MADIGAN LINE EXPEDITION – EAST

After a leisurely breakfast at the Birdsville Bakery we head out to Big Red for your chance to climb the dune, take photos and prepare for the track ahead.

After this we tackle Little Red and head to Eyre Creek where we explore and learn about the creek system before setting camp for the night (c. 60km)

Leaving the QAA line we north up through the Eyre Creek system through Dickerie Bore, Madigan Camp 22 and the ruins of Annandale Homestead and set camp by Annandale Waterhole (c. 65km).

There’s ample time through the afternoon to explore the waterhole which is home to a wide variety of birdlife and wander through the homestead ruins.

A leisurely departure from Annandale continues our journey north along the Eyre Creek system through Madigan Camp 21, Moochala and West Kudderee waterholes before arriving at Madigan Camp 20. (c. 30km)

Departing Camp 20 we turn west and follow an old fence line and head into Munga Thirri NP. We visit Camps 19 & 18 and Mudloo Well after which the going becomes slow before passing through the first of many pretty Gidgee Groves and exiting the NP crossing into the Northern Territory where it’s a short hop to Camp 17 (c. 80km).

Red Sand Dune Camp
Departing Camp 17 we continue west and begin to tackle the first of the Lo Range sand dunes before reaching Madigan Soak. From we press on Camp 16 and the Blaze tree before turning north and heading up a river system to our Red Sand Dune Camp (c. 40km).

Departing Red Sand Dune Camp we continue north up the river system over some rocky terrain and Camp 15. From here we turn west again passing through Camp 14, Madigan’s Claypan Camp 13, several steep dunes before settling down at Camp 12 (c. 60km).

Departing Camp 12 we continue west through steep sand dune country interspersed by Gidgee groves. We pass through Camps 11 & 10 which are less than 2km apart, on past Camp 9 to a lovely little claypan camp which we’ve named Madigan Claypan #2 (c. 65km).

Departing Madigan Claypan #2 we continue west through steep sand dune country interspersed by Gidgee groves. We pass through Camps 8 & 7 over an S-Bend dune before descending into an expansive creek system. We continue west past a lonely termite mound and onto Camp 5 just off the Colson Track (c. 85km).

Departing Camp 5 we head south on the Colson Track before turning west again and passing through Camp 2 and approaching the Madigan Line’s most difficult eastern dune. Once we’re over this it’s onto the Twins and the our camp featuring Madigan’s cairn (c. 50km).

We leave the Twins and head to Madigan Camp 2 and onto Marshall Bluff which provides stunning views of the surrounding country side. We run onto Camp 1A (original camp 1 relocation) and then have the option of going onto Mac Clarke Reserve via the original Camp 1 or Aranlabuka Swamp (c. 106km) and onto Old Andado Station.

We leave the Old Andado Homestead after relaxing morning amidst the history of this old station and head out to New Crown where there’s the opportunity to refuel and then onto the Lambert Centre, the geographical centre of Australia and make camp fr the night.  (c. 150km).

We say goodbye to Old Andado for the tun into Chambers Pillar via New Crown (refuel), Finke, the Desert Race Track and Tijikala… before running the the one 40km trip into the Pillar where we will make camp for the night (c. 204km).

Leaving Chambers Pillar via Titjikala, Maryborough and the Ewaringa Reserve we’ll make our way into Alice Springs and our accommodations at the Diplomat – where there’ll be plenty of time to freshen up before our final evening meal and drinks.

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PLS NOTE Days 4-9 are indicative only – Final camp locations will be determined by the days proceedings…

 Expedition Madigan (East)