$6455 for 1 or 2 people in one vehicle tag along
$6630 pp Passenger in Lead Vehicle
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Join us for an in-depth and un-hurried 15-night tour of the Simpson Desert, featuring a full 10 days in the desert itself.
Great inclusions: Motel accommodation and dinner in Windorah to start the tour; camping at Birdsville on the second night; dinner and camping at Mt Dare; and dinner, bed and breakfast at the Birdsville Hotel on the last night of the tour; as well as a scenic flight over the desert and flood plains from Birdsville on the last morning.
This tour is designed to fully immerse you in the remote beauty of the desert, travelling the lesser-used Southern tracks like the WAA Line and Rig Rd, as well as the more well-known spots like Poeppel Corner and the QAA and French Lines.
We take 5 days to travel from Birdsville to Dalhousie Springs on the Western side of the desert, so there's plenty of time to take it all in, and you'll get very good at dune driving. Our campsites are all brilliant, with one night on the edge of a salt lake (amazing when the moon is out), and the rest usually near a dune that we can climb and watch the sunset or sunrise.
After a relaxing soak and 1 night stay at Dalhousie Springs, followed by two nights just up the road at the remote Mt Dare Hotel to rest and resupply, we'll head to the remote Madigan Line in the North for another 5 days on the return crossing of the desert. The Madigan Line is quite different to the Southern tracks, despite only being about 200km to the North. The colours of the dunes and the vast spinifex grasslands are quite spectacular.
Once we intersect the QAA Line for our final night camped in the desert, we have the morning to play on Big Red, the biggest sand dune in the Simpson Desert, before returning to Birdsville for a final celebratory night and luxurious stay at the iconic Birdsville Hotel (the showers are awesome). After breakfast the following morning, you will be treated to a fantastic scenic flight, capturing some of the country you have just driven from the air, a brilliant way to wrap up your time in the desert.
Your expedition leader Tony is a professional tour arranger, 4WD Instructor and tour guide, meaning you will have the best possible (and safest) tour experience. He is certified by Savannah Guides, EcoGuides Australia and Tour Guides Australia, and he holds a Nationally Recognized Cert IV qualification in 4WD Training and Assessment. All this and he has a Degree in Tourism and a Masters Degree in Wildlife Management. He's passionate about showing you all the different aspect of this amazing desert environment.
If you don't have your own 4WD vehicle, you can hire one with all the necessary gear, or you can ride along in the lead vehicle with Tony (2 spots only per tour). See below for vehicle hire details.
Take the hassle and uncertainty out of organising a trip like this on your own and trust in Tony to provide you with an experience to remember. Our business is one of only two tag along tour operators in Australia to be approved under the Savannah Guides Enterprise accreditation scheme.
Check out the Simpson Desert FAQs below for more information on what's included in the tour.
Contact us for more information or to book your adventure.
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Hire an adventure ready 4WD Camper from our trusted supplier, Overlander 4WD Hire, and receive our exclusive *10% discount off the hire price. Click here for more information about the 4WD Camper.
*Discount is on hires of 14 days duration or longer. Applies to Toyota vehicles for Simpson Desert, Cape York, Kimberley and Arnhem Land Tours only. Check vehicle specifications against our requirements.
CAN I HIRE A 4WD VEHICLE & GEAR FOR THIS TOUR?
Yes you can. Talk to us about hiring a vehicle with all the necessary gear, and receive a 10% discount on vehicle hire. Priced from $450/day.
WHERE CAN I LEAVE MY CARAVAN OR CAMPER TRAILER?
You can store your van or camper trailer at Windorah or Birdsville and collect it at the end of the tour . You can organise this directly with the Windorah Western Star Hotel or the Caravan Park in Birdsville (fees apply) .
