Unplugged: Our Memorable Desert Off-Grid Camping Adventure - Alice Springs Trip August 2024

As a couple of traveler's who live for the open road, my partner and I embarked on a wild off-grid camping escapade across Central Queensland and the Northern Territory, this trip still lingers in our minds as a truly unforgettable experience.

Have you ever felt the allure of trading the hustle and bustle of everyday life for the serene tranquility of nature? The whispering trees, the crackling campfire, and the silent starlit sky above - these were the elements that beckoned us to venture off-grid and immerse ourselves in the raw beauty of the wilderness.

Our journey began with the thrill of preparing for the unknown. Packing our trusty fishing rooftop ute with essentials and a sense of anticipation, we set out towards the remote wilderness that awaited us. The road less traveled often leads to the most rewarding destinations, and this trip was certainly no exception with a family Wedding in the middle!

Day 1 – Saturday, 3rd August

7 hours = approximately 550 km

Toowoomba to Carnarvon Gorge Truck Stop

Finally packed and ready to leave Toowoomba at 12noon. We stopped at Jondaryan to get some hotbox roadhouse lunch where Isaac found that the canopy wheel guards were rubbing on the tyres when we hit larger bumps. This now meant he be a bush mechanic and grinding the welds out and bend the angle guards back away from the tyres.  Once this was changed, we got on the road at 1pm. 

Stopping in Dalby at the Bunnings for a power lead and an emergency TOILET stop! Then we finally got going again and made it to Chinchilla, Miles and Roma then onto Carnarvon Gorge Truck stop for the night, we only drove about a 1 hour into the night, too much wildlife to keep going.

The Truck stop was good it had a public toilet and plenty of room to pull up and camp the night. Except someone with a DIY generator running, and we thought that it would be turned off at night, but no! it ran all night humming along, then the cattle trucks showed up during the night and parked right next to us and the cattle hooves on the metal was super loud, little sleep was had and it was fairly cool overnight.

Animals Encountered: Cows, kangaroos, birds, hawks.

Day 2 – Sunday, 4th August

7.5 hours = approximately 700 km

Carnarvon Gorge Truck Stop to Longreach

Waking up to the generator sounds still, we made coffee and decided not to make breakfast and get on the road away from the generator noise, we left about 8am.

We drove down the Carnarvon Gorge range and saw the lovely ranges in the morning light. Drove onto Rolleston, not much left here now as the highway diverts passed the town itself, so we went onto Springsure. We stopped about 10.30am for brunch at the Springsure Café had the best breaky wraps we’ve had in a long time, worth the stop here and eat outside to view the mountain range near Springsure.

Continuing on to Emerald, stopped at a lookout along the way and stretched our legs.

We had to slow down for a large echidna crossing the road. We stopped to take photos and videos of this fascinating creature.

We continued to Emerald and got fuel then west to Barcaldine, we stopped here and explored the “Tree of Knowledge” and the “Shearers Strike” statues/memorials, and another toilet stop.

Next stop Longreach, we camped on the Thomson River at the Camps guide suggestion, $10.00 p/n, dirt camp anywhere within signs, little wallaby was watching us setup our camp.

Very windy while trying to cook dinner and we had our first use of the new fire pit, and a little rat came to visit and ate the thrown-out rice from the washing up water.

Animals Encountered: Cows, kangaroos, wallabies, birds, hawks, echidna, emus, eagles, rat.

Day 3 – Monday, 5th August

2 hours = approximately 180 km

Longreach to Winton

Woke up during the night because of the wind, this shakes the ute because the awing is out and catches all the wind. Making breakfast was dusty and difficult to keep the gas lit on the cooker. Packed up camp and left to head into Longreach about 9.30am. We got some bolts of the canopy and a cooking pot (left the other one at home).

We went to a mechanics at 10.30am to ask for help fixing the canopy has the mounts had shifted forward and were on an angle, putting the canopy closer to the cab of the ute. While the mechanic and Isaac worked on the canopy, I got to walk the Main Street of Longreach and explore. 3.5hrs later and canopy was fixed and braced, bill came to only $300.00. 

Once we packed up and we headed to the Stockman’s Hall of Frame to find the self-guided tour can take up to 1.5-2hr and cost $40 adult per person, we decided we’d have to come back another time and do this tour.

