Birdsville Races & Simpson Desert Crossing from Alice Springs to Adelaide via Lake Eyre 9 Days

Simpson Desert Tours from Adelaide return to Adelaide - 9 days

Simpson Desert & Birdsville Races Tour –  from Alice Springs to Birdsville, return to Adelaide. Simpson Desert crossing includes Old Ghan Railway stops (incl. Finke) Mt Dare, Dalhousie Springs (for warm swimming in thermals pools), 3 nights in desert crossing via French Line, QAA & WAA Lines, then Birdsville Races, and 2 days return travel to Alice Springs or Adelaide option. Excludes Chambers Pillar. Completes in Adelaide

Itinerary for 9 days Simpson Desert & Birdsville Races Tours Flights 2019 – Alice Springs to Adelaide

1. Alice Springs to Mt Dare Hotel – Depart 8am for Kulgera, Lambert’s Centre of Australia, Finke Aboriginal community, Charlotte Waters (old OTL Telegraph Station) NT/SA border crossing, Witjira National Park. At Mt Dare overnight camp or accommodation upgrade option
2. Dalhousie Springs – Travel via Bloods Creek Bore & stockyards, Opossum Waterhole to Dalhousie Springs, a series of 60 natural Artesian springs from the Great Artesian Basin. Swim option at Dalhousie Springs in 38-43 Deg C water. Enter the Simpson Desert Regional Reserve – Overnight camp western edge of the Simpson Desert
3. Simpson Desert crossing – Travelling over and between the sandhills. Great photo opportunities, sunsets and sunrises and wildflowers. Remote desert camp
4. Simpson Desert – as above – another night under the stars in a remote camp
5. Birdsville – Visit the Approdinna Attora Knolls, high gypsum hills with a great lookout over the desert. Poeppels corner marking the meeting of QLD, NT & SA borders. Traverse Big Red sandhill – originally known as Nappanerica Dune, on the western edge of Lake Nappanerica, and eastern edge of The Simpson Desert – Overnight Birdsville
6. Races Day – Its race day for 2 days with an active social program supporting the Royal Flying Doctor Service. You are issued with a Birdsville Race Club Medallion for entry to all events, including the races, and may attend the Birdsville Dance & the Birdsville Ball, enjoy a drink at the Birdsville Pub and tune up your whip cracking skills for the competition. Today if not having travelled the desert with us, we will also visit & optionally climb Big Red the Simpson Desert’s biggest sand hill. We do a Birdsville tour with its fascinating history, see Burke & Wills marked tree by the Diamantina River, and thermal power station. Optional Lake Eyre, Goyder Lagoon & Simpson Desert flights (book early) Great plane spotting too as we witness the fly in from around Australia. Overnight Birdsville
7. Races Days – The BIG DAY at Birdsville Races – 12 races are on the program. You choose if you wish to attend all or just be amused by the characters and many activities and spontaneous entertainment available. Overnight Birdsville
8. Birdsville Track via Mungerannie Hotel to Marree overnight. Head off south on the Birdsville Track crossing by the Cooper Creek and wetlands. Enjoy a break at Mungerannie Hotel, and a Mungerannie wetlands walk views of the salt lakes and rich vegetation on this remote iconic Australian route.  This afternoon we cross the Cooper Creek, and flood plain, visit old station ruins including Lake Harry. Arriving in Marree, explore this once thriving railway town that helped save Darwin during WWII with 56 trains per week ! Marree is at the junction of the Birdsville and Oodnadatta Tracks, and the path of the Great Northern  Railway / Old Ghan for over 100 years, so lots of history here including Aboriginal museum and history, Tom Kruse (Outback Mailman from “Back of Beyond”) and Donald Campbells Bluebird story. Take an optional 1 or 2 hour scenic flight over Lake Eyre to see the Warburton Groove, the main inflow channel to Lake Eyre, Elliot Price Conservation Park, Halligan Bay, Lake Eyre South and the Marree Man (a 4 km long, giant engraving in the landscape). On return to base, we see some of the sights of Marree, this once thriving Ghan Railway town. Marree is caretaker for some interesting railway relics, plus  the old mail truck used by legendary outback mailman Tom Kruse on the run from Marree to Birdsville. Connect with the wonder of Lake Eyre's bird and plant life revitalised by recent flooding rains. Overnight in Marree with a few yarns around the campfire or at the local pub. BLD Overnight Marree.
9. Lake Eyre flight option available (book early) before travel via the spectacular scenery of the Flinders Ranges and remote outback pastoral country via Hawker, Quorn and Pitchie Ritchie Pass to Adelaide to arrive approximately 6-7 pm. Accommodation own arrangements.

Birdsville Races Tours Flights from Alice prings to Birdsville & Adelaide.

Optional scenic flights over Goyder Lagoon, Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, Simpson Desert, Coongie Lakes.  9 days or fly out day 8 option. Detailed Itinerary shown below.