Simpson Desert (West to East)
Overview
The Simpson Desert is the fourth largest desert in Australia covering more than 170,000 square kilometres, and the largest parallel dunal desert in the world. It has long parallel dunes that can stretch up to 200km roughly north-south, massive crests with valleys (or swales) between them, expansive salt pans, wide open spaces, a surprising variety of flora and fauna, and the most amazing view of the Milky Way once the sun sets. Put simply, the Simpson Desert is stunning by day and night. Crossing the Simpson Desert is a true outback 4WD experience, and this tour will let you cross it off your bucket list.
Duration: 7 days, 7 nights
Start: Coober Pedy, SA | Finish: Birdsville, QLD
Drivers: Suitable for all levels of off-road driving experience. The outback and desert tracks will challenge experienced off-road drivers. For those new to off-road driving, the advice and tuition provided by our experienced guides will ensure you are prepared to safely tackle even the most difficult sections of the tour.
Vehicles: Vehicles require dual range and all-terrain or mud-terrain tyres. A raised clearance and a snorkel are recommended. You will need to carry enough fuel for 790km range (factor in low range and the terrain) as it will be at least 720km between fuel stops. Recommendations: 4 cylinder diesels, 175L; V8 diesels, 195L; any petrol, 275L.
Camping: All 4x4 Explore tours are suitable for tents, swags, etc. This tour is not suitable for any form of trailer or caravan due to the nature of the tracks on the route.
The SA Government and other authorities strongly recommend against towing trailers and caravans across the south Simpson Desert as doing so can contribute to detrimental environmental and track damage. 4x4 Explore respects the request to not tow trailers or caravans across the desert, and we do not take them on this tour.
Overview
The Simpson Desert is the fourth largest desert in Australia covering more than 170,000 square kilometres, and the largest parallel dunal desert in the world. It has long parallel dunes that can stretch up to 200km roughly north-south, massive crests with valleys (or swales) between them, expansive salt pans, wide open spaces, a surprising variety of flora and fauna, and the most amazing view of the Milky Way once the sun sets. Put simply, the Simpson Desert is stunning by day and night. Crossing the Simpson Desert is a true outback 4WD experience, and this tour will let you cross it off your bucket list.
Duration: 7 days, 7 nights
Start: Coober Pedy, SA | Finish: Birdsville, QLD
Drivers: Suitable for all levels of off-road driving experience. The outback and desert tracks will challenge experienced off-road drivers. For those new to off-road driving, the advice and tuition provided by our experienced guides will ensure you are prepared to safely tackle even the most difficult sections of the tour.
Vehicles: Vehicles require dual range and all-terrain or mud-terrain tyres. A raised clearance and a snorkel are recommended. You will need to carry enough fuel for 790km range (factor in low range and the terrain) as it will be at least 720km between fuel stops. Recommendations: 4 cylinder diesels, 175L; V8 diesels, 195L; any petrol, 275L.
Camping: All 4x4 Explore tours are suitable for tents, swags, etc. This tour is not suitable for any form of trailer or caravan due to the nature of the tracks on the route.
The SA Government and other authorities strongly recommend against towing trailers and caravans across the south Simpson Desert as doing so can contribute to detrimental environmental and track damage. 4x4 Explore respects the request to not tow trailers or caravans across the desert, and we do not take them on this tour.
Overview
The Simpson Desert is the fourth largest desert in Australia covering more than 170,000 square kilometres, and the largest parallel dunal desert in the world. It has long parallel dunes that can stretch up to 200km roughly north-south, massive crests with valleys (or swales) between them, expansive salt pans, wide open spaces, a surprising variety of flora and fauna, and the most amazing view of the Milky Way once the sun sets. Put simply, the Simpson Desert is stunning by day and night. Crossing the Simpson Desert is a true outback 4WD experience, and this tour will let you cross it off your bucket list.
Duration: 7 days, 7 nights
Start: Coober Pedy, SA | Finish: Birdsville, QLD
Drivers: Suitable for all levels of off-road driving experience. The outback and desert tracks will challenge experienced off-road drivers. For those new to off-road driving, the advice and tuition provided by our experienced guides will ensure you are prepared to safely tackle even the most difficult sections of the tour.