Next, we stopped at a drive thru bottle shop for some beers. I called the caravan park in Winton to make sure we had a spot. The lady could hold the spot until 4pm, so we drove straight to Winton. Along the way we saw a freight train and a cattle train on the railway beside the road.  We arrived at 3.50pm at the Pelican Caravan Park, paid for our unpowered spot and setup.

After a bit of relaxation with a beer, I found the showers, which featured artesian bore water. After showering and washing my hair, Isaac did the same. We decided to walk up the road to the pub for dinner after what had been a frustrating day of fixing the canopy and only driving for 2 hours to reach Winton. The Tattersall Hotel offered massive meals, and we enjoyed the cool evening outside, relaxing together. Later, we strolled down the main street, admiring the old buildings.

Animals Encountered: Cows, kangaroos, , birds, hawks, emus.

Day 4 – Tuesday, 6th August

8 hours = approximately 700 km

Winton to Tobermorey Station, NT

The next morning, we woke up early and drove to the Dinosaur Museum, but the cost and duration of the tours were not what we had expected—$80 per adult for a basic tour that lasted 3.5 hours. We opted not to stay and agreed to come back another time.

Back on the road, we headed toward the border of Queensland and the Northern Territory. Before leaving the mountain range, we stopped to take some stunning landscape photos of the Winton area below. We refuelled and picked up some tissues, as I was starting to feel under the weather.

We got fuel and tissues at the Winton Roadhouse. Then headed to the Boulia turnoff, one very straight long single lane road with no fences, dead grass, rocky ground, some parts were slightly green from recent rain, limited watering holes and no creeks were flowing. We stopped as some Points of Interest along the way, my favourite was probably the “Diamantina Causeway” sign which showed the whole Channel Country River systems into NT, SA and QLD which all lead to the Eyre Lake in SA. I’ll leave the signs here for you to read.

The wildflowers were still wonderful, the colours against the red sands just make them more vibrant. The cattle and wildlife seem to be getting few and far between sightings today. There was a lot of roadkill, roos, cows, lizards, hawks.

The Mystery of the MIN MIN Lights was an interesting read, and we did some research about what can cause this event, the facts could surprise you.

The Boulia Roadhouse was our halfway point, fuel stop and check-in with family because we would loss phone service over the next 1.5 days. After Boulia we drove into the afternoon to Tobermorey Station.

We decided not to drive into the night into the sun after seeing a large wild pig and pulled into the station about 6pm. The station office was closed so the station lady told us to make camp and pay in the morning, office opened at 8am.

We set up camp and cooked dinner—chicken tacos, quick and easy after a long day on the road. The station boasted excellent shower and toilet facilities, and we took turns showering. Afterward, we enjoyed the starry night sky before heading to bed early, preparing for another big drive tomorrow.

Animals Encountered: Cows, hawks, kangaroos, eagles, emus, camels, snakes, lizards, wild pigs, birds.

Day 5 – Wednesday, 7th August – 8.5 hours = approximately 525 km

Tobermorey Station to Alice Springs

Early morning Rooster wakeup crow, but it was 2.30am! and we listened to the rooster for the whole morning. We arose early about 6am, made coffee and watched the Helicopter get pushed out of the hanger about 6.15am and take off, pretty cool to watch it take off and fly so close to the ground when leaving.

Had an easy morning slowly packed up. After talking to the neighbour who whaled about how awful the Plenty Highway was, Isaac backed off the rear leaf springs. We waited until the office was open at 8am, paid our fee and left the station about 8.30am. 

The journey to Alice covered the next 525kms to Alice Springs via the Plenty Highway, which is mostly dirt, some hard some soft bull dust but not much, after driving the Plenty Isaac had no idea what the neighbour was on about as the road was in terrific condition. The eucalyptus trees are in bloom with yellow flowers, weeds are growing well. The scenery of the vast space in the outback of flat plains then mountain ranges which are very rocky, the ground itself is rocky and not much food around or life really. There are minimal animals around more cows, hawks found around and close to the waterholes, tanks and troughs. 

We stopped in the Jervois Station for a look and toilet stop, Isaac got speaking to the fuel service window attendant who was a relative of the current owners of the station. Fuel was very expensive here; we didn’t buy any only 2 cans of coke and 2 chocolate KitKats. The creeks/river are very dry and sandy. The dirt road was actually pretty good the whole way, the only bad section was near Jervois Station for about 20kms of rough clay and holes to dodge. 

