Watti Watti/Mudhla Mudhla Southern Mikiri Survey

Watti Watti/Mudhla Mudhla Southern Mikiri Survey
11 Day Survey - July 31 > August 10, 1 day flight/9 days trekking/1 day flight
Survey price: $8160 Fully Booked - Waitlist Only
​
​
This survey departs from and concludes in Adelaide. The survey price includes return flights Adelaide > Simpson Desert.
Survey Grade:
​
​In 2018 our Chief Scientist Dr Max Tischler was leading a survey that had departed from the SA/QLD border and was heading south the Warburton River floodplain. It was the first time that we had conducted surveys in this area and the trip turned out to be very special.
We have been coupling many of our surveys with the location of the know mikiri (wells) of the Simpson Desert, and have 'relocated' one well, extensively documented another major site, and on the 2018 survey, found two more. Both these mikiri were unknown in the records and also unknown to the the local Wangkangurru people.
​
In 2019 we visted the extensive northern mikiri, and we had planned to visit this smaller site in 2020, then 2021...but covid intervened, but now in 2023 we can finally get there. In addition to people from the local Wangkangurru mob, we will have an archaeologist and anthropologist with us, who will be documenting the site and surrounding area.
Note that the mikiri itself may not necessarily be the most interesting part of the survey, as quite often it's the approaches to such areas that reveal the most habitation clues.
You can read the scientific paper from the 2019 northern mikiri survey here.
​
...and in 2021 we found yet another unknown mikiri further deep into the desert. We won't get to that area this year, but it's definitely a place we will return to in the future.​
​



What's included
Domestic flight from Adelaide to Olympic Dam, charter flight from Olympic Dam to the desert, and return.
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 to 3 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
