Monthly Wanderer Post – March 2016
Our March Monthly Wanderer is Nikki and her Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you are looking for the perfect itinerary for a trip to the Simpson Dessert, then Nikki has it down pat. We asked Nikki a few questions:
What far away destination have you and your Jeep traveled to?
From Brisbane – Across the Simpson Dessert and back during Aug-Sep 2015.
What route did you take
15 day trip:
Day 1- We headed west via the A2 New England Highway and then took the A3 south to Coonabarabran;
Day 2 – another long day to Broken Hill;
Day 3 – Broken Hill to Wilpena Pound – Flinders Ranges with a stop in Peterborough, SA as a last major town for big food shopping;
Spent 3 nights in Wilpena Pound camping at the Wilpena Pound Resort campgrounds – so much nature and beauty. Loads of hiking trails and picturesque moments. Great campgrounds too with hot showers – a must have in the cold! Be prepared to have a fire for warmth.
Day 6 – Driving through a do not miss track (Bunyaroo Track) from Wilpena we headed towards Coward Springs. Arriving in Maree, we turned onto the Oodnadatta Track finishing our day at Coward Springs. A must stay – Great camping; beautiful wide open views, Old Ghan Rail History and a natural hot spring. Take your togs.
Day 7 – With a mandatory stop at William Creek Hotel for lunch we continued on along the Oodnadatta Track to Coober Peedy. We stayed in Coober Peedy for 2 nights. Wow, what a great place to set up camp for a couple of days and experience the underground and miners lifestyle. Underground tours is a must with an exceptional experience out to the Breakaways. It’s as if you’ve driven onto another planet.
Day 9 – Continued on to Oodnadatta via the Track stopping at the infamous Pink Roadhouse for lunch before completing our day at Mt. Dare Hotel. Mt. Dare is your last chance for food and fuel just before crossing into the Simpson Desert. Had a good old fashioned pub meal with a few drinks, fuelled up and headed out on Day 10 towards the Simpson Desert.
Day 10 – Dalhousie Springs via Porni Bore. Unfortunately, Porni Bore was all dried up when we went through, so stopped for lunch and kept on to Dalhousie. Dalhousie Springs is your last official stop prior to entering the dessert. Most put their sand flags up here and have one last hot bath in the natural hot springs swimming hole.
Day 11 – Entered the Simpson Desert.
Days 11-13 crossed the desert without issue. We travelled a few different lines to mix it up (and avoid the French line in certain parts as we heard it had a bit of traffic). Some of the lines we took included part of the French Line, WA Line, QAA Line, Colson Track and Knolls Track and Rig-Road to Poeppels Corner.
Day 14 we smashed it up Big Red on the first go and took in the adventure and kindred spirits that surrounded the dune before heading into Birdsville for the 2015 Races.
Wrapping up the races on Day 15 we hammered it straight home back to Brisbane via 1 night in Charleville. Needless to say, we crashed at home for the next few days in full recovery mode. Most of all….we didn’t get stuck and we didn’t have any significant damage along the way. Everyone made it across safe and sound with only memories to share.
Did you get lost at all – if so, were there any new discoveries?
We didn’t get lost as it was a well organized and planned trip. We did, however, choose to either stop early in a place or keep going instead of staying where we initially planned to depending on how we were feeling.
Have you ever towed with your Jeep?
No, Never towed with my Jeep.
What mods do you have?
ARB Bullbar; Chief Products bash plates;
275/65/R18 General Grabber AT2s; Leveling kit;
Blue thumper installed to keep the fridge going without running down the battery; Whispbar Racks and Yakima Roof Cage, 2×2.5m Darche Awning
Click here to view some of Nikki’s breathtaking travel pics.