DRIVING BIG RED IN THE SIMPSON DESERT
"It's a special place, my high perch, where I sit cross legged facing the setting sun. To the north and south of me, domes of windswept sand protrude like pimples over a ridge line, each one fired like a glowing poker, while below me, the shadow cast by the westerly dune inches its way across the inter-dunal flat, intent on destruction.
Darkness Falls on Big Red.
Bartell, Denis (1978) The Frozen Sea
On the edge of the Simpson Desert is a section of the sand dune Nappanerica commonly referred to as Big Red. The sand dune is accessible to 4wd vehicles to climb and perhaps for 2wd to reach the base of the dune driving from Birdsville 35 km to the west.
Big Red
The first and highest of well over one thousand dunes in the Simpson Desert, which run north-south for hundreds of kilometres. Big Red's summit is approximately 36.5m (120 ft) above sea level. Roughly 30 to 33m (98 -108 ft) above the surrounding plain.
The once a year Big Red Bash attracts thousands of music lovers and is held on the Birdsville side of Big Red on the flat and dry clay pan with Big Red as a backdrop. The annual last weekend in June event of 2024 was apparently a wet occasion. Weekend rain arrived. Turning the clay pan dust to a vast pan of mud, sticking to all and sundry for miles around. Authorities even closed the Birdsville Track for a few days. Driving Big Red is always prohibited for the duration of the festival.
We in our Landcruiser were here with no restrictions as it was a normal time of year with no events in the Birdsville area.
Driving Big Red to the Top
The road out to Big Red goes over Little Red into the Simpson Desert. For a greater challenge Little Red is the first sand dune to cross over and reach Big Red from the steeper side of Nappanerica. From the Birdsville side we made a right-hand turn with Little Red out in front. There is no need to traverse Little Red before tackling and driving Big Red. The easiest access point to Big Red is before Little Red on the Birdsville side and to drive further along the base of Nappanerica along a very short flat track to the right.
We three were in a V8 Toyota Landcruiser. A red flag on a pole was attached to the front of the Landcruiser before the climb. Regulations require a minimum height of 3.5 metres from the ground. The red flag for vehicle safety, to alert other drivers a vehicle is cresting sand dunes from the other direction.
On our first attempt Howard the driver kept the vehicle in Hi range. Tyres were left at normal road pressures. With a run up head start, we reached the top in little more than a minute. Quite easily done. On the other side of Big Red was a steeper short access track up to the top. We were the only vehicle and people there at this time of day. About midday. Outside of the vehicle flies were bothersome by the dozen.
We descended Big Red and drove past another 4wd parked with the driver deflating his tyres for the run up on the loose sandy track.
On Top of Big Red
Walking to the top dune crests of Big Red is a challenging experience, as the red sand resembles quicksand, making each step a struggle. The fine powdery sand seems determined to engulf anyone attempting to climb the peaks of the surrounding crests, with each footstep sand engulfing past the ankle and sand cascading past the wrists, when looking to gain traction to top the crests. Despite the daunting terrain, with perseverance and a crab-like movement, it is possible to reach the highest crest of the dunes. Fighting swarming flies away from your face. The shifting sand constantly threatens to pull you down. The panoramic view from the top, however, makes the effort worthwhile, offering a breathtaking vista of the vast red desert, low hardy bushes and small green spindly clumps of grass stretching out in all directions, a reminder of the raw beauty and harshness of nature.
Traveldriven
BIG RED AND THE SIMPSON DESERT
AUDIO RECORDING
HOWARD OF DESERT SKY TOURS
DRIVING BIG RED
ON TOP OF BIG RED
BIG RED DUNE
WALKING BIG RED
THE STEEPER SIDE OF BIG RED
HOWARD, ON BIG RED
BIG RED IS SCAREY
NAPPANERICA SAND DUNE, BIG RED
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