Trip report (with photo's) from my Flinders, Lake Eyre, Simpson, Corner Country trip

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

I'll let the photo's do most of the talking, but have just returned from a month away doing Flinders, Lake Eyre, a West to East Simmo crossing, Birdsville and back down through Corner Country....7000 Kms, and a LOT of fun.

Hope you enjoy some of my photo's

Flinders





Arkaroola (northern Flinders)



And here's my Prado

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

Then we headed across from Arkaroola to Leigh Creek, up to Marree and the start of the Oodnadatta Track



The bride and I at Lake Eyre South



And on the plane the next day (from William Creek)

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

And then up for the desert run.....refuel at Mount Dare



And just about to head out to Purnie Bore



And at Purnie Bore for morning tea

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

Our "home away from home"...first camp in the Simpson



Love the sunsets (or Sunrises)



And the colour of the sand



Even the salt pans were interesting

[samo Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close samo]

great photos there, i bet you had a ball, thats on my to do list. cheers samo

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

We made Poepells Corner



And then had to cross Eyre Creek (which was only opened 2 days before we commenced our crossing)



And it IS very full



And then we had to attack BIG RED

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

And YES the 150 did make it (on the second try in low rather than high range)



And as usual the first beer at the Birdsville Pub followed by our first shower in 6 days at the caravan park

[MidLifeCrisis Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close MidLifeCrisis]

Great photos Mark! Vry envious

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

I'll add some more in a day or so but enjoy these in the meantime.....it was a great trip, we had planned it for almost 18 months and considering we had a bog standard 120...a bog standard 200 Landcruiser and an old Mitzy Triton work ute (as well as the very capable 150, an extremely well set up 100 Series Cruiser and a brand new V8 Troopie with everything you could possibly want)...we did pretty well.

3 boggings (the 120 twice and the 200 once)....1 blown tyre (the 120)....1 broken battery terminal.....1 broken battery mount.....BUT that was it.

We had rain for the first few days and otherwise great weather.

Wish I was still there and not at bloody work!!

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

Just a few more desert shots before I sign off for a bit

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

great photos there, i bet you had a ball, thats on my to do list. cheers samo

You HAVE to do it mate, cannot tell you what a thrill it is to go over the desert!!

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

From Birdsville down to the Burke and Wills "Dig Tree" on the Cordillo Downs Road and a visit to the Woolshed is worth it



The awning working a treat (Great when there's no bloody trees!!!)



And when I say no trees I mean NO trees



Home again (well sort of)

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

Then a 2 night camp beside the Dig Tree on the Cooper Creek, a real highlight I must say as the birdlife there was breathtaking...a gazillion Pelicans, a trazillion ducks and many different bird species that we didn't even know.







And our camp at the Cooper

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

The Cooper is more like a river these days than a creek, I am not sure if it was 100% dry during the big drought but I imagine so...check it out now....amazing!!





Then off via Innamincka to Cameron Corner (by the way the Coffee at the Innamincka Pub is the best we had on the whole trip)



And we made another corner

[Mark from Brisbane Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark from Brisbane]

The famous Dingo Fence at CC



And our group passing through the fence from South Australia (or was it Quensland) into NSW



And on the long haul home from Tibooburra, via Wanaaring to Bourke (where we stayed another night) and then back to Brisbane on the Black top