Finally, we made it back on the single line bitumen for the last 120km, which Jass drove until we reached the Stuart Highway T-intersection.

We swapped drivers back so Isaac could drive with the triple & quad road trains in the 130kms per hour zone. Everything was going smoothly no problems with running gear, the canopy or tyres. Until… we drove onto the Stuart Highway and up to speed then… the power died and the whistle of something from underneath the bonnet just 60kms from Alice Springs. We were nearly there! 

We pull over into a side where there was a memorial to check what happened, obviously there is no phone service either. Isaac found that one of the turbo hoses had split, so we took off the hose tapped it back up as much as we could for patch to get us to Alice Springs. We rang Jo, Isaac’s brother to get Supplier and directions the shop shut at 5pm. 

We drove at 90 kms p/h to town and made it at 4.45pm just in time to find the store only had 1 hose that would fit but not exactly the correct part, but it would work for now.  Isaac fixed the hose at the shop in the carpark, this is a temporary fix until we order a new part or get a part when we are home. We waited for Bernie and Warren to meet us there to past over there belongs that we brought over with us.

Once we finished chatting, we headed to Jo's, Isaac’s brother house, we arrive about 5.45pm for the next 2 nights, spent with his family before the wedding on Saturday.

We said Hi to everyone, had dinner and chat and bedtime at 10.30pm.

Animals Encountered: Cows, hawks, wild pigs, birds.

Day 6 – Thursday, 8th August

Limited kilometres, only driving around town.

Stay in Alice Springs

At Jo & Ashleigh’s house, have breakfast with everyone. Isaac worked on the ute and found more problems; clutch slave cylinder was leaking. Off to buy more hoses, nuts and parts etc. Back to Jo & Ashleigh’s house to help meal prep for dinner, while Isaac works on the ute more.

In the evening, I went for a walk with Catherine, Louise, and Maeve up the hill behind Jo and Ashleigh’s house. We watched the sunset and spotted a kangaroo. We had the chance to meet more family members, and Ash’s family joined us for dinner, leading to more chatting and laughter. before heading to bed around 10 PM.

Day 7 – Friday, 9th August – 1 hour = approximately 40 km

Alice Springs to Ooraminna Station Homestead

At Jo and Ashleigh’s house, we had breakfast with everyone. Isaac continued to work on the ute, making enough progress to drive to the homestead for the wedding rehearsal and camp overnight, preparing for the wedding the following day. We setup camp near Bernie and Warren at the campground at the station. We had the local donkey visit and walk with us down to the rehearsal area "the billabong".

The rehearsal went smoothly until the resident donkey bit Ashleigh as she walked down the aisle. The donkey was after the flowers in the basket, but Ashleigh picked it up just as the donkey reached for it. After this incident, the donkey was secured in preparation for the wedding.

Bernie and Warren had already arrived at Ooraminna Station Homestead the previous night. Bernie cooked us dinner, and we swapped travel stories before heading to bed around 10 PM.

Animals Encountered: Cows, hawks, eagles, birds, donkey.

Day 8 – Saturday, 10th August

Wedding Day, no travel

We slept in!

After making coffee and breakfast, we enjoyed a relaxing morning. We took a walk up the hill near the campgrounds, where the view was amazing. The homestead was a beautiful piece of the outback, although it was very windy at the top of the hill—well worth it for the scenery.

The station also had a pig.

We greeted the other wedding guests who were camping nearby. Isaac had lunch and got ready with the other groomsmen, while I made my own lunch and got dressed.

I walked down to the ceremony with Bernie, Warren, and another lady we had met along the way. Joined the rest of the family at the Billabong.

The ceremony and reception were wonderful, the food was delicious, and the speeches were brief.

We watched everyone dance the night away and enjoyed the bonfire—thankfully, no donkey incidents this time! We went to bed around 11 PM, marvelling at the stars in the clear outback sky.

Congratulations Jo & Ashleigh!

