Click here to see the path Michael took,
and here for the photo gallery.
Objectives
There are three main objectives for the expedition:
1. To complete the first recorded crossing of the Simpson Desert on foot from east to west, solo, unassisted, and not using existing vehicle tracks.
2. To raise awareness of man’s impact on the earth, the footprint of our lifestyle. It will be a carbon negative expedition by making donations to carbon offset organisations for tree planting and green energy.
3. To highlight water usage and conservation issues. I will use only 100 litres of water in 24 days, or 4 litres per day. That equates to just over one half-flush of the toilet per day. In three weeks I will use about half of what the average person uses in just one day!
Route
I originally envisaged this expedition as west to east, from Old Andado to Bedourie, taking in a section of the desert that has been rarely visited. Discussions with Jon Muir in October 2007 raised the notion of an east to west crossing. Jon called it the ‘obvious route’ to be attempted, but noone had done so because of the immense difficulties involved in crossing the steepest face of the 1000 sandridges. Lucas Trihey, in conversation early 2008, also doubted whether it could be done. He stated that he was at the limit of his endurance on his west to east crossing in 2006.
So the direction changed and the distance increased: Bedourie to Mt Dare via Mudloo Well, Madigan camps 17 and 16, and Geosurvey Hill; 485 km in 24 days. I will do the walk solo, without outside assistance en route, and avoid travelling along vehicle tracks (what few there will be). The route passes through three Queensland pastoral stations (Kamaran Downs, Glengyle and Muncoonie), Simpson Desert National Park (Qld), vacant Crown Land (NT), Finke Aboriginal Land Trust, and Witjira National Park (SA).
The route passes through two Queensland pastoral stations (Kamaran Downs and Glengyle), Simpson Desert National Park (Qld), vacant Crown Land (NT), Finke Aboriginal Land Trust, and Witjira National Park (SA).
Food
I always like to eat well in the bush, and on long walks my aim is to not lose anyweight or condition. Meals will be home-cooked, dehydrated and vacuum-sealed in plastic bags.
Generally the menu will be: muesli or porridge for breakfast; a platter of tomatoes, eggplant, cheese, cucumber, salami and dip with crackers or mountain bread for lunch; muesli bars, dried fruit and nuts, wattleseed shortbread and chocolate for snacks; lentil curry with rice and flat bread, or pasta with pesto or tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, or several other delicious recipes for dinner; and daily drinks made from Endura rehydration and Endura Optimizer energy powders. All packed full of carbohydrate, protein and fat.
Overall, this adds up to about one kilogram of food per day.
Water
From thorough research of other adventurers water needs during desert travel, four litres per day seems to be the minimum amount that is adequate for the conditions. On the hotter days (up to 30 degrees Celsius) and heavy-load days at the beginning this amount may be barely enough. From my recent experience in training around the ranges and creeks near Alice Springs, I have found this amount to be barely adequate. The dry heat and lack of shade and breeze combine to make the temperature seem a lot hotter than the mid-twenties.
I plan to take 24 litres for the first four days (6 litres per day) to the Mulligan River then pickup 90 litres from Wilkannen Bore for the remaining 20 days (4.5 litres per day) through the desert.
I wanted to bring my camp-dog Kanji along as well, but adding her food and water requirements would add too much weight onto an already heavily-loaded cart.
Navigation
I will navigate by compass using 1:250,000 scale topographic maps (specifically Bedourie, Simpson Desert North, Simpson Desert South, McDills, Mt Dare), estimating distance by my walking pace and counting the number of sandridges crossed. I will confirm my position by GPS at each night’s camp. I want to reach certain landmarks along the way (such as Geosurvey Hill) and the GPS will help to achieve that.
Communications
I will take an Iridium satellite phone and spare battery (thanks Mt Dare Hotel) and have regular chats with 783 ABC radio in Alice Springs. I may also regularly check-in with a support person to give my location and a quick update (for the blog entries).
Equipment
Reduce, reduce, reduce is the mantra for this expedition, especially with equipment. Reduce the amount of gear, reduce the weight hauled, and reduce the effort required. What I have decided upon is what I consider to be the bare minimum to successfully traverse the desert. Everything will be used.
I have a lightweight tarp for shelter, will cook with wood fire, and drink my washing up water.
The starting weight on the cart will be 79 kg, and the maximum weight five days later (after picking up 90 litres of water) will be 138 kg, making a total of 165 kg including the cart weight.