Vehicles: Vehicles require dual range and all-terrain or mud-terrain tyres. A raised clearance and a snorkel are recommended. You will need to carry enough fuel for 790km range (factor in low range and the terrain) as it will be at least 720km between fuel stops. Recommendations: 4 cylinder diesels, 175L; V8 diesels, 195L; any petrol, 275L.
Camping: All 4x4 Explore tours are suitable for tents, swags, etc. This tour is not suitable for any form of trailer or caravan due to the nature of the tracks on the route.
The SA Government and other authorities strongly recommend against towing trailers and caravans across the south Simpson Desert as doing so can contribute to detrimental environmental and track damage. 4x4 Explore respects the request to not tow trailers or caravans across the desert, and we do not take them on this tour.
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The tour will link up in Coober Pedy and get to know each other over dinner at a local restaurant.
As we leave town, we will make a small detour to see the Breakaways, Moon Plain and the dog fence before continuing to Oodnadatta. The Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta is the last fuel before Birdsville.
We will visit the ruins of Dalhousie homestead before arriving at a true desert oasis, Dalhousie Springs, where we will soak in the 37 degree water of this artesian spring and watch the first of several spectacular desert sunsets.
The tour includes four desert camps as we make our way east across the desert. Our route across the 1,140 or so sand dunes will expose you to several desert tracks including the French Line, WAA Line, Rig Road and QAA Line, and will also take us to Poeppel Corner.
A bonus of doing the crossing west to east is that we have consumed much of our water, food and fuel so our vehicles are lighter as we take on the iconic “Big Red” sand dune before arriving in Birdsville.
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The tour will link up in Coober Pedy at 4:00pm on Day 1, where you will receive a brief on the tour before we start to get to know each other over dinner. We will depart Coober Pedy on the morning of Day 2, so if you would like to take the opportunity see some of Coober Pedy’s highlights before the tour starts, we suggest arriving a day or two earlier. As we head out of Coober Pedy we will make a small detour to see The Breakaways, Moon Plain and the dog fence before continuing to Oodnadatta. The Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta is the last fuel before Birdsville, so we will top up our tanks and grab a bite to eat. After lunch we will make our way along the edge of the tiny Pedirka Desert, visit some relics of the old Ghan railway and the ruins of the Dalhousie homestead, before arriving at a true desert oasis on the western edge of the Simpson Desert, Dalhousie Springs. This is our camp for the night, so we will soak in the 37 degrees water of this artesian spring and watch the first of several spectacular desert sunsets.
Over the next five days we will make our way east across the desert. West to east is typically regarded as the easier direction as the prevailing westerly winds make for a more gentle upslope on the western side of the dunes. Our route across the 1,140 or so sand dunes will expose you to several desert tracks including the French Line, WAA Line, Rig Road and QAA Line. At the end of each day’s travel, we will relax with a cold drink and socialise around a campfire (providing our own firewood). You will see the sand colour change from deep red in the west to some areas of almost white in the east. There will be a huge variety of birds and lizards to spot, and plenty of sign of dingoes and camels - although seeing them can be more of a challenge. We will visit Poeppel Corner where South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory meet, and take on the iconic “Big Red” (Nappanerica). The largest dune at some 40m tall, Big Red is the symbolic eastern edge of the Simpson and a bucket list challenge for any 4WD enthusiast.
The tour will arrive in Birdsville by 5:00pm on Day 7 and conclude with a group dinner at the iconic Birdsville Hotel where we will relive our adventure and farewell new friends. A camp site at the Birdsville Tourist Park on this final night is included in your tour price.
If you need to return to the western side of the Simpson Desert at the end of the tour, why not book a spot on our Simpson Desert (East to West) tour scheduled scheduled immediately after this one.
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2024:
Sun 8 - Sat 14 September 2024: book by 11 August 2024
2025:
Sun 7 - Sat 13 September 2025: book by 10 August 2025
Bookings
Book and pay online now, or contact us if you wish to pay by bank transfer or arrange to pay a deposit now to reserve your place and the balance six weeks before your tour departs.
You may also contact us to discuss a group booking, to propose alternate tour arrangements if our scheduled tours are not quite what you are after, or to discuss a custom private or corporate tour.
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