Simpson Desert — French Line

The French Line is the shortest and most direct route across the Simpson, and it is also the roughest — more than a thousand parallel sand dunes between Dalhousie Springs and Birdsville, with almost no let-up. If you have never crossed a desert before, this is not the one to learn on with a van hooked up behind you. We have run it several times as a team, and the crews who enjoy it are the ones who arrive light, aired down and patient. ## The route Most people start at Mt Dare, drop into Dalhousie Springs for a soak, then push east through Purni Bore and into the dunefield proper. From there it is dune after dune until Poeppel Corner, where South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland meet. The final stretch runs to Big Red, the tallest dune in the desert, just short of Birdsville. We cross west-to-east because the dunes are steeper on their eastern faces, so you climb the gentle side and drop down the steep one. Reverse it and you will be reversing back down soft crests all day. ## Can your rig do it This is a rig-rating 5 track, no way around it. The realistic setup is a well-sorted 4WD carrying a rooftop tent, or towing a genuine off-road camper trailer that follows the tow vehicle over the crests. Full-height caravans do not belong out here — the soft sand, the constant dune climbs and the sharp swales will punish a van that was built for bitumen and gravel. If you are still working out where your rig sits, our [rig-rating system](/articles/can-my-van-do-this-rig-rating-explained) walks through it, and if you are shopping for something that could actually handle desert work, start with [how to choose an off-road caravan](/articles/how-to-choose-an-off-road-caravan). For the Simpson specifically, our honest answer to most people is: leave the van at Birdsville and cross in a camper. ## Fuel water and comms There is no fuel and no reliable drinking water between Mt Dare and Birdsville. Low-range dune driving in soft sand burns fuel fast, so plan your range around 600 to 700 kilometres with a generous margin, and confirm the current situation with the Mt Dare and Birdsville roadhouses before you commit. Carry more water than you think you need, a minimum of several litres per person per day plus vehicle and cooking water. Comms are non-negotiable: a satellite phone or a PLB, because there is no mobile coverage out here and self-recovery is your only realistic plan if something goes wrong. ## Permits and closures You will need a Desert Parks Pass to cross the SA side through Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park, and you should check the current requirements for the Witjira and Mt Dare end as well. The SA deserts are officially closed over the hottest months, generally 1 December to 15 March, when heat makes a breakdown deadly. Treat every closure and permit detail here as something to verify. Ring SA Desert Parks or DEW and check the latest before you leave, because conditions and rules change season to season. ## When to go April through September is the window. The shoulders can be busy but the temperatures are survivable, and the sand is firmest in the cool of the morning. We aim to tackle the biggest dune days early and make camp with plenty of light left. Fit a sand flag and a UHF before you enter the dunefield, air down properly (many crews run well under 20 psi in soft sand) and give way to anyone climbing. ## Camps along the way Dalhousie Springs and Purni Bore are the two set-piece camps, both with the luxury of a toilet and, at Dalhousie, that warm artesian soak. Beyond Purni it is bush camping in the swales between dunes, so pick a firm flat spot, carry out everything you carry in and keep fires modest or skip them in fire bans. If you want to link the Simpson into a bigger trip, it slots neatly into a [Red Centre loop](/itineraries/red-centre-loop) or a leg of [the big lap](/itineraries/the-big-lap). Cross it once and you will understand why people keep coming back.