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
β’ First night's accommodation in a cabin or motel room & dinner in Windorah's Western Star Hotel
β’ Last night's accommodation + dinner, bed & breakfast at the Birdsville Hotel
β’ 3 Dinners out - Windorah, Mt Dare Hotel, Birdsville Hotel
β’ Scenic Flight from Birdsville on the final morning
β’ StarLink Wifi - internet when we're camped remotely
β’ All camping fees (eg. Caravan Parks and National Parks)
β’ Aboriginal Land Access Permit for the Madigan Line
β’ 2 nights camping at Mt Dare half way through the tour
β’ QAA Line, Poeppels Corner, French Line, WAA Line, Rig Road, Dalhousie Springs, Old Andado, Madigan Line, Adria Downs Station, Big Red
β’ Pre-tour help and advice on vehicle and gear setup
β’ All the arrangements and bookings for the tour (just get yourself, your gear and vehicle to Windorah)
β’ Full-time, professional tour guide/4WD instructor with a Cert IV qualification in 4WD training and current remote area first aid certificate
β’ "On-tour" training over the 2-way radio. You will be given help and advice throughout the entire trip. You will be warned of oncoming traffic and hazards. Your guide will co-ordinate dune crossings with oncoming vehicles, talking to them on another UHF channel so there's no confusion about what to do. On difficult sections, your guide will be out of their vehicle to help you and instruct you personally
β’ Reliable Toyota Land Cruiser lead vehicle with all safety, recovery, communications and emergency equipment - Starlink roam, Garmin inReach (tracker, emergency beacon & satellite texting), winch, snatch straps, Max Trax etc.
β’ National Park entry fees - Desert Parks Pass
β’ Private property access arrangements - Adria Downs Station
β’ Tyre changing and mechanical assistance; spare 2-way radios
β’ Night spotlighting sessions for animals; bird/animal ID books and apps
WHAT'S NOT INCLUDED?
β’ 4WD Vehicle, fuel, food (other than stated above), camping gear, insurance (vehicle and personal).
β’ Optional accommodation upgrades
WHAT ARE THE 4X4 VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS?
β’ This tour is not suitable for off-road camper trailers.
β’ A high clearance 4X4 vehicle with low range.
β’ Upgraded, heavy duty suspension - even on a new vehicle.
β’ Six Light Truck construction (LT) tyres with over 70% tread remaining.
β’ Fuel range of 900 km.
β’ 60L water storage.
β’ Good quality UHF radio base set (Uniden, GME or Oricom recommended) fitted into your vehicle by a UHF specialist installer, and a substantial aerial - 6.6dbi, 1 metre in length, with large 30mm base - not the slim springy ones. These will break on the corrugations.
β’ Good quality sand flag with lynch pin base. Not a hose fitting type, and not the spring base type. Bushranger flag from ARB recommended.
β’ Tyre deflator and tyre pressure gauge.
β’ Tyre pressure monitors - TPMS.
β’ Good quality air compressor.
β’ Some spares are required to be carried (filters, belt etc). A full list is provided on booking.
β’ A Mechanical Checklist is to be completed by a qualified mechanic and returned at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the tour.
β’ An Medical Form is to be completed by each person in your vehicle and submitted at least 2 weeks before departure.
β’ A tent or camp set up that is EASY TO PUT UP AND TAKE DOWN. This should take no longer than 15 mins each time. This will make or break your trip. An awning tent connected to your vehicle in not recommended.
β’ Vehicle Insurance - make sure your insurance company covers your vehicle for off-road driving. NRMA/RACQ etc will not recover your vehicle from remote tracks. Only Club 4X4 Insurance will cover your vehicle recovery costs in remote situations. There is an option with Club 4X4 to get up to $30,000 for remote recoveries. (Our vehicle is insured with Club 4X4 but we are NOT sponsored by them).
β’ Travel Insurance - as with any holiday, you should get travel insurance in case of unforeseen circumstances (such as remote medical evacuation).
FUEL CONSUMPTION
Desert driving fuel consumption is as follows (NB. indicative only):
- Diesel utes eg. D-Max, Hilux, Ranger, BT-50 use 14 - 18L/100km,
- Landrover Discovery 4 uses about 18L diesel/100km
- Diesel V8 200 Series Landcruiser uses 20 - 22L/100km
- Petrol 4.6L Nissan Patrol uses close to 28L/100km
WHERE CAN I GET SUPPLIES AND FUEL?
Birdsville and Mt Dare are our fuel locations for the tour. All care will be taken to check in advance whether fuel is available where we are going. Water and food is also available in these locations but fresh food is not always available and variety is limited.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE IS FLOODING OR ROAD CLOSURES IN AND AROUND THE DESERT AT THE TIME OF OUR TOUR?
We have alternative itineraries in the event of flooding or track closures, so the tour will go ahead. It is not always possible to run tours as planned in the Outback and desert. This is all part of travel in these remote areas.
1/105 Denham Street
Rockhampton
Queensland 4700
Australia
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