For those of us who are confirmed for this years MARS Enthusiasts 2021 National Muster it won’t be that long before we are heading off and the time will go quickly. The meet up at the Burke & Wills Camp at Lake Pamammaroo (Menindee) is on 18/09/2021 and that’s only 147 days away but who’s counting eh!

The Van

I am installing a lithium battery system and an upright 12v fridge in the caravan and I have ordered a couple of new and slightly larger water tanks for it. We’ve already had the gas fitter over to blank off the old 3way fridge we removed and he’s fitted a new gas regulator and a bayonet fitting so we can plug the BBQ in directly – he also did us a new gas compliance plate to keep it all legal. The van will be going to the mechanic in about a months time to get some new shocks fitted as well as having the suspension and brakes looked at and wheel bearings given a going over. The shocks on it have only done about 20,000ks since they were fitted but a LOT of that has been on the kind of tracks and roads we’ll be doing on this years National. On bitumen they’d probably be good for 100,000 plus!

VoltaX LiFePO4 200Ah Enerdrive DC2DC

The Ute

The ute is in pretty good nick. We’ve had it since new and it’s always been serviced at shorter intervals than recommended. It needs a new set of tyres so we’ll put some on before we go. The tyres probably have at least 20 or 30,000ks left on them but considering where we are going a new fresh set is cheap insurance. About 6 weeks before we go we’ll get our mechanic to give it a good service and we’ll get him to replace top and bottom radiator hoses as well as the turbo hose and all belts. They’re all coming up on 5 years old and the ute has 120k on it now so again I reckon it’s cheap insurance. We’ll get it done 6 weeks out to give the mechanic time to get in and fit any parts needed. We’ve already ordered some new snorkel head filters and a spare diesel prefilter elements.

A good recommendation is to join a Facebook group for your specific vehicle and read back through posts and see if it has any common issues. Most vehicles will have something that crops up regularly – better to get it looked at before you head off than to be stuck on the side of the Strzelecki Track.

Food & Meal Planning Etc

Amanda Sloane is pretty good when it comes to making sure we are always well fed and looked after. Have a go at the size of my guts, they don’t get like that by going hungry! We’ll be doing a lot of pub meals this trip so we won’t need to take as much with us as we sometimes do. Things such as powdered milk, coffee, sandwich wraps and dried and pre-packaged meals will be sorted in the weeks before we leave.

Conclusion

The National Muster Trip is coming up sooner than you think. Amanda Sloane and I have done plenty of these kind of offgrid semi remote trips so we know the mad rush that can happen in the last few weeks if you leave your preparation too long. I reckon the best way to go is to make yourself a list, whack it on the fridge with due dates then tick them off. We’re really looking forward to this!

2021 MARS Enthusiasts National Muster Tibooburra Aboriginal Land Council Camp Site

We drove up to the top of Big Red at Birdsville to watch the sunset.  Part of the  2019 MARS Enthusiasts National Muster groups adventure to the Dig Tree and Birdsville. What a drive! The view from the top of the sand dune aptly named Big Red is nothing short of incredible. And to experience it as part of a group just made it better. We even witnessed a wedding proposal between a couple of group members!

Getting Out To Big Red From Birdsville

You’ll find Big Red about 40km out of Birdsville right on the edge of the Simpson desert. The road is bitumen in a couple of short sections but mostly dirt. After about 35km you get to Little Red, a slightly smaller sand dune that you need to navigate to enter the Simpson desert. Before heading up over Little Red it’s a good idea to pull over and drop your tyre pressure to something more suitable to sandy desert driving. We went down to 18psi front and rear and it worked well. Once over Little Red you turn right. Then you drive a few more kilometres until you get to the base of Big Red.

Getting Ready To Climb Big Red At Birdsville

Going Up Big Red The Hard Way

Most of the group members decided to have a crack at getting up Big Red head on. They all made it eventually after more than one attempt in a few cases! The techniques varied. A steady run up and climb to a launching a few kilometres back. Hitting the base of Big Red at warp speed!

Head On Climb Big Red At Birdsville

The Chicken Track

There is an easier way to get up Big Red although it’s still not easy by any stretch of the imagination. Off to the right of the main tracks there is a track that sweeps around through a reverse curve that increases the distance you travel up the dune hence decreasing the steepness of the track. Any decent 4wd with good clearance and tyres (tyres with reduced pressure) will have no problem getting to the top in 4wd high range. Make sure you have some recovery gear, a shovel and a mate in another vehicle to lend you a hand just in case.

The View From The Top

The view from the top as the sun sets is amazing. Big Red is supposedly only 40m high but when you are up on top it feels like it’s a lot higher than that. The view back towards Birdsville in one direction and the Simpson Desert in the other is something you have to experience. All of us in the group agreed it was one of the most amazing things we’d ever done.

Amanda Sloane On Top Of Big Red Near Birdsville At Sunset

Nissan Navara NP300 Up On Top Of Big Red Birdsville

Conclusion

What an awesome place. If you ever get a chance to get up to Birdsville then go that little bit further and check out Big Red. It’s something you will never forget.

Save Travels!

We travelled up to Menindee from Carrathool via the Cobb Highway and Ivanhoe Menindee Road to meet up with our mates from the MARS Enthusiasts camper trailer group.

We left Carrathool and headed towards Hay where we fuelled up and headed North along the Cobb Highway to Ivanhoe. This bit of the trip is part of what is known as “The Long Paddock”. On the way we stopped off at One Tree Hotel again. It’s a cool place with great history.

One Tree Hotel On The Cobb Highway

The Ivanhoe Menindee Road

We fuelled up at Ivanhoe then hit the Ivanhoe Menindee Road again. We absolutely love this road. The Ivanhoe Menindee Road is an absolute beauty. We have used it heaps of times. It goes from being mild to wild depending on when it’s been last graded and how many unthinking people have driven along it while it was wet. It’s about 200ks long. Slow down getting on and off the short bitumen bits either side of cattle grids as they can have some pretty good drop offs. There are alternate ways you can go to avoid it but we love it so there’s no way we are going out of way to not travel along it.

Dropping Tyre