2021 Simpson Desert

A 26-day adventure by Wendy Read more

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Trip start
June 12, 2021
2021 Simpson Desert Traveler
Bathurst
June 12, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C
Day one completed soft start to make sure we didn’t forget anything and everything works.
Everything works, probably forgot something don’t know what it is yet.
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Day 2 Hay
June 13, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
Day 2 started late because we did forget something and had to buy it and we needed to go see Robs dad.
Long drive with a stop in Cowra for lunch, now maybe it’s just me but I didn’t realise that one of Australia’s POW camps was in Cowra they have a small exhibit at the information session along with a hologram telling the story or the Japanese prison break. The kids actually found the hologram really interesting though trying to explain war to a four year old wasn’t too fun.
Next was a stop in Weethalle to have a look at the painted silos.
Stopped for the night in Hay.Read more
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Frog hunting in Balranald
June 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
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Port Germein
June 14, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Stopped for the night in Port Germein. Very pretty where we are but a little dark for proper photos.
TravelerSo peaceful looking 😍
6/14/21Reply
Looks beautiful guys 💕 [Kylie Price]
6/14/21Reply
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Coober Pedy
June 15, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
We have arrived for the first of two nights here. Settling in tonight then exploring tomorrow. Jenson is so excited because we have entered the desert and therefore our holiday is official.
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Old Timers mine
June 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
Enjoyed exploring through the old mine Jenson especially loved the treasure map style of the self guided tour. Bit cramped in places poor Rob spent a good portion of the tour bent double I didn't enjoy it at all when he hit his head really I didn't,

The tour also included a look at an underground home all dug by hand, I don't even want to imagine how long that took.

The kids then got the chance to dig in the 'Noodling' pits and found a couple of small opals each very exciting. Pretty sure they both think they have found a million dollar treasure, will not be informing them otherwise.Read more
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The Big Winch
June 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
I found the most interesting part of this look out not to be the massive winch but a tree sculpture made out of parts from an old truck, it claims to be the first tree in Coober Pedy.
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Serbian Orthodox Church (underground)
June 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
This was just beautiful and so peaceful, photos seriously can't do it justice. Jenson lit a candle for his grandad and Evie and I lit one for a friend, its an amazing reflective practice Ive never had the opportunity to do Im glad I did so here.Read more
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The Breakaways
June 16, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
Sunset at the breakaways lookout, Benny the bear got in on the action this time
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Geographic centre of Australia
June 17, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Camping for the night in the centre of Australia, very peaceful and quiet.
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Mt Dare
June 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
We have officially started the Simpson desert part of your trip entering the first of four parks that we pass through in three different states.
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Dalhousie springs
June 18, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
Camped for the night at Dalhousie springs beautiful place made even better by the hot springs. It’s like a warm bath only about 50 times the size and it never goes cold.
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Purni Bore
June 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C
Smaller and hotter spring than Dalhousie but unlike Dalhousie it’s not a natural spring. Miners drilled through to and then capped the spring but the cap degraded over time and so it became the “accidental lake”. It was capped again as it was affecting Dalhousie springs which is its own eco system with animals found no where else. Purni bore is now artificially fed to support the native animals who came to rely on it.
I didn’t see any but could certainly hear the birds and other small animals in the brush. I don’t know how they drink it though as I could feel the heat as I approached.Read more
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First camp fire
June 19, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
First camp fire for the trip, won’t be able to have too many as we can’t collect wood out here. We are camped for the night with no one around in fact we haven’t seen another car since about 1pm though we have heard a few on the radio.Read more
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Lone gum tree and sheer terror
June 20, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C
I drove today, all day on the dunes it got so bumpy at times my butt left the seat, luckily I’m short enough I didn’t knock myself out on roof. I did it though and we didn’t get bogged so win for me.

We also visited the ‘Lone Gum’ which is actually a Coolahbah tree and shouldn’t be anywhere near where it is in the middle of the desert. No one knows how it got here or how old it is. Certainly an experience driving up to this really large tree you expect to see next to a river in the middle of the desert.Read more
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Geared up ventures
June 21, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
So not much happened today just lots of driving though we did see a water hole we were not expecting surrounded by lots of tiny birds with some obvious camel traffic though we are yet to see an actual camel (alive anyway)

What really stood out for me today is the woman riding her bike across the Simpson, a bicycle not a motor bike. According to the man, known as wombat, driving one of her support vehicles (there were two) it’s actually her and her husband riding from Steep point in WA ending in Byron Bay. Mostly he said because they can but also to raise money for prostate and breast cancer.

We will be donating as soon as we reach service to do so if only because she deserves it, this is rough travel for a car I don’t want to imagine what it would be like on a bike. Please consider checking out their face book/Instagram @gearedupventures or blog www.gearedupventures.comRead more
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Poeppel’s corner
June 22, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We were in three places at once today at Poeppel corner where NT, SA and QLD meet. Benny bear even got to sign his name in the visitor book.
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Big Red
June 23, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We made it through the Simpson and conquered Big Red. The way Jenson was acting you would think he personally drove the entire trip.
Oscar is missing Jenson lots. Looks like a wonderful trip. Xx [Kylie]
6/23/21Reply
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Boulia
June 24, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
We camped overnight at Boulia and spent the morning exploring the Min Min experience and homestead museum which included dinosaur fossils.

I learnt of a Matron who was essentially the only medical aid in Boulia for years with the RFDS only coming in weekly for a clinic. She delivered babies, did dental procedures and provided general medical care and assistance by herself for years. I’m so glad I live in more modern times and not in a remote area.Read more
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Day off
June 25, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Settled and quiet day off in Mt Isa essentially doing nothing but letting the kids play and run around with a day out of the car.
It’s been nice to sit back and just read while the kids play.
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Walkabout Creek Hotel
June 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Stopped for a drink the kids got the hard stuff.
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Oondooroo station
June 26, 2021 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 15 °C
Great camping site with friendly caretakers and animals with beautiful sunsets. Also the site the first riot of the Shearing union they burned down the shearing shed during the 1890s
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Dinosaur stampede
June 27, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
Jenson loved this. The only evidence of a dinosaur stampede anywhere in the world. We go tomorrow to the age of dinosaurs museum where we will see Banjo a dinosaur they found near by who perfectly fits some of the footprints.Read more
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Waltzing Matilda centre
June 27, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
A museum dedicated to the song and the outback there were some really amazing items and exhibits as well as stuff for the kids to interact with.
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Australian Age of Dinosaurs
June 28, 2021 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C
Had lots of fun here learning about dinosaurs today. Very interactive with passports for the kids, Jenson in particular was too excited to stand still at some points.
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