QAA Line Simpson Desert
QAA Line Crossing the Simpson Desert
QAA Line Simpson Desert.
Header photo by Richard Eckert | @svnty6landcruiser
In this blog post we take you through the QAA Line in the Simpson Desert and what to expect on this popular track when starting or ending your Simpson Desert crossing. We did the QAA Line in the Simpson Desert in July 2020.
When to Travel to the Simpson Desert
The best time to travel to the Simpson Desert is between May and October when it is cooler. The Simpson Desert is closed between December and mid-March due to the summer temperatures.
Did you know that there are more than 1,000 dunes in the Simpson.
You will need at least four days to cross the Simpson depending on which route you take. We crossed along the QAA and French Lines which took around three and a half days to get from Birdsville to Dalhousie Springs.
- Travel between May and October.
- Simpson Desert closed between December and Mid March.
- There are more than 1,000 dunes in the Simpson.
- You need at least 4 days to cross the desert.
East to West from Birdsville
When we did our Simpson Desert trip we left Birdsville in the mid afternoon after having a beer at the Birdsville Hotel. We spent about an hour at Big Red and then found camp approximately 50kms from Birdsville. Here is a bunch of useful information on the track.
The QAA Line goes from Birdsville, over Big Red, through Eyre Creek and just across the Northern Territory border where it meets the junction with the K1 Line and the Hay River Track. It is approximately 150 kms from Birdsville to the Northern Territory junction. You will average around 20km/h when driving so expect a day to complete the track.
One of the more driven tracks in the Simpson Desert due to its close proximity to Birdsville. Many people will go to Big Red for the day to tackle this iconic dune or for a quick camp to get that desert fix. The QAA Line to the French Line is also the shortest route. Therefore, it is a popular track with a lot more traffic so the tracks can get rutted out and bumpy. Expect the track to be challenging at times, depending on when you visit. On top of this the dunes are bigger east to west from the direction of the winds. The eastern sides of the dunes are far steeper.
Big Red (Nappanerica)
Big Red (Nappanerica) is the first dune you will need to navigate when driving from Birdsville. It is around 30 kms heading west from Birdsville. Big Red is the highest dune in the Simpson Desert. It is iconic and is a must do on the “I did Big Red” mantle that you will need to tell all your mates. The track up Big Red on the Eastern side dune is a fairly simple one. It can be bumpy, but easy to get up. We did this in 3rd low but could have easily gone up in 2nd high with the performance of the V8 in our 76 Series Land Cruiser after the Just Autos tune and all that torque. Maybe at a different time it would be bit more difficult after more traffic. We did do this in July 2020 after everything had been restricted due to Covid-19, so the tracks could have been in much better condition. We let our tyre pressures down to 15 PSI to go up Big Red and for the rest of our Simpson Desert trip.
Once up on top of Big Red you get your first view of the Simpson Desert. It is stunning. The red dunes in the distance, looking like a seriously good set of waves flowing in. You take the time to let it all sink in. Then the fun starts on the western side of Big Red. There are a few tracks going up and down the Western Side where everyone has one or many attempts at going up. There is a track in the middle that was fairly easy. One on the other side is steep but straight up. The other is steep with a big bump in the middle and a turn near the end at its steepest. This one is the most difficult, firstly the big bump messes with your gear changes (if you’ve got a manual), then your speed and finally the turn at the steepest point. We did not make this one. However someone in a kitted out automatic 200 Series ramped the bump and just made it. These tracks on this side of the dune will require you to be in low range – we were in 3rd low.
Dune After dune
Once you have ticked Big Red off the list, had some fun and soaked in your first view of the Simpson Desert, you slowly drive down Big Red, taking it all in, and then head off into the desert. The next couple of dunes after Big Red are also steep and lots of fun. The tracks up the dunes are really bumpy. We drove up these nice and slow in 2nd high quite easily. This will depend on your 4WD and tyre pressure, but we didn’t use low range after Big Red (well that is a lie, we did again when having some fun up another dune on the French Line). The track distance between dunes on the QAA Line is far greater than those on the French Line. Some are really good, hard packed base and not too bumpy. Others can be a bit bumpy, but we found on this trip that the tracks where far bumpier on the French Line.
The next 150 kms of the QAA Line will be traversing up one dune after another. We found camp 50kms from Birdsville. Camping is permitted anywhere within 100 metres of any given track. Camp was a nice spot between two small dunes not too far off the QAA Line. Quickly setup camp and climbed up a dune to have a beer and watch the sunset over the red sand. You won’t get tired of that every evening. A charcoal cook up with some beer damper in the camp oven and then off to bed. We expected the nights to be far colder but they weren’t bad at all. The days were pleasant, in the low to mid 20’s, and the flies were really good.
