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Expression of Interest

Hey y'all.

There's only a few places left in Australia I haven't visited yet, so I am toying with the idea of a trip to Birdsville in Sep or Oct for the purpose of photographing stuff and getting it off my list of places I need to go before I die.

I was thinking of starting in Broken Hill, then head north to Tibaburra (Cameron's Corner) then over to Cooper Creek and across to the Birdsville track to Birdsville and then head south past Lake Eyre, to the Flinders Ranges and back home again. (Maybe with a stopover in the Barossa.) I will be returning to Nowra via Lake Mungo National park.

The sunsets at that time of year are pretty good. It would be camping all the way.

A two to three week duration would be my intention. I picked Sep to Oct as it won't be hot yet.

Anyone (or a group) with a 4WD and your own camping equipment interesting in following me? You will require a keen interest in photography, lot's of patience and a high degree of flexibility. Some outback driving experience would be advantageous, but not compulsory. I will be bringing an EPIRB. We could all meet-up in Broken Hill.

This is a trip I've been wanting to do for years, but I didn't have a vehicle suitable until now.

So if anyone might be interested, please respond to this thread.

For further reading - http://www.exploroz.com/TrekNotes/Deser ... _Track.asp

Sometime in September is the Birdsville Races....

It will make the place VERY busy.... and accommodation would be booked out if people don't want to camp.

So you'll have to carefully choose dates.

Birdsville is 31/08 and 01/09 http://www.birdsvilleraces.com/

Sounds like a great trip Steve. Some people are predicting lots of spring wildflowers with the rain they got recently so Sept/Oct would be great.

Unfortunately, I only have a Subaru Outback, not really a 4WD . I would be interested in maybe meeting at the end in Mungo Nat Park, it's high on my list of places to visit and photograph.

For those that don't know about Mungo NP, have a look at Mudder's galleries on Smugmug. He used to be a regular poster here but has not been lately.
http://mudder.smugmug.com/

He has some great photos in his landscape galleries.

I'll certainly will keep watching this thread.

André

1st and 2nd of September is the races. I don't intend to be there for that I mean the whole point of going places like that is to get away from the crowds

Steve - this is a trip that is on my 'must do' list. Unfortunately, the timing for this year is all wrong for me - I just don't have the holidays left!

Would love to have been able to join though, so if for some reason you need to put off until next year....

I have this window of opportunity between work commitments and i wanted to avoid summer. Next year I might do the Kimberly region or Carnarvon Gorge and south-west QLD. Once i have done those, i will have been everywhere in Aust.

By heck you would be hard pressed to get a more exciting photographic location than the Birdsville Races. It would make for a fun interlude in the middle of an outback experience.

SteveGriffin wrote:By heck you would be hard pressed to get a more exciting photographic location than the Birdsville Races. It would make for a fun interlude in the middle of an outback experience.

From the date i can go, i'd never make it in time. It would be a good thing to photograph though.

Steve Sept or Oct would not be my choice. I would go much earlier if you can, around July would be ideal. Flies will be bad by September and can make camping a misery if you are unprepared.

I would also avoid any time around the Birsdville races if you want to see what Birdsville is really like. Oh and a visit to the museum there is a must.

Oneputt wrote:Steve Sept or Oct would not be my choice. I would go much earlier if you can, around July would be ideal. Flies will be bad by September and can make camping a misery if you are unprepared.

I would also avoid any time around the Birsdville races if you want to see what Birdsville is really like. Oh and a visit to the museum there is a must.

I agree. The flies piss me off no end. I wish i could go in July but work prevents me from going then. However i will heed your advice as you are one of the people I would listen to with your experience. I am thinking of putting it off till next year and this year go somewhere else instead. I might just go to the Grampians and Lake Mungo.

That and after writing a list of things i need to do to the truck before i go, next year would be better.

So......

Anyone want to go to Birdsville next winter ?

Things are a bit up-in-the-air planning wise for me, but I am definately interested. Would be good to stretch the old Landcruiser's legs once again.

spasmoid wrote:Things are a bit up-in-the-air planning wise for me, but I am definately interested. Would be good to stretch the old Landcruiser's legs once again.

This year's trip has now been officially cancelled however i am still going to make it to Lake Mungo and possibly over to The Grampians afterwards (or beforehand) Depends on time commitments. Should be September/October sometime but i have other travel commitments around then too, so i might not be too flexible, if at all.

I am still keen to get away to Birdsville next winter (2008) though.

Steve generally I regard Birdsville as being the start of any trip. Once you get beyond there into the Simpson I really start to enjoy it. 2008 might be on the cards for another Simpson trip.

Simpson trip sounds awesome guys.... i'd definetly be in for that next yr.....also have a car that will be upto the task.