The Big Lap – day 173 | alison richards | graphic designer and artworker

Started the morning (finally it’s morning) with Josh still feeling unwell so we packed up and drove into town to use the loos.

Feeling better, we decided to fill up then head out to Big Red, a sand dune that’s the start of the Simpson Desert.

I really didn’t think this was a great idea but we went anyway. It was so cool driving in the desert though. The dunes were less beachy and the desert not really what I’d expected. Instead of what you see in images of deserts, this one had bands of sand interspersed with large areas of flat. It was weird. Apparently it's because of the wind depositing the sand.

Josh put the drone up and took some pics – the sand was lovely and there were some pretty plants growing in it.

The QAA line going off into the distance

The desert was very much alive, though only the hardiest plants survived

Lots of spinifex grass, very sharp and dry

I saw this little beetle burying himself in the sand

Josh sitting in the car giving me the thumbs up that he wasn’t dying

We drove a little way into the Simpson but didn’t go too far along the QAA line.

We drove just over to the other dune. We couldn’t go much further because of the SA covid restrictions. This was going to be our way back from Uluru

We drove back to town and set up camp on the other side of the Diamantina river this time, right near all the corellas (which we hadn’t seen at the time of pulling in).

Josh went to lie down after not feeling very well still and I read my book – I couldn’t bring myself to edit photos again!

Thankfully, the nighttime went by like any other and we didn't have a repeat of last night.