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“★★★★★ Five star rating. 15/10! Nick and I were fortunate enough to meet Fid and Heather at one of the 4x4 Melbourne Shows. We signed up and joined the Ultimate Desert Tour this year. We have thoroughly enjoyed the desert with Fid (and Haydee). We appreciate how everything was planned. And we were prepared because of Fid’s guidance (prep lists and email exchanges for specific things). We appreciate our routes, all the stopovers and all the campsites. The tour was meticulously curated for us to experience the desert in all the best ways. We are pretty sure we’ve had the best itinerary 😎 We have learned so much from the whole experience - Thank you so much. We would like to say more, but afraid to spill company secrets and spoil things for the next batches of tours. We hope things will align for us to do another tagalong with Fid. We are home now, and missing the incredible views day in and day out on the tour. All the best to 4x4 Explore.
To you reading this comment: there is no other time than now. Book a tour with 4x4 Explore. You won’t regret it ☺️”
“★★★★★ Five star rating. A great desert driving experience professionally and safely organised and run. Plenty of safe sand driving advice and hints for all parties.”
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The tour group will link up in Birdsville by 11:00am on Day 1. The afternoon is busy and we will depart Birdsville in the morning of Day 2, so if you would like to take the opportunity to see some of the highlights around Birdsville before the tour starts we suggest arriving a day or two early. After a tour brief, we will head out to the iconic “Big Red” (Nappanerica) sand dune. This is the largest dune of the desert at some 40m tall, the symbolic eastern edge of the Simpson, and a bucket list challenge for any 4WD enthusiast. Having conquered Big Red, we will head back into Birdsville and refuel, before getting to know each other over dinner at the Birdsville Hotel.
The tour includes four desert camps as we make our way west across the desert. Our route across the 1,140 or so sand dunes will expose you to several desert tracks including the French Line, WAA Line, and Rig Road. A plus for doing the crossing east to west on the selected route is that we can wash off the desert dust by soaking in the 37 degrees water at a true desert oasis on the western edge of the Simpson, Dalhousie Springs.
As we make our way on back roads to Alice Springs, we will refuel and have lunch at the remote Mt Dare Hotel, make camp beside a special waterhole, take a small detour to find the geographical centre of Australia, watch the changing colours as the sun sets on Chambers Pillar, visit galleries of ancient indigenous rock carvings, and see some relics of the old Ghan railway.
After a full day (two nights) to yourselves in Alice Springs, we will set off towards Finke Gorge National Park; but our first stop will be the impressive Gosse Bluff which scientists believe to be the remnant crater from the impact of a 600m wide comet approximately 150 million years ago. From the bluff we will head to Palm Valley which is the last remnant of central Australia’s tropical past, being home to several rare plant species that are unique to the area, including the red cabbage palm which gives the area its name. The valley is impressive with its red gorges, desert palm trees, cycads and spring-fed pools.
We will stop at Hermannsburg (established in 1877 as a Lutheran Mission, and the birth place and home of Albert Namatjira) before heading down the Finke River 4WD track, which provides a challenging 4WD experience following a section of the Finke River bed. We will make camp at one of the stunning permanent waterholes which offer many scenic camp sites set amongst river red gums, white sand and green grass. Continuing our drive down the Finke River bed, we will visit another waterhole in Running Waters, see old stockyards, and visit the old gaol and police station ruins at Illamurta Springs, before making our way back to Alice Springs.
You will again have one full day (two nights) to do your own sightseeing or to simply reprovision before heading off on the final part of the tour.
We will camp at the spectacular Chambers Pillar, providing another opportunity to marvel at the changing colours as the sun sets or rises on this natural monument. We will also camp at Old Andado Station and learn a bit about Molly Clark, and visit the Mac Clark Conservation Reserve where the Acacia Peuce (or Waddywood) is found. From here, we are onto the Madigan Line. We will follow the path set by Madigan’s party as they made their way east to Birdsville, crossing claypans and hundreds of dunes. From Madigan’s Camp 15, we will follow the Hay River Track south before turning east again to stay on Madigan’s route through what is now National Park and private property.
After intersecting with the QAA Line we get to have another crack at Big Red before arriving back in Birdsville.
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Payment Options
Bookings made within six weeks of the scheduled tour start date require full payment at the time of booking.
For bookings made more than six weeks before the scheduled tour start date, you may either:
(a) pay the total booking price in full at the time of booking; or
(b) pay a minimum deposit of 30% of the total booking price at the time of booking, with the balance payable in one or more instalments by the due date(s) specified on an invoice we will issue you.
Payment Methods
Payment may be made by bank transfer (BSB and account number or PayID) or by credit card, debit card, Apple Pay or PayPal through our website.
Payment by bank transfer can be arranged by completing an invoice request form or by contacting us.
Cancellations
For a change-of-mind cancellation more than six weeks before departure, choose a 24-month tour credit or a refund less $75. Within six weeks, change-of-mind cancellations are normally non-refundable. Your statutory rights still apply.
Terms of Service
Please read our full Terms of Service before booking.
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