Birdsville.

I did get up and take a few photos of the sun rise around the great Metropolis of Birdsville. The iconic Birdsville Hotel where we enjoyed our last meal before heading into the desert.

"Clifford" dressed ready to start into the Simpson Desert - Sand Flag and tyre pressures reduced.

Janet, Bob and Ann at the pull over area at the base of little red. Everyone pulled in here to put up their sand flags and reduce the air pressure in their tyres, ready for the dunes to come.

Having successfully driven over Little Red we drove along the base of the dune to Big Red. Here we were allowed to pause and look at Big Red. There was to be no attempting to drive up.  That is something we would have to earn by negotiating the thousands  of dunes in our double crossing.

Bob and Janet ready to hit the dunes.

BIRT - Big Red Truck. The other Ford Ranger in the group also red 🙂

One of the first of the many dunes to come.

Our first night camped in the Desert. Can you see "Clifford"?  He doesn't half stand out. Still we have managed to successfully negotiate all the dunes today. Tony the group leader talked about getting stuck. You are not stuck until you can't move. Usually on the dunes you are not stuck you can use gravity and go back down to have another go. Usually doing something different, different gear, more revs, lower tyre pressures, staying in the wheel tracks.

Heading back to camp after watching the sun set from on top of the nearby dune.

You really had to be there to experience this sunrise. No photo can capture the emotion of watching it, feeling the cool gentle breeze stir, and listening to the birdsong as the desert slowly wakes up.

Getting ready to break camp.

Morning tea break on the way to Poeppel Corner.

Our first clay pan. We had to stop and wait for a vehicle heading West to East. As we crossed there were puddles of water in the clay just to the side of the worn vehicle tracks. No going for an explore.

Ann at the old marker post at Poeppel Corner. This post was originally placed in the middle of the clay pan but with modern measurement it was found to have been about 300m off the real corner. This error was attributed the the stretching of Poeppel's surveyors chain.

I am not sure if this Poeppel's original post or a replica.

The other Ian on the trip wouldn't be convinced that the new brass marker was in the correct place either. "They just put these up in any convenient place."

Ann and Janet thinking of their Dad a Queensland Government Surveyor as they stand at Poeppel Corner

Tank-you to our Explorer Motor Home for getting us to Poeppel Corner (with all the creature comforts). Something I didn't think I would ever do. We have now seen three of the corners Cameron Corner, Haddon Corner and now Poeppel Corner.

Instead of a European ABC (Another Bloody Castle) tour, this is becoming an ABS trip Another Bloody Sunset trip.

We have seen a lot of budgies on this trip. I haven't caught any on camera but we have seen medium sized flocks of them catching the sunlight and flashing brilliant green as we drive along. There were a lot of them around camp; taking to the air as the sun rose.

The bones of a dead camel beside the track. It was still recognisable as camel but really putrid when Tony was here last year. I wonder if we will see any live camels?

The lone gum is a bit of a misnomer, to be pedantic it is a Coolabah tree not a gum tree and it is no longer a lone tree there are a couple of small trees within the protective fence around the tree.

An arty farty photo of our Explorer Motor Home at tonights camp.

Night shot of Clifford lit by the half moon.

Camp star trails.

Bob and Janet commencing  the ascent of one of the more difficult dunes on the WAA Line. Tony the group leader was always the first up. This is one of the numerous dunes where he called back and suggested one at a time. To make sure there was space so that if you didn't make it first time you could back down and have another go.

Up!

Up!

And over !