Day 9 – Sunday, 11th August

3 hours = approximately 100 km

Post-Wedding Day

Ooraminna Station Homestead to Alice Springs then to Hugh River Campsite

We woke up around 7:30/8 AM, with no rush for the day. After making coffee, we walked over to the BBQ for breakfast. We chatted some more with family before packing up, showering, and leaving the station at 11:30 AM. Tim and Emily kindly let us borrow their satellite GPS unit for our desert trip. Explored the "Film set" which was the reception venue for the night before.

We drove back to Alice Springs to pick up the ute parts, but since it was Sunday, no stores were open. Instead, we decided to explore the Owen Springs Ruins area for the evening. We may have gotten lost briefly, but we backtracked until we found an APA access track that led us out of the bush.

Continuing on the correct 4WD track, we camped near the Hugh River for the night. The tracks were overgrown, grassy, and rocky, especially at the creek crossings.

We made camp in the Hugh River, where we camped alone after a busy few days. We built a fire, toasted marshmallows, and stargazed. After using the camp shower to freshen up, we headed off to bed. The remote quietness was indescribably peaceful.

Animals Encountered: Birds, hawks, lizards, wallabies.

Day 10 – Monday, 12th August

2 hours = approximately 70 km

Hugh River Campsite to Alice Springs

We woke up late, around 8 AM. After making coffee and packing up, I spotted the first wild dingoes of the trip—two males casually walking along the track.

We left camp and headed back to Alice Springs to check on the parts, but they still hadn't arrived.

We found a nice waterhole before the highway which would've been a great campsite if we knew about it. Plenty of Major Mitchell cockatoo calling this place home.

Instead of waiting at the family house, we explored the Telegraph Station, learning about the history of the telegraph and phone lines in Alice Springs.

That night, we stayed at Jo and Ashleigh’s house and enjoyed chatting with family. Isaac removed the grass seeds from the radiator and fitted the hoses in preparation for the upcoming journey. This is Bindi and Balto.

Day 11 – Tuesday, 13th August

1 hour = approximately 90 km

Alice Springs to Rainbow Valley

We slept in a bit and then made coffee while packing up. For breakfast, we enjoyed delicious bakery pies. After learning that the part for the ute was arriving via bus from Adelaide, South Australia, we set out to explore Alice Springs until around 4 PM.

Our first stop was the old Ghan train engine, located on the highway out of town toward Adelaide.

We then spent a few hours at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, where we delved into the history of the Ghan train, as well as an impressive collection of cars, trucks, and the Kenworth Hall of Fame building. It was fascinating to see the large assortment of old and new trucks, and we even got to walk through some of the old Ghan train carriages at the end of the self-guided tour.

Afterward, we headed back into town, just a quick 10-minute drive, to grab some supplies and ice cream while we waited for the part to arrive. While enjoying our ice cream outside the Afghan Traders shop, we noticed a bus headed toward the parts shop. No more than 15 minutes later, Isaac received a call saying the part had arrived, just as we had watched the bus pass by!

Once we picked up the part, we fuelled up and left Alice Springs for Rainbow Valley at 4pm. We turned onto the Rainbow Valley road, which had a sign warning of its corrugated condition, and they weren't kidding—it was indeed bumpy!

We arrived at the valley just in time for sunset, which beautifully illuminated the ranges and highlighted the brilliant colours of the rocks. I took plenty of photos of the sunset before we set up camp and made dinner.

The campsites had designated site numbers and recommended bookings, each equipped with a fixed fire pit. We relished the peacefulness of the outback, far from city lights, people and the stars were spectacular out here. Conveniently, there was a public toilet at the campsite.

Animals Encountered: Birds, hawks, lizards, bees.

Day 12 – Wednesday, 14th August

4.5 hours = approximately 500 km

Rainbow Valley to Uluru

We woke up early to catch the sunrise over the Rainbow Valley ranges, making coffee as we waited for the stunning view from the top of the hill near our campsite.

After packing up, we set off for Uluru.

Driving approximately 400 km on the Stuart and Lasseter Highways until we finally caught our first glimpse of the iconic rock!

The scenery along the way featured long, straight roads, red dirt plains, and sticky trees, with little in between. Visiting Uluru was a must for us, and we were both thrilled to have made the journey. To enter Uluru National Park, we needed a NT Parks permit, which cost about $35.00 per person for a three-day pass.

