Made it to Dalhousie Springs by dusk and took a refreshing
swim in the warm waters in this oasis in the desert. The dunes were crossed in
low range as the extra torque made a big difference in getting over them along
with the tyre pressures at 15 psi. We found much harder being in front as the
sand had not been compacted by any other vehicles in the last few weeks and the
tracks had filled with soft wind blown sand. Also as the top of each dune
was crossed blind you had no idea if the track went straight on or left or
right. We charged over most first time but on occasion had to back down the dune
trailer and all and have another go. The Landcruiser was doing well as it was
running in our tracks and getting all the info passed on by us and was not
towing a trailer. We decided to see what would happen if we 'missed' giving
some information and it immediately ran out of puff and couldn't make it over.
There is a track junction where you can take a straight line straight across the
desert on the French Line which is the hardest or a much longer route via the
Rig Road which still has some clay that was put over the dunes in the 50's which
makes it easier. We took the French Line as were up for the challenge!
Cresting yet another dune and my tracks through a salt pan
As you head east the dunes slowly get bigger and a couple of
times we got stuck when trying to have another go between dunes but never had to
resort to the Toyota pulling out the Jeep as just needed to scoop the very hot sand
away with our hands and then backed back and forth a bit to pack down the sand.
Then just charged at them harder often getting airborne with one time our water
jerry bouncing out of the swing-a-away ripping the tap out. As water is very precious
out here and this was half of our supply I stuck my finger in the tap hole while
Lisa followed the water trail back to where the tap was found. At the end of the
second day in the desert we made it to Poeppel's corner which I could just make
out in the moon light on the other side of a large salt pan. Thought I would
just drive across it as could make out were others had before me but about
halfway across I broke through the salt crust and started sinking in the mud
underneath.
I just floored the accelerator and was
doing 80 kmh or 50 mph on the clock but was less than walking pace outside with
salt and mud flying every where. Got Lisa to yell over the CB to the Toyota not
to follow as that lump of lard would not have a hope in hell making it and
didn't want to spend the night digging it out. After about 5 minutes of keeping
the throttle nailed we made it up the bank on the other side of the salt pan and
the Toyota found a round about way to meet us at the point where the states of
Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia come together.
Sleeping in two states at once and the dunes getting bigger
We camped the night under the stars as usual on our double
stretcher right behind the corner post as you can see in the photo above with my
wife Lisa in Queensland while I was sleeping in the Northern Territory and
Jazmyn on the back seat of the Jeep in South Australia.
The next morning I noticed a rattle coming from my front disc brake and was
worried that the bolts holding the caliper on had started to come loose after
the thousand odd kilometres of rough roads so got out the socket set. I wrenched
down on the bolts to tighten them but they weren't loose and I snapped one of
the two bolts holding the caliper clean off.
What to do now as had no replacement bolts so decided to drive the rest of the
way without brakes. We were two thirds of the way across and should make the
small town of Birdsville by night fall but thought it was about time the Toyota
Landcruiser should have its turn at the front as would not be able to stop in a
hurry for anything. They were not very willing as had been enjoying it being at the
back and getting the instructions on what speed and direction the track went
along with the packed wheel tracks of the Jeep to follow in. I was also starting
to get sick 
of the comments bagging
the Jeep
anytime we had to take a second run at a dune as we never new how soft or rough
one would be until we hit it first. As soon as they were at the front the tables
really turned and we never missed getting over a dune first time again and they
had to do many a re-run at one and it was so much easier being in their tracks.
Sitting behind it also showed how often it would lift wheels looking very close
to falling over with its high centre of gravity made worse by the roof rack even
though it was lightly loaded and made from aluminium.
Landcruiser arrowed at the foot of this dune called Big Red left and both cars at right.
The dunes were getting bigger and further apart until we came
up to the mother of all dunes and hoped that it was 'Big Red' that I had read so
often about and is the biggest and last dune to cross in the Simpson Desert.
This thing is huge and if you look at the arrowed cars they are dwarfed by it.
Well this was really going to be a test between our cars and had kept my
comments to myself so far when he had to take two and even three runs at a dune
that we got over in one so far today. We had been told that you have to hit the
dune doing 80 kmh or 50 mph at the bottom so you have enough momentum to make it
over the top. He tried this a couple of times but would always run out of puff
two thirds of the way up and a quick gear change only resulted in digging large
holes. By about the fifth try he was close to 100 kmh and getting airborne on a
small rise just before the dune causing the Toyota to become very un-stable and
almost falling over. He had to give in and
struggled over a bypass route that went up on an angle over a lower part of the
dune just north of this point.
Slamming on the brakes but still got 8 foot of air and down the other side
Now it was my turn and I said I would only give it one turn
with the trailer on and then have anther go without if I did not make it as by now
the dune was badly cut up and full of huge holes from his attempts to get over
it.
With cameras and video on the ready and the adrenalin pumping ( just writing
about it still starts it up! ) I drove back for a run up. Slipped it out of low
range and into high range for the first time in two and half days and brought it
up to 50 mph and held it there until I hit the dune and then floored it. 
Well to my amazement it didn't lose any speed like the Toyota but thought I
better keep it nailed for the churned up part coming up that was the highest it
had got. Can you imagine my surprise when it sailed right over it and still
going so strong that I lifted off the throttle as the top was coming up fast.
Well it was to late as had way to much speed so I had to use the brakes even
though I only had one bolt holding one of the calipers on but had made sure it
was the bottom one of the two stop the caliper getting flung off. As you can see
above I had all four wheels locked up throwing sand forward but still sailed
straight into the air at speed trailer and all.
Well I landed quite well on the back side of the dune but still with the brakes
on and happen to look in my rear vision mirror only to see the trailer still in
the air nearly vertical now and about to go through my rear window.
I got off the brakes and on the throttle and floored it which sucked the
trailer back onto the dune bouncing it back into the air two or three times more
before I could ease off and roll the rest of the way to the bottom. 