From Innamincka going to Birdsville you have three main options. Walkers crossing to the birdsville track is the shortest but not recommended for caravans. The track via Arrabury is the longest but easiest. We plumped for the Cordello track which is 160k. When we got to Birsdville we found that its not recommended for caravans either !
As we left Innamincka we saw the crows that fish off the little fording bridge – yes fishing crows thats a first ! After about 10k we hit really deep sand that did all it could to snare us and bog us down but we got through by the skin of our teeth but it served to wake us up ! The Cordello Down is an amazing pastoral landscape as far as the eye can see and more. We stopped for lunch at an old abandoned sheep station where there is an old what looks to be 1950s car slowly working its way into the soil. Reminded me on the story of one of the legendary land owners at the Nerrie Merrie station in Innamincka who had the first model T ford before there were roads. He had it shipped up by boat !
Cordelleo means “many rocks” i was told this by a barman so it must be true and no need to check ? And the track of its name lived up to this with 100k of track surface made up of rock called gibbers the size of scones . (now thats a very british measurement ). The Cordillo downs woolshed was the biggest in Australia (now this is the second one we have been told about in Australia making this claim!) . An imposing stone built structure with walls 3 foot thick. The land now sustains cattle but in its heyday it had over 100,000 sheep , its own police station , shops , schools and postcode which is not surprising as it covers as it was the size of Italy !
Birdsville but no races 🙁
In what is becoming a routine we dropped the van and went to the pub. Now the Birdsville Hotel is one of the most famous in Australia on the back of the iconic races that occur here in September and the fact that it sits on the edge of the desert.
We were told that 20,000 travellers will pass through here in July which is the biggest month overall. This is mainly carvanners and those attempting to cross the Simpson Desert in 4×4. We have been lucky with the timing of our trip and the weather so far. The busy season is July because of it being the dry season and it having cooled down by them .
Most campsites we have been at are almost empty, the Simpson Desert is closed from December to March 15 as it is too hostile -up to 50 degree c plus. Yes the weather is hot daily 40 and night 25 but its worth it to enjoy the places and people as they are more accessible . I think every hotel we have been in we have sat at the bar and chewed the fat with them and the odd local a luxury that wouldn’t happen when they are under the pump.
I opted not to take up the offer of a 7 course meal ( six pack and a pie) advertised here ! Although i did have the six courses.
We visited Big Red ( the longest dune in Australia) , exciting getting the car up on top and back down again .
The following day we went out to see poeppels corner. This is west of Birdsville where Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia meet. Poeppel was a surveyor who put a post in the ground back inn the 1860s. Another was sunk in the 30s then these were “discovered” again under the sand in 1962 (an indication of just how remote it is !) . The original post was found to be 274 metres off as it is believed poeppels surveying chains had stretched .
Kate on point at all three states at once !
We were advised at the tourist information centre and the local roadhouse that we should work on an 8 hour trip in each direction for the 160k . This meant an overnight camp in our swags. So we ensured the car was topped up with all the essentials then after filling the beer fridge we topped up with water , satellite phones etc…..
Up early , up Big red in the dark to see the sunrise , then off to poeppels.
What a roller coaster – literally up and down dunes then across dried lakes past emus and even our first camels of the trip . Im told that there are more wild camels in Australia then in the rest of the world (barman fact). I think the camel fits as part of the natural world in australia as it it looks lie it was designed by some crazy biology drop out- just like kangaroos, emus ……
There were wildflowers out on the eastern side of some of the dunes as we drive out that were so small they were almost lost to the eye .
The dried out lakes had crackly crust with a gooey underside on like a creme brulee !
Well we got to poeppels at midday and it was 42 degrees. The visitor book showed that were were only the second to have visited since the park opened up after the summer closure.
I disproved the myth regarding scots and generosity by sharing my bahookie with three states simultaneously !
So do we wait until sundown here or head back to camp – we headed back to camp arriving at 530pm. Now the tourist information and roadhouse know their stuff ( the roadhouse owners run the Simpson Desert recovery service ) and it just shows how the changing conditions affect your travel times and how cautious you need to be .
My Simpson desert flag (mandatory so that you can see others going over sand dunes ) bracket drew some appreciative looks !
At the campsite i got a few questions about the car from two different toyota landcruiser v8s drivers about how the izuzu pulls and handles off road, how often have you got stuck , does it have enough grunt etc etc. Now the Izuzu isnt in the same league as the V8s so i understand the questions . However i did have to chuckle when we came back to find that both had tried Big red and both had got bogged ! One for being over confident and one not confident enough. 🙂
Luckily none of us needed the services of this beast of a recovery vehicle !