Once inside the park, we explored the base of the rock with a quick one-hour walk to Kantju Gorge from one of the car parks. Continuing our adventure, we found another short walk to the Mutitjulu Waterhole, where we enjoyed the sight of trickling water from the rock face.

We also visited the cultural centre, treated ourselves to ice cream, and made our way to the sunset viewing area. We set up the camera and prepared dinner while watching the sun dip below the horizon, capturing plenty of sunset photos as we relaxed. Isaac couldn't believe that no one was selling boomerangs even at the aborigine cultural centre.

After sunset, we headed to the Ayers Rock Resort Campgrounds in Yulara, where we quickly set up camp and enjoyed long showers for our one-night stay. We were greeted by resident little bunnies hopping around the campground, keeping the grass nicely trimmed.

Animals Encountered: Birds, hawks, lizards, cows.

Day 13 – Thursday, 15th August

8 hours = approximately 700 km

Uluru to Mount Olga (Kata Tjuta) to Finke to Old Andado Station

We woke up early to catch the sunrise over Mount Olga (Kata Tjuta), which is a 50 km drive from the campgrounds, back into Uluru National Park. The park opens at 6 AM, and we arrived 10 minutes early, waiting in line until the gates opened.

We headed to the sunrise dune viewing area, where many people had gathered to witness the sunrise sun-rays illuminate the Olgas. The colours of the rocks, once the sunlight hit them, were striking and beautiful; we took countless photos and embraced the cool morning air!

After the sunrise, we ventured into Mount Olga and embarked on the Walpa Gorge walk, which took about 40 minutes round trip. The sounds of hawks and birds accompanied us, making for an enjoyable, mostly solitary morning walk through the gorge.

However, on our way back, we encountered a group of over 100 tourists who were not keeping to the left and were quite noisy on the walking track!

Before starting our long drive back to the Stuart Highway, we found public toilets at the Sunset View Area. We left Kata Tjuta/Uluru around 10 AM and headed to Kulgera Roadhouse for fuel and to pick up a second jerry can.

We stopped in at Curtain Springs to stretch the legs and have morning tea.

Once we reach the Kulgera Roadhouse for fuel, we also needed to organise our NT Parks Council (free) and QLD National Park permits ($80 for 4 nights) here, as this was the last stop before we would lose phone service for the next stretch into the Simpson Desert.

After that, we set off on the gravel road to the Aboriginal community of Finke, which is about 1.5 hours from Kulgera.

We topped up with fuel at the fuel enclosure in Finke. Since it is a dry community, we responsibly discarded our opened alcohol to avoid any issues if we were checked by the police.

After Finke, we continued through New Crown Station and Andado Station to Old Andado Station, where we were allowed to camp for the night at $10 per person, using the honesty box at the old homestead gate. The road was rough, with boundary gates we had to open and close along the way. We encountered a broken-down biker, but his friend had gone to Mount Dare for help. The station tracks were quite corrugated, and we spotted another dingo near the water troughs on Andado Station, as well as plenty of cattle to watch out for. We drove over two dunes before arriving at Old Andado Station just in time for sunset, allowing us to take our first sunset photos of the Simpson Desert.

After exploring the old homestead and visiting the grave of Molly Clark who once ran the station in its heyday, we set up camp.

Although it was a bit windy while cooking dinner, we managed to prepare and enjoy our meal under the stars before heading to bed relatively early after a long day of driving. Isaac found Old Andado Station a bit eerie, while I appreciated the vastness and tranquility of the surroundings.

Animals Encountered: Birds, cows, dingo, and very skinny dogs in the Finke Community (sadly).

Day 14 – Friday 16th

7 HRS = approx. 255 kms

Old Andado Station to Mac Clark Conservation Reserve (Acacia Peuce) (Bloody old trees!) – 45 kms, 1 hr.

We woke up early at 4:30 AM due to strong winds shaking the rooftop tent and awning.

Deciding that sleep was unlikely, we packed up and drove to the Mac Clark Conservation Reserve to see the 200-plus-year-old Acacia Peuce trees, which are protected from cattle and serve as an ongoing scientific research reserve.

The station track was very corrugated and rocky, making our progress slow.

