On the road again... time to get everything ready!

I can hardly believe how quickly time has been flying by since we have returned home from our big adventure.  Two years ago we were kicking around the Red Centre, marvelling at Uluru in all its glory.  Life has moved on, the kids continue to grow like weeds, and things have settled back down to a new normal.

Or have they...

Over the past few months I have been finding myself increasingly torn between hitting the road again, or staying put.  Even devoting energies into a new blog (https://rockfarming.com/) hasn't been enough to convince me that home is where it will be at for ever.  Indeed the feet are growing itchy again.  Just as well that a new adventure is on the horizon.

The  Simpson Desert

It is an iconic trip that isn't to be taken lightly.  When I think back to our first foray into 4WD touring, it seemed a remote, distant possibility.  Now with a little bit of experience under our belts, we  think we are ready to give it a go.

This will also be our first extended trip without our trusty Aussie Swag camper trailer (Matilda).  Whilst camper trailers are not banned in the Simpson Desert (yet), all my research suggests they are a silly idea.  We decided that towing through the desert will entail too greater risk of stretching our chassis, or worst still, friendships. 

The site supervisor tests the extra height 

Whilst our camping configuration will be very different, there are no real changes for Rocky other than a 60 litre water tank installed under the tray. This took a friend and I the best part of a short school day to get fitted.  I opted for a simple caravan tank and standard fittings, with a gravity feed on the tap.  It works a treat!

Big Red Run - Day 7 - Big Red, The Simpson Desert and John Williamson

Day seven of our adventure dawned with much excitement in our camp.  This was the day that a dedicated group of ultra marathon runners would depart Birdsville for the run across the Simpson Desert, raising money for Type 1 Diabetes.  It was also the day that John Williamson would support the runners with a concert on the crest of Big Red... and it was our first day in the desert!

The first order of business was to watch the start of the race.  This was the first time that an event of this magnitude had ever been considered - and I was amazed that there were some 54 starters for the Big Red Run.  I must admit to having tears in my eyes watching this group of people depart for a 42 kilometre run to Big Red, all the while raising money for a cause very dear to our hearts.  In a moment of weakness, I promised the Little Fisherman (himself a type 1 diabetic) that if he wanted to run in this race when he was 16, then I would do it with him!  And please, if you want to donate to this worthy cause - please donate here:  http://www.bigredrun.com.au/ or http://www.jdrf.org.au/

The Big Red Run is about to commence

The Born To Run Foundation

After the runners departed, we enjoyed a much more leisurely breakfast at the Birdsville Bakery, before packing up camp and heading west ourselves.  This was where the fun really began!