Munga-Thirri Central

16 Day Survey - June 12 > June 27, 1 day flight/1 day 4WD/13 days trekking/1 day flight

Survey price: Contact Tim directly for information -  tim@timcopejourneys.com

 

    Accompanied by Adventurer Tim Cope

 

This survey departs and concludes in Brisbane. The survey price includes return flights Brisbane > Birdsville.

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Survey Grade:

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​This survey continues on from the northern survey and will be conducted west of the flooded Eyre Creek and in the Munga-Thirri Simpson Desert National Park.

 

The landscape consists of towering red dunes and substantial stands of acacia georginae. 

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You walk alongside our team of packcamels accompanied by 5 cameleers who are your crew for the duration of the survey.

Our cameleers are not 'tour guides', they are experienced and seasoned stockmen/women who are specialists in handling and working with camels, and have a wealth of experience in walking the desert and knowledge of its flora & fauna, and are respectful of our First Nations people who call the desert home.​ The survey will have up to 3 scientists who will be conducting benchmark surveys in ornithology, botany and also setting pitfall traps to capture nocturnal creatures as they wander on the dune crests.

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Walking in this landscape is on firm sand and occasional claypans. If the eastern Simpson receives good soaking rain in late March/early April, there may be a profusion of yellow flowers such as poached-egg daisy & 'Yellowtop' covering the landscape, and supplying our camels with fresh feed.

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May, June and July is ideal walking weather in Central Australia and over the course of a 5 to 6 hour walking day you would walk approximately between 8 to 10 kilometres.  Our pace of travel is determined by the camels and their ability to negotiate the dunes or other landforms in the landscape. They carry all your personal gear, and all you have to carry is your day pack. We will of course be stopping as required depending on what we see as we walk along.

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This is a very real, very Australian desert experience, and camels are the perfect cross-country vehicle and so we don't follow roads or tracks, and there is no vehicle back-up: we don't need it! Camps are chosen for the availability of camel feed, and we never camp in the same place twice. And in addition, as we are Australia's only scientific organisation that also specialises in remote desert travel, you won't 'bump into' any other groups of trekkers.

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What's included

Return domestic flight from Brisbane to Birdsville

Return 4WD transfers from Birdsville to the eastern Simpson Desert

All camping equipment - swags, stools, tents. You bring your own sleeping bag and eating utensils

All meals, though we do not provide snacks

LOTS of space...

Survey RFDS Medical Chest, First Aid and emergency communications equipment

Crew of 4 to 5 cameleers and 2 scientists

Desert Silence!

Trekking with an environmentally aware responsible business 

(A detailed Survey Information Guide is sent to you when you book)

What's not included

Pre and post airfares and accommodation. We can organise this for you

What else is required?

Travel Insurance. We can advise on which policy is suitable

Where are we trekking?

In the shaded area of the map in the Simpson Desert, Queensland and South Australia. The Simpson is the world's largest parallel sand ridge desert