Isaac is fascinated by these trees and believes he saw them all over the outback, from Uluru to this reserve and into the desert. While waiting for sunrise at the reserve's entrance, we made coffee and added the sand flag to the bullbar of the ute, as we were about to tackle more dunes today. Once the sun rose, we continued into the reserve, where we found the trees along with an information board and a sign-in book. I signed the book, startled by a gecko that called this place home!

Mac Clark Conservation Reserve to Madigan Line Camp #8 & #9

approx. 210 kms – 6 hrs

From the reserve, we headed toward the Madigan Line Simpson Desert Crossing Track. At this point, we were on our own, but thankfully, we were well-prepared with:

• 50 litres of non-drinking water

• 20 litres of drinking water

• 2x 20-litre diesel jerry cans

• 100 litres (from a 120-litre tank) of diesel in the ute.

We also had plenty of food and coffee.

We borrowed a Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite GPS from our friends in Alice Springs, thank you, Tim and Emily!

After the reserve, the station track became very rocky, with many washouts from recent rains. The rocky terrain was an interesting but very slow drive to avoid popping a tire.

Along the way, I spotted my first Plains Turkey—a tall, old-looking bird.

Once we cleared the rocky area, we began encountering sand, marking the start of the Madigan Line track and the dune climbs.

It was dune after dune, and though the track was generally manageable, we navigated some wombat holes and a few corrugations. We observed plenty of animal tracks, lizards, dingoes, cats, camels, and goannas.

As the larger trees became scarcer, we loaded firewood onto the front of the ute in case we didn’t find a suitable place to camp. We passed Madigan's Camps 1 to 8, still contending with strong winds and searching for trees for shelter.

Finally, we came to a creek crossing between Camps 8 and 9 and decided to set up camp among the large trees, which provided excellent wind protection. Isaac built a great fire with the wood we found lying around, while I prepared dinner and enjoyed the warmth of the flames.

After cleaning up from dinner, we declared it shower night. We boiled water on the fire and filled the camp shower, improvising a shower base with the canvas from the ladder bag, which worked perfectly in the sand.

Animals: Lizards, birds, hawks, plains turkey.

Day 15 – Saturday 17th

13 HRS = approx. 160 kms

Madigan Line Camp #8/ #9 to Madigan Line Camp #14

After camping between Camps 8 & 9 we continued through along the Madigan Track through Camps 9-14 to the Hay River track which is Camp 15, this was our goal kms/distance for the day as the sand and dunes were slow going.

Getting to the top of the dune and seeing the track winding its way through and over the dune with all the wildflowers and shrubs was an incredible views. It really does show you the extend of the outback desert and the vast nothing in-between, the early explorers must have had a tough time trying to navigate the sand and dunes.

Still a rough track with bigger wombat holes to navigate and the dune were getting bigger today. The surrounding landscape was stunning, with the reds and golds of the desert contrasting against the blue sky.

The animal tracks are all over the track. There also must be another vehicle a day or 2 in front of us, we can still see tyres tracks in the sand. It is still very windy today and which puts a lot of extra dust in the ute cab. The claypan was very long and wide, no wonder Madigan and his group were happy to see the water here.

We saw more camel tracks and finally find the one camel alone about 12.30pm, we saw two more camel about 3.15pm. 

The wildflowers growing in the desert in August are the most beautiful sight, some flower cover the whole side of the dunes.

Passed through Camp 15, and this is where the Madigan Line meets the Hay River Track.

We drove into the night to catch up on kms, we got to the Hay River track about 5pm, the Hay river track is so rough, continued to the Eagle Nest and Blaze Tree

At this point to where we couldn't continued on the Madigan Line as the Eyre creek crossing was still flooded from the recent rains 5 weeks before.

This was our start of the Hay River track for us.

The Hay River track turned back to the West and we were heading back up the wrong way up the sand dunes, these dunes were very large coming from the other direction. We made it halfway to The Glove, again pulling up in a creek with trees for protection from the wind about 9pm. Had a quick 2-minute noodle dinner and bed. 

Animals: Plains Turkeys, dingoes, lizards, various birds.

Day 16 – Sunday 18th

10 HRS = approx. 260 kms

Hay River Track near The Glove to Birdsville

We allowed ourselves a sleep-in today, leaving camp around 9 AM.

Morning campsite with a view.

Our journey began with a search for the old abandoned oil and water wells along the way. The semi-maintained track was quite rough, with plenty of corrugations and washouts to navigate, requiring careful driving to avoid damaging any running gear.

