No, not that many! Many of the places we will go have limited space, not just limited campsites.Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepstar2017
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No, not that many! Many of the places we will go have limited space, not just limited campsites.Quote:
Originally Posted by jeepstar2017
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Dave,
You just can’t go and do a trip like this without a silver JK - so i guess you best sign me up!
Kevin.
Dave, please add me as a definite. Thx.
And with Kev and Jeepstar we are at 13! Never had so much interest in a trip so fast.
I really think 14 would be the absolute limit, even if we have 2 convoys running 15-20 mins apart, 7 Jeep�s per is a lot...
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oMG this sounds great... put me as a maybe..
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An advisory comment, not a rant.
Several of us from the definite list, and who have done previous trips together, just got back from a tour of the Snowy Mountains. While we were out there we discussed things that people need to consider before doing a longer tour like this Simpson Trip will be, before they come along.
With touring trips, an itinerary is developed indicating all the dates and distances so that people can plan leave, and bookings can be made. It is not possible to change the plan much as we go. Obviously if there is a breakdown or other emergency then we have no choice.
The big problem is distance. There are days when we need to cover a few hundred kilometers on tar or dirt or a mixture, just to get to the next stop and stay on timetable. In past trips we have seen that some people have difficulty or are unwilling to maintain the speed limit on tar roads, and have difficulty or are unwilling to keep up with the convoy on dirt. On dirt we travel at speeds that are safe and appropriate for the conditions. This may be 20kph, or it may be 90kph depending on the track conditions.
There are days when we need to make early starts to cover distance. We have had people that are unable to get out of bed before 7am, let alone be on the road at 7 or even 8am. If conditions are worse than expected and speeds are reduced, we may get into camp late. There have been complaints about early starts and late finishes in the past. I try to time things to get into camp before dark, but sometimes things don't go to plan. If we have had a long day it is not possible to add a 'lay day' to make up for it. I have had complaints on past trips about having to pack up and move on most days - but this is touring, we don't stay in one place.
We have two days off (lay days) in this trip and some shorter days, and there should be plenty of time built in for sightseeing and breaks. We can't add more lay days and stick to the timetable.
Please consider these things when deciding if you want to come along. Please read the itinerary carefully. If you need another copy I can email it to you and will have them at the next meeting. Please also consider your gear (discussed in the itinerary). If we need to make an early start to cover distance, it helps if you can pack up your camp quickly. People have asked for help packing up in the past. This can't be relied on every day.
Thanks, and again not a rant or singling out anyone. If you wish to discuss please send me an email or PM, or see me at the next meeting.
Thanks,
Dave
Got a message from someone asking asking if they could bring a camper trailer on this trip. I did say in the first post in this thread that this trip is NOT suitable for camper trailers (and I have now made that more clear). While I thought that I had said that in the paper itinerary, I hadn't. My mistake.
If anyone was thinking of bringing a trailer, please do not. Towing across sand dunes is very hard work. I have seen trailers take twice as long to cross the desert as cars not towing. We will probably see broken trailers along the side of the tracks out there.
After the last trip I will also be checking that all vehicles have both front and rear recovery points. I overlooked a vehicle that did not have a front recovery point in the Snowy, fortunately that car didn't need recovering. If you don't have all the appropriate recovery points and gear, and haven't had a COMPREHENSIVE service before coming, or are towing, I will ask you not to leave Broken Hill with us.
Seems to be my week for thinking of 'extra' stuff :)
Thanks,
Dave
Just got a call from Nick and Pam, they would like to join us for about 2/3 of the trip - Wilpena Pound to Innaminka. That brings us to 14 vehicles for the 'serious' bit of the trip, and that is plenty. We will have two convoys of 7 if/when we decide that would be appropriate, so Trip Full.
Sorry to the people on the maybe list.
After the March club meeting I will email around to get names and regos for national parks etc bookings, and send the link so you can buy your Desert Parks Pass.
Thanks everyone!
Dave.
Brief update, unfortunately Jeepstar has had to drop out :(
Maybes?
Dave
Hi All,
As I mentioned at the meeting two weeks ago, it’s time to start getting organised for the trip! It’s only a bit over three months (16 weeks but who’s counting :) until we all meet up in Broken Hill on Sunday 8 July.
I’m emailing everyone on the Definite List, and also the two Member Maybes. The third Maybe “Prescy” is not a member and I don’t have his email address. We are down to 13 definites having lost one last week.
I've sent everyone three documents. The first is a Registration Form for the trip. We need everyone’s names and vehicle regos for bookings at the various caravan parks and campsites. Please fill that out and either email it back to me or print and bring it to the meeting on 4 April. If your plans have changed and you can’t come along on the trip anymore, please email or post up so we know.
The second is called “Organisation” and has info about things that I can’t organise for you.
- The first is to send your Registration Form to me as above.
- Each vehicle will need a Desert Parks Pass from SA National Parks. In May, please go to https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/pa...ert-parks-pass and buy your Desert Parks Pass. It will cost you $160 per vehicle and you need to allow 3 weeks for it to arrive by post.
- Each vehicle will need a Sand Flag, again this is required by National Parks, https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/pa...reserve#safety
- I need to book camping for us all near Poepple Corner in the desert. Qld National Parks wants $6.50 per person for this one night, and I have to book in advance. Can I please collect $6.50 per person at the April meeting?
- Last, we need to know where we are all going to meet. Wayne and Julie, and probable a few others will head out to Broken Hill ahead of me. We are meeting Nick and Pam in the Flinders Ranges. I’ll be leaving Sydney early on Saturday 7 July, overnighting in Cobar, arriving in Broken Hill on Sunday afternoon 8 July. I’m going to try and book a cabin in Cobar, if anyone would like to convoy out there and share a cabin, let me know and I’ll get that organised. We can work out where we will meet to convoy to Cobar from closer to July.
The last is a slightly updated Itinerary. No changes to timings or where we are going, a couple of updated costs – I have already reserved camping for us all at Wilpena Pound - $15 per campsite around a powered camp kitchen. I will update everyone with accurate camping costs once Julie, Wayne and I have made all the bookings, but as above, the only camping we need to pay for in advance is near Poepple Corner.
I’ve been keeping an eye on the conditions out there that may affect us. You probably saw all that rain in Western Qld two weeks ago, and that water is heading South. Birdsville has a lot of water around it at the moment as it sits on the Diamantina River https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleHotel/
I’m hoping that this is all flowing into Lake Eyre and not into Eyre Creek, the Cooper Creek or the Warburton Creek, as that could affect us getting into and out of the desert again. Still, three months to go and who knows. A good website to look at is the Lake Eyre Yacht Club (yes, that’s a real thing!) http://www.lakeeyreyc.com/Status/latest.html they think they may even be sailing this year! Two other good websites for track conditions are SA Transport https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/OutbackRoads and The Desert Parks Bulletin https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/fi...lletin-gen.pdf
If anyone has any questions about the trip, or just wants a chat, please call or email me. Otherwise, hope to have all the rego forms soon, and we’ll catch up at the April club meeting.
Thanks and best wishes,
Dave