Cart
I modelled my cart on the one Lucas Trihey used to successfully cross the desert from west to east in 2006. The wheels and tyres are pretty much the same (3.7 inch mountain bike rims with sand tyres), the aluminium gear frame is similar (though not the same dimensions), and the high-grade aluminium hauling poles are shorter. Overall it weighs nearly 30 kg and can be dis-assembled for travelling. I will take some tools and spare parts for minor repairs.
Emergency
If it all goes to shit, I’ll be carrying an EPIRB, but I will only use it in dire emergency. If the cart breaks down then I’ll walk out to the nearest road (which may be 100 kilometres or more away).
Documenting
I will take a journal and digital camera to document the expedition as well as I can. I may also take a high-definition digital video camera to film the expedition. Although I would very much like to do this, I am aware of the physical and mental demands of the expedition, and that the time and energy required to set up and film sweeping scenes may be too much of a burden.
Aboriginal History
What is now generally called the Simpson Desert was, and still is, known as ‘Arunta’ to the Aboriginal groups that traditionally lived in the region. Several distinct language groups lived around and within the desert: Alyawarre in the north, Arrernte in the west, Wangkangurru in the south, Wangkamanda in the east. They mainly lived near waterholes, soakages and wells, and ventured deep into the desert after good rains. Aboriginal groups would have crossed the desert along the line of wells that David Lindsay was shown in 1886.
Modern adventurers
Sturt (1845) – Captain Charles Sturt ventured into the steep sandridge country of the eastern desert during his failed attempt to find the ‘inland sea’. He was the first European to set eyes on the Arunta. His brief sortie west on horseback caused him to remark that the endless view of waterless sandridges that extended in all directions to the horizon was like ‘the entrance into Hell’.
Poeppel and Wells (1880, 1883) – Augustus Poeppel surveyed and marked the Queensland–South Australia border along the 26th parallel of latitude to the Northern Territory corner (now called Poeppel’s Corner) in 1880. Lawrence Wells re-checked the surveyed line in 1883 when it was found that Poeppel’s chain had lengthened slightly. Poeppel and Wells then surveyed the Queensland–Northern Territory border along the 138th parallel of longitude.
Winnecke (1883) – Charles Winnecke surveyed hundreds of kilometres of the eastern desert to assess the possibility of primary industry in the region. He journeyed from south to north, then explored down the Hay River. He later led the Horn Scientific Expedition in Central Australia.
Lindsay (1886) – David Lindsay ventured almost completely across the desert on camels in mid-summer, but turned around at about the Queensland–Northern Territory border because the country to the east was already ‘known’. He travelled with an Aboriginal guide and followed a route linking Aboriginal wells, which he accurately plotted. His 690 km journey from Dalhousie and back took 19 days.
Colson (1936) – Ted Colson completed the first recorded crossing of the desert on camel with two companions. They left Blood Creek station with 2 months food and 360 litres of water, and arrived in Birdsville after 17 days. Three days later they set off to return to Bloods Creek and completed a 900 km round trip in 36 days.
Madigan (1939) – Cecil Madigan led a scientific expedition on camel across the desert, collecting valuable geological and botanical information en route. The expedition travelled 560 km from Old Andado station to Birdsville in 33 days and experienced many rainy days. Ten years earlier Madigan had conducted aerial surveys of the region; subsequently he renamed what had been known as Arunta Desert after Alfred Allen Simpson, President of the SA branch of the Royal Geographic Society.
Bonython & McCubbin (1973) – Warren Bonython and Charles McCubbin completed the first recorded crossing of the desert on foot. They towed in tandem a 50kg cart (the ‘Comalco Camel’) that contained 200kg of water, food and equipment. They completed their 460 km north-south crossing in 32 days with the assistance of two re-supplies by airplane.
Bartell (1984) – Denis Bartell has crossed the Simpson Desert many times, but in 1984 he completed the first recorded unassisted foot crossing, from Alka Seltzer Bore to Birdsville. He followed the Rig Road then ventured off-road to Beelaka Well, an old native well, where he extracted 40 litres of water. He later abandoned his cart and completed the 420 km walk at Birdsville after 25 days.
Trihey (2006) – The most recent of Simpson adventurers, Lucas Trihey completed the first solo, unsupported crossing away from vehicle tracks. He towed a 30 kg cart with 130 kg of equipment from East Bore (north of Old Andado station) to Birdsville via the geographic centre of the desert, covering 400 km in 17 days. A group of five adventurers is attempting to repeat his feat in only 12 days in June 2008.