To our delight, we spotted a family of camels—about six or seven of them—meandering alongside the track. The terrain was rugged, shaped by past rains, which made for a bumpy but exciting crossing.

After three days of solitude, we encountered our first fellow traveler: an old man driving a well-worn 80 Series Toyota wagon, heading north up the Hay River toward the Plenty Highway.

More old abandoned oil and water wells along the track.

Plenty of quartz rock shimmering in the sun too.

A surprise awaited us when we reached expansive salt flats, which happened to be Poeppel Lake, that stretched out before us, remnants of a large waterhole from the wet season. As we continued on the QAA line, we met a group of six 4WDs and one bike, all from Melbourne, VIC.

The dunes along the QAA line were noticeably larger, with trees beginning to populate the spaces between them, hinting at where water would run during the wet season. We finally spotted a small trickle of water and navigated through the large, hard clay pan flats, which slowed our progress.

Eyre Creek was washed out, but a detour 300 meters downstream provided an easy crossing, with a good amount of still water in the creek.

The headed onto Big Red Largest Sand Dune for the sunset, just missed it but the sky was still very coloured when we reached the top, we stayed until dark and chatted with other older couple from Emerald on their way home after a few months long trip.

Finally, we tackled the last 50 kilometres to Birdsville, arriving around 8 PM.

We celebrated our successful journey through the desert with a beer at the iconic pub and checked in with family, sharing our adventures.

After finding the caravan campgrounds, we whipped up some quick two-minute noodles, enjoyed a refreshing shower, and headed to bed, feeling accomplished and content. I had to remember to call the caravan park in the morning to pay for our campsite.

Animals: Lizards, birds, hawks, camels, eagles, emus.

Day 17 – Monday 19th

7.5 HRS = approx. 650 kms.

Birdsville to Quilpie via Betoota

After a restful night in Birdsville, we woke up feeling rejuvenated and made our morning coffees. Our first stop was the famous Birdsville Bakery, where we indulged in their renowned curried camel pie—definitely a must-try! We also came across a Burke & Wills site and read the information about their trek.

With our appetites satisfied, we set off toward Windorah, planning to make a pit stop at the Betoota for diesel, as Windorah didn’t have any fuel available. The Betoota pub was a charming slice of history, filled with quirky memorabilia and a warm atmosphere.

Continuing our journey, we drove on to Quilpie. The landscape transformed into a more arid desert-like environment than we had encountered in the Simpson Desert. Sadly, we noticed a lot of roadkill along the way, but we only had a minor incident with one small kangaroo about 25 kilometers out from Quilpie.

Just before reaching Quilpie, we stopped at Baldy Knob lookout to catch the sunset. We also visited Dean’s Lookout earlier, where the breathtaking view was a highlight, despite the strong winds.

We arrived at the Tourist Park in Quilpie, where we set up camp, went to a walk to the pub for beers, Isaac and I stretched our legs, enjoyed the bore-water showers, and prepared dinner, feeling grateful for the day’s adventures. Saw a cute church on our walk too.

Animals: Birds, emus with chicks, hawks, cows, goats, sheep, kangaroos, lizards, eagles, plains turkeys.

Day 18 – Tuesday 20th

9 HRS = approx. 830 kms

Quilpie to Charleville to Toowoomba

Today was all about the drive.

We left Quilpie at 7 AM and hit the road with the goal of getting home, knowing we were already two days behind schedule. The day was long, filled with minimal stops as we pushed through the miles.

We drove straight through Charleville, stopping only for fuel then we continued on until we finally arrived back home at 5pm. It was a massive day of travel, but the excitement of returning home made it all worthwhile.

This unplugged and enriched by our wild off-grid camping escapade, we returned to civilisation with hearts full of gratitude and a newfound appreciation for the simple joys of life. Until our next adventure calls us back to the untamed wilderness, we'll hold onto the memories of our outdoor odyssey, forever grateful for the bond and experiences that camping under the stars brought us.

Remember, the greatest adventures often begin when we step off the beaten path and embrace the wild unknown. Happy camping, fellow adventurers!

Embark on your own wild off-grid camping journey and create memories that will last a lifetime. Happy trails to all the camping enthusiasts and rooftop campers out there!