated regions. Fuel arrangements and a check list will be communicated to interested participants prior to departure.

Self-drive participants are required to assist by carrying up to three cartons or packages of food for common use and a Jerry can, with water, for use in the kitchen.