Intro to the Simpson 2020

The Madigan Line across the Simpson Desert had always held a mystique. The idea of crossing, east to west, the most remote part of the desert, in the most difficult direction, ensured the dream would not fade easily.

With our 2019 trip to the Kimberley being a catastrophic disaster due to our Toyota Prado blowing its motor 100km west of Broome, any trip in 2020 was going to be a godsend.

Enter a Chinaman eating an undercooked bat! COVID 19 hit us hard. The initial planning for a 2020 assault on the Madigan faded into a ghostly memory with naught but to turn our thoughts towards the red sands of the southern part of our beloved desert. Time, it seems, heals everything. Over the next three months the world, reacted to impending doom, overacted to border safeguards, then finally saw the light and decided we could travel into the Northern Territory and South Australia despite those pesky Victorians doing everything in their power to demonise our plans.

With the go ahead now all but certain, our newly acquired Landrover Defender required a make over. Many hundreds of hours of work coupled with many thousands of dollars, finally had our Izmir Blue example looking like a Camel Trophy contender ready for battle.

Our trip now entailed a scoot from the Sunshine Coast to Roma day one, followed by a longish haul to Windorah, then onto Birdsville to complete day three. At Birdsville we would re-provisions and meet up with our travelling partners. After that, the plan is a big loop through the Simpson Desert, drop down to the Painted Desert, hang a left across the Oodnadatta Track before heading up the Old Strzelecki Track and home.

This year, Bernie and Annette in their powered up 79 series Toyota would again join us. We would also have our neighbours, Sue, Trevor and Maxi in their mighty Defender 130 as company.