River 2 River Explorer
Red Desert Bushwalking incorporating the Never-Never Country

This traverse across the Never-Never Country takes us from the Field River on Ethabuka Reserve, Queensland across to the Hay River just east and north of Lake Caroline in the Northern Territory.

The first part
This trek actually begins with a flight from Brisbane to Bedourie, culminating flying over the far southwestern Queensland Channel Country which is flourishing after last years floods and heavy rain. This is some of the best cattle fattening country in the land with many cattle stations now certified as organic producers. Many of these large stations have descendants of the early settlers working on them, the most notable being the Kidman Company founded by (Sir) Sidney Kidman, known as the Cattle King.

The aerial view is quite spectacular and you will get a feel for the sheer expanse of the Outback. After a stop in the iconic town of Birdsville the plane turns north to Bedourie. As the SkyTrans aircraft nears this small town (headquarters for the Diamantina Shire), you will glimpse the beginnings of the Simpson Desert dune fields.

Western Queensland's aptly named Channel Country

Getting to the camels
Your camel team will be on the western edge of Ethabuka Reserve, a private conservation area owned by Bush Heritage Australia and we cover the distance in 4WD's, the last part of the trip traversing 25 kms of dunes to reach the Field River and the camel camp. The Field is the last watercourse we shall encounter until we reach the Hay River in the NT.

The chunky (desert) part
And so the walking begins! The first day or so of this journey crosses the open river flats before hitting the dunefields that stretch beyond the western horizon. We will be walking 'against the grain' of the country. What does that mean? The western face of the Simpson dunes are the gentle slope (easy to ascend) whilst the eastern face is the steep side and more difficult to climb. This is why on our 28 day (and extremely challenging) Simpson Desert Expedition we always travel from west to east. However because the dunes are not high in this part of the desert, and are relatively easy for the camels to cross, we can make this particular trek 'the wrong way', so to speak. The dunes are stable and it is only the very crest that has loose sand. Due to the extensive cover of vegetation in the Simpson, trekking is quite easy, similar to walking on the firm wet sand of a typical beach.

Typical dune country between Ethabuka and the Hay River

When we reach the Hay River, the intention is to camp for a day and explore the surrounds. Depending on how we are travelling, we may be able to spend a day traversing the river bed with the camels, but that all depends on the pace of travel, the weather, and the 'unexpected' discoveries made en route.

The last bit back to the Alice
The drive to Alice Springs is part three of this trek. Some tour companies would market this 4WD trip as 'extreme' but it is relatively straight forward when put into context of the walk you have just completed! We stop at Batton Hill Camp for a shower and then its onto the Plenty Highway towards the Alice.

Trekking on the Hay River floodplain in 2010

Trek Details
Difficulty: 4 3 (2 MODERATE) 1

Dates: August 8 to August 23, 2011 - Trek completed
Total days including transfers: 16 - 1 day air transfer / 1 day 4WD transfer / 12 days trekking / 2 day 4WD transfer
Trekking days: 12

More information ...

Departure point: Brisbane
Finish point: Alice Springs
Maximum places available: 13

Full tour price: AUD$5160
Repeat Trekker price: AUD$4902

Above prices include: flight from Brisbane to Bedourie over the Channel Country, visit to Bush Heritage Australia's Ethabuka Reserve, permits for Aboriginal Land access in the NT, 4WD journey along the northern Hay River and Plenty Highway to Alice Springs. Repeat Trekker price is available to all repeat trekkers regardless of when a booking is made.

Looking for something a little more challenging? Our Expedition 24 00 will explore the area between the Hay & Plenty Rivers before swinging southeast to traverse latitude 24 00 into Queensland. The actual conditions underfoot are not much more difficult than the River 2 River Trek (there's just a LOT MORE of it), but where this trip really differs is in the desert time zone and how you need to mentally prepare for the extended stay in this wilderness.

Read about life on a desert camel expedition ...

Every winter our camels can be found working with Australian Desert Expeditions on scientific and ecological survey expeditions.
ADE's 2011 schedule includes a partnership with Bush Heritage Australia in the Simpson Desert, Western Queensland.
YOU CAN JOIN these surveys and assist the ecologists with their fieldwork.

Please visit www.desertexpeditions.org for more information

Top banner photo - Josef Schofield
All others except channel country - Andrew Harper