Eyre Creek
You will cross Eyre Creek. This was dry when we visited in July but can be flowing depending on the rains. After good rain, water flows down Eyre Creek eventually finding Lake Eyre. If there is water in the creek and you don’t feel safe crossing, you can drive down the creek to a point that is easier to cross. When crossing in the dry you can see how deep the creek can get when flowing as well as being fairly wide. You then continue through many more dunes, heading towards the Northern Territory border.
Use Channel 10
There will always be other travellers coming in the opposite direction. Remember to be on channel 10 whenever you are in the Simpson Desert. This is the channel that everyone can communicate. When you approach a dune, grab your UHF and call up. Something along the lines of “two vehicles heading west along the QAA Line”. Anyone else within range will hear your call and can start to communicate. You are now all aware of each other and there are others on the same track within a few kms. We made this same radio call every time we would make a start from a break.
Call up on channel 10
Example: “Two vehicles heading west along the QAA Line”
Dunes have call up numbers at the bottom of them to give precise location to other travellers. Dunes are steep and you can’t see other 4WDs when going up them. If you see someone in the distance. Radio that you have a visual. This way everyone can travel safely. Carry handhelds if traveling with other vehicles so you can have chit chatter on another channel keeping off channel 10.
The Northern Territory
Now coming to the end of the QAA Line and as you approach the Northern Territory you will see a large salt / clay pan. The first salt / clay pan that you will see in the Simpson Desert when travelling east to west. Another stunning sight. An expanse of white, as far as the eye can see. There is always a well predefined track going straight down the middle, as is the case with the salt pans on the French Line. You will see lots of other tracks coming off this where it is super soft and muddy if you wish to get to stuck. Stop in the middle and have a walk down the salt pan and hear the crunch as you walk. Welcome to the Northern Territory. You have reached the end of the QAA Line once you drive out the salt pan and see the sign to Poeppel Corner. Going right will take you along the Hay River Track in the Northern Territory. Left takes you to Poeppel Corner along the K1 Line and then the French Line.
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- Photo by Richard Eckert | @richierichsa
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- Photo by Richard Eckert | @richierichsa
We drove on to Poeppel Corner at the start of the French Line, where the three states of Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory all meet (a corner of state boundaries). Another must stop if driving this track, where you can see the correct and incorrect boundary markers.
QAA Line Summary
Here is a summary of the key points made above about the QAA Line in the Simpson Desert.
- Goes from Birdsville (Queensland) to the Hay River and K1 junction in the Northern Territory (east to west).
- Approximately 150 kms long.
- Dunes get smaller as you go east to west due to the winds.
- Dunes are also steeper on their eastern sides.
- Big Red is the first dune when heading west.
- Big Red is the highest and most well known dune in the Simpson Desert.
- Cross Eyre Creek which can flow when there has been rains but is usually dry.
- Salt Pan in the Northern Territory at the end of the QAA Line.
- Camp anywhere within 100 metres of the QAA Line.
- Really steep tracks up dunes will require low range.
- For most tracks we used high range (will depend on your 4WD).
- Tyre pressure of 15 PSI.
- You need a compliant sand flag.
- Takes a day to complete.
- Average around 20km/h.
- QAA to French Line is the shortest and most popular route.
- QAA to French Line will take approximately 4 days to complete.
- Over 1,000 sand dunes in the Simpson Desert.
- Make sure you have a UHF and are on channel 10.
- Use handheld UHFs to communicate between multiple cars to keep off channel 10.
- Call up on channel 10 when approaching dunes.
- Use dune call up numbers so other travellers are aware of your location.
- Salt Pans are muddy off the main track, stick to it or get stuck.
The QAA Line is a great track to either start or finish your Simpson Desert crossing. If you don’t have time for a crossing then it can be a really good one night trip to get your desert fix. If you are towing, leave your trailer or caravan at Birdsville and get a taste for the Simpson Desert.
Getting Prepared
We have done a few posts to help you get prepared for a Simpson Desert crossing.
Read our blog post on getting ready for a trip to the Simpson Desert, a detailed post on everything you need to get prepared. When planning on how much fuel you will need, we have also done a post on our fuel consumption when we crossed the Simpson, check it out here. If you would also like to read our post on the French Line you can read it here.
We hope you have enjoyed this post on the QAA Line track in the Simpson Desert. If you want to keep up to date on future posts and what we are up to then follow us on Instagram or Facebook. You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter. If you have any questions or comments then please comment below, it is great getting feedback.
Thanks for reading legends.
The thoughts of Peter.
