Alice Springs Trek
Have you ever wanted to take a 4WD tagalong adventure into the Australian outback ? Maybe you should - it's a great way to safely explore new territory.
The guys from Aussie tracks have been traversing the wilderness for 25 years and what these guys can't show you, teach you or help you indulge in, is not worth knowing.
We begin our journey on the edge of the Simpson Desert, in the Witjira National Park about 120 kilometres north of Oodnadatta.
The park covers more than 770-thousand hectares of desert country - from stony tablelands to floodplains. And it also has its very own day spa.
This is Dalhousie Springs - thermal water which wells up from the Artesian basin hundreds of metres below the ground. These are the largest & most active artesian springs in Australia. The water here is literally millions of years old , and a constant 34-38 degrees celcius - just perfect for a morning bath.
Just beautiful.This waterhole in the wilderness attracted early settlers to the area - and it's still home to plenty of wildlife.
The Simpson Desert is a forbidding place - it often looks like a lunar landscape. But there are little pockets of life amongst the dust.
This was once the Dalhousie Homestead. Settlers first came here in the 1870s with a dream of taming this rugged land. Incredible to think pioneers came all this way to build a life in the middle of nowhere to run sheep.
Now this is one of the driest deserts in the world, but today the Simpson is making a bit of a splash…
The 100 Series LandCruiser is perfectly designed for outback conditions. We've had bucketloads of rain and it's suddenly very slippery but the 4.2 litre diesel is pulling us through no probs at all.
The road is still fairly firm underneath, so we're using high range 4WD to handle this boggy terrain. Stay in second gear to keep up momentum and always keep a safe distance from the other vehicles, in case one of you loses momentum or slides sideways.
We made it, hard day, tremendous, we put the 4wd through its' paces, plenty of mud, but we got here. Time to set up camp and relax…
We set up amongst the gidgee trees right at the edge of the desert. But we're definitely not roughing it! David and Joan have been running outback adventures for ten years, so they know how to keep camping comfy.
The great thing about these tagalong tours is you meet all sorts of different people. From beginners wanting help to drive in the outback, to experienced offroaders who just like some company. David & Joan spend two thirds of their year on the road, taking people on these incredible adventures.
To book a tag-a-long trip with Aussie Tracks, or to become a passenger in one of their own vehicles, give David and Joan a call or look at their website.
We're driving 100 Series Landcruisers through the desert. Check out Toyota's complete range at toyota.com.au
In Alice Springs,
we stayed at the Alice Tourist Apartments. Log onto their website,
or call their 1800 number for bookings.
