Your Guide, Tony.
To learn more about Tony's experience and our associated guides, please follow this link
$6207 per vehicle for 1 or 2 people. 25% deposit secures your spot and locks in the price. No trailers. Max 8 customer vehicles.
You can stay on for the Birdsville Races at the end of the second tour. Race dates: 6-7 Sept.
Join us for an incredible 15 night Double Crossing Tour of the Simpson Desert in August 2025.
Starting at Windorah with an included cabin and dinner, then on to Birdsville, we spend 5 nights in the Southern Simpson travelling East - West on the QAA Line, French Line, Rig Road, and WAA Line, have 2 nights relaxing at Mt Dare (1 dinner included), then another 5 nights desert camping across the famous Madigan Line, before taking on the famous dune Big Red, and our final night's included dinner, bed and breakfast at the iconic Birdsville Hotel!
On the final morning of our tour, we will take an amazing scenic flight from Birdsville to see the waterways and desert from a different perspective. A fantastic way to wrap up our trip (included in the tour cost from 2025).
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. See below for vehicle hire details.
Take the hassle and uncertainty out of organising a trip like this on your own and trust Tony to provide you with an experience to remember. Our business is the only tag along tour operator 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.
Duration: 15 Nights
Start/End: Windorah to Birdsville
Cost: $6207 per vehicle including 1 or 2 people. $600 each additional passenger. 10% Discount for returning customers
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.
"Since 1988, Diamantina has been at the forefront of award-winning remote expeditions in the heart of Outback Australia. We're not just a tour company; we're a passionate family business deeply devoted to nature and the rugged beauty of the Outback. Our hand curated journeys are made even more exceptional with our meticulously equipped forward-seating Toyota Land Cruisers."
WHERE CAN I LEAVE MY CARAVAN OR CAMPER TRAILER?
β’ 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 pub at Windorah or the Caravan Park in Birdsville. The cost is about $200.
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’ StarLink Wifi - internet when we're camped remotely
β’ All camping fees (eg. Caravan Parks and National Parks)
β’ Madigan Line access fees (newly instated by the Central Land Council)
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 tour leader's vehicle with all safety, recovery, communications and emergency equipment - Starlink, Satphone and Garmin inReach (tracker, emergency beacon & satellite texting), winch, snatch straps, Max Trax etc.
β’ Aboriginal Land Permits; National Park entry fees; Private property access arrangements.
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 and scenic flights (recommended from Birdsville).
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’ One spare front and and one spare rear shock as appropriate for your vehicle.
β’ Six Light Truck construction (LT) tyres with over 70% tread remaining.
β’ Fuel range of 800 km.
β’ 50 - 80L 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.
CAN I HIRE A 4WD VEHICLE & CAMPING GEAR?
You sure can. Talk to us about hiring a vehicle and all the gear, and the 10% discount on vehicle hire. Priced from $450/day.
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.
WHEN CAN I SEE THE FULL ITINERARY?
The full itinerary is provided to you once your deposit has been paid. Please see the "loose itinerary" below for an outline.
The following is a general outline. Please note that the itinerary is subject to change depending on track conditions, weather, vehicle issues, border restrictions etc. We have also factored in some spare days that can be used if necessary for contingencies.
DOUBLE CROSSING TREK
We begin at the edge of the sealed roads in the great little Outback town of Windorah with an included cabin for the night, pub dinner and team meeting. We then make our way to Birdsville on the last 100kms of sealed roads, then the first 270kms of dirt road, with time that night to have a cool drink at the iconic Birdsville Hotel and camp at the caravan park.
We then drive into the Simpson Desert, starting with a "Sand Driving Masterclass", before tackling the dunes of the QAA Line which lead us to the Tri-State border at Poeppel Corner. We then spend a brief time on the French Line before dropping South to get away from the more well-used tracks.
We head across the Rig Road which is still clay-capped in many places from the old days of oil exploration. After our run along the Rig Road we visit the Lone Gum, then hit the amazing WAA Line with its steep and closely-packed dunes and twisy-turny tracks.
We spend a total of 4 nights camped in truly remote desert, plus another night at the refreshing Dalhousie Springs. After an easy day, we spend two nights at Mt Dare Hotel, where we have a fantastic dinner cooked for us and we can restock food, fuel and supplies and prepare for another another 6 nights in the desert, including 5 nights on the remote Northern route, the Madigan Line.
The Madigan Line follows the historical exploratory trek of Cecil Madigan with his team of 9 men and 19 camels in 1939. This is an amazing journey through the most remote parts of the Simpson Desert. The track is rough and rugged but the scenery is spectacular.
The Madigan Line takes us East, crossing the Hay River Track briefly before intercepting Eyre Creek where it enters the Simpson Desert near Madigan's 20th Camp on Adria Downs Station. From here we head South with the kind permission of Adria Downs Station, following Eyre Creek. We hear the tragic story of the children from the now derelict Old Annandale Station, before joining the QAA Line and finding a camp site for the night.
The next day we make the last 10km push to Big Red. After conquering about 2000 dunes already, you will be ready to take on the largest dune of them all. It's a fantastic way to finish this unique Double Crossing experience. We then head out to Birdsville for our final night together where we have a cabin for the night and dinner at the Hotel - and have a good "knees-up" while reliving our experiences of the last 15 days!
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