The Knolls Track Simpson Desert
The Knolls Track in the Simpson Desert runs North to South connecting the French Line, Rig Road and WAA Line. This is one of the short connecting tracks like all the other tracks, Erabena and Colson Tracks, that run parallel to the Knolls Track as you head further West. There is little to see and do along the Knolls Track and is only really driven to access the other main tracks in the Simpson Desert.
This post is a short one but hopefully it gives you a good idea on the track conditions, what there is to see, and why you would drive the Knolls Track in the Simpson Desert.
North to South – French Line to Rig Road
The Knolls Track is a short connecting track in the Simpson Desert that runs between the French Line, WAA Line and Rig Road. It is only 42 kms in total, with the start of the WAA Line 34 kms from the French Line.
Track Runs Between the Dunes
The track runs between the sand dunes as it runs predominantly North to South with a few twists and turns in places. Unlike the Erabena and Colson Tracks you will still need to traverse over a few dunes where the track takes a turn then over a dune to run between them again. These dune crossings are small, but we found the sand to be thick and soft compared to some of the other tracks where the sand has been compacted down from many vehicles. There are sections of the track that run along the ridges of smaller dunes which is a nice change from the usual ups and downs.
Beware of the Exposed Limestone
We found the first half of the Knolls Track (from the French Line) to be extremely slow going. As the track runs predominantly between the sand dunes, we thought it would have been a quicker drive. However, the first half of the track around the Approdina Attora Knolls is rough and bumpy because of all the exposed limestone. This meant we had to take it slow navigating over all the exposed limestone rock which is scattered everywhere along the track. Once you get through the limestone sections of the track, the drive does become a bit quicker, but halfway to the WAA where the track is hard and flat, you will experience a lot of corrugations.
Vegetation Galore
The Knolls Track can be overgrown in places with a lot of vegetation on the edge of the track. We did add quite a few more pinstripes to the ever-growing collection along the side of our 76 (70) Series Toyota Land Cruiser. It took us approximately 2 hours from the French Line to WAA Line with a lunch stop of 20 to 30 minutes.
Approdina Attora Knolls (The Knolls)
The Approdina Attora Knolls are located 4 kms from the French Line and the only real point of interest (other than the usual desert attractions) along the Knolls Track. The Approdina Attora Knolls at one time where the highest dune crests in this area of the Simpson Desert. They are now the remnants of two extremely old dunes that are now standing on their own as fragile gypseous (gypsum) limestone outcrops. A brief stop and glance are about all that is needed before moving on. Sometime ago you were able to take a walk up on top of the two knolls, but they are now fenced off so a view from a distance is the best you will get. There is a small open area in front of The Knolls where you can pull over and have lunch or a break.
Camping is not permitted within 1 km of the two knolls. It is well sign posted confirming where you cannot camp. The area around the knolls is quite different to the rest of the Simpson Desert. There is a salt lake (Lake Tambyn) to the south of the two knolls and some shade in the trees nearby where you could setup camp if you were to camp in the area.
A Good Track to Access the WAA Line
The Knolls Track is the best way to access the WAA Line when driving East to West in the Simpson Desert on either the French Line or Rig Road. We would recommend driving the WAA Line over the French Line as it is a less commonly driving track. It is a short track but even though it runs parallel to the dunes, it is not as quick as driving the other tracks that run parallel to this one, Erabena and Colson Tracks. It is great driving along the crests of dunes in some sections, this is a nice change from the usual ups and downs over dunes. We do love driving through the Simpson Desert, but it is nice to get a break from driving over the dunes for a few hours. It is slow going especially the first section of the track near The Knolls due to all the exposed limestone rock in the track. Work on an average speed of 20-25 km/h with a stop, when planning your trip.
To read our other posts on the Simpson Desert, you can check them out here. This includes posts on the QAA, French, and WAA Lines. We have a bunch of other posts providing tips on fuel consumption and planning for a trip in the Simpson Desert.
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Thanks for reading.
The thoughts of Peter.
