Destinations > Making Hay

Issue: December 2008

Words by Shane Gerrish and John Daniels

The thrill of adventure that comes from travelling untracked terrain is still there for the taking. Shane Gerrish and John Daniels took up that challenge in the Simpson Desert.

Like so many great ideas, the beginnings of this trek were conceived around a campfire. Overlander 4WD Forum regulars Shane 'Big Red' Gerrish and John 'Oneputt' Daniels had driven the Hay River Track in the northern part of the Simpson Desert a couple of years before and both were impressed by the country north of the shot line, up to the start of the dry Hay River bed. Shane casually mentioned how good it would be to actually follow the valley south from where the obvious signs of the Hay River finished, to where it would theoretically dissect the QAA line.
The plan was set to travel northwards up the existing Hay River Track to where it drops into the Hay River Valley then turn in a south-south east direction to follow the valley until it encounters the QAA line.
Permission to travel over the uncharted and trackless terrain was approved by Queensland National Parks after giving full details of the trip including start and finish co-ordinates although these were only approximate due to a lack of detailed maps of the area.
Shane and John were hoping to find signs of a route taken by nomadic Aboriginals and photographically document any evidence of it as well as the local flora and fauna. Finding the route would not be easy, using the last signs of the ancient dry bed of the Hay River as the starting point.
Shane was driving his competition and touring equipped GU Patrol tray back and John was in his well set up 80-Series Toyota. As with any Outback expedition, the usual pre-trip inspections were carried out on both vehicles with extra attention being taken due to the remote, untracked area to be covered. This saw Shane having some chassis cracks in the Patrol plated and fitting new shocks and tyres, while John just gave the 80-Series a full service, re-stocked his usual spares and fitted a new fridge slide.
The duo took a casual few days to travel from Brisbane to Innamincka via northern NSW, Cameron Corner and many of the usual Outback landmarks found in this area. After a resupply and shower at Innamincka they headed up the track to take in the Coongie Lakes that were full after recent rain.
"The morning sun brought out the birds along the north branch of Cooper Creek so we took the opportunity to grab a few pics before packing up and heading off to Coongie Lakes," said Shane. "We took the right hand turn to the lake side drive and headed out to find out what we could see. As we crossed over the top of the dune we were stunned to see such a large body of water in the middle of a desert.
"We followed the drive, having to cross a deep section of water between two lakes to be able to continue on the track, and as we got near the end we noticed a set of cattle yards in the middle of a lake under about a metre of water. Quite an unusual sight, and John reckons it was to hold the ducks!"
After a couple of days photographing the lakes, it was back to Innamincka where a vehicle check revealed the corrugations had vibrated Shane's roof lights and brake caliper bolts loose and these were tightened safely before moving on to Birdsville via the Cordillo Downs Track.
After camp near Providence Creek, John and Shane arrived in Birdsville in time for lunch and a beer at the pub before heading out to Big Red where they hoped to photograph the moon rising over the dune while the sunset lit it.
"We had been told about the water across the track out to Big Red but it was still quite a shock to find such a wide expanse of water, albeit shallow," said John.
The drive out to Poppel Corner was uneventful and despite the wet conditions Eyre Creek was dry and drivable. Near Poppel Corner they turned north along what is the start of what is known as the Hay River Track. This takes in the abandoned Poppel and Beachcomber oil wells then follows along the large dunes before crossing them.
The start of what the guys dubbed the Hay Valley Track is at a claypan near the southern-most end of the dry river bed at S25.01.808 E137.53.912. From here the valley heads in a southeasterly direction, while the Hay River Track heads north.

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Travelling about 1.2km down the valley the guys met up with some other travellers camped in a group of trees to find some relief from the constant wind. They had just come across on Madigans Line. From here on, the driving was cross-country with no track to follow so the idea was to stay in the same valley and not cross any sand dunes. The moguls were up to 500mm high in places and the small convoy was slowed to a virtual crawl as it bounced and bucked along.
At 10km Shane staked a tyre and a quick plug and a bit of air soon had the boys on their way again.
The recent rains had covered the surrounding area in long grass and the wildflowers were just about to start making a show but this also made it hard to pick the easiest line and they had to cross from side to side following the flattest sections of the valley. A couple of clay pans and some camel tracks were the only points of interest and at around the 19km mark, after two hours on the track, they made camp. The wind dropped as the sun set making for a nice night around the campfire but it picked up again during the night and covered everything in dust and led to a night of broken sleep.
"The worst night of our trip so far," recalls John. "The wind was now nearing gale force and we were literally breathing dust. At least it had now swung back to the south-east and was a little cooler."
They continued to follow the valley in a southeast direction, negotiating the moguls that made staying on the track difficult, but following a distinct camel path. John was mapping the journey, using a moving map on Oziexplorer running on a laptop in his Cruiser. "The track we were making was far from a straight line," he said. "It was zig-zagging from side to side in the valleys and around the base of the dunes, which run predominantly in a south-easterly direction.
"When we stopped for lunch three hours later we had driven a total of 25km, over some rough but beautiful country," said John.
After a further four hours of driving they had covered 73km and found a sheltered spot in a horseshoe bend of a dune to make camp and get a bit of photography in while cooking up a lamb roast in the camp oven.
During the day they had picked up some radio traffic on the UHF and figured they must be getting closer to the QAA Line. Sure enough, the following morning they hit the QAA shortly after 10am.
"We had travelled 106km during ten hours of actual driving spread over three days. We had three flat tyres and no other problems over some very harsh and unforgiving terrain," says Shane. "We found no signs of man at all and although we had seen plenty of tracks in the sand we only glimpsed two lizards at a distance, a mob of camels through some trees, one dragonfly and several spiders. There was nothing out of the ordinary in regards to the flora either."
After the obligatory photo session, the pair again made tracks for Birdsville, this time heading east. It was 81km to Big Red and the guys were back at the pub for a meal that night.
Although this trip wasn't an extended expedition, it does show that there is still adventure out there to be found for anyone with the urge to explore and the common sense to do it correctly. Regardless of the relatively short distance between the established Hay River and QAA Tracks, the ground covered was remote and harsh and entering it you would need to be prepared for anything. You can't expect to be picked up by the next passing traveller in this country and heavy rainfall or mechanical trouble could leave you stranded for any amount of time.
The right preparation is essential for both travellers and vehicles. Extra food and water needs to be carried in case of stranding and a reliable source of communication like a sat-phone or HF radio is a must have. A good grasp of bush mechanical repairs could come in handy too if you need to get out of trouble.
A full account of John and Shane's trip is available online and it includes the pair's drive home via the Diamantina National Park and some eventful wet conditions. Check it out on the Overlander 4WD Forum at: http://forums.overlander.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=55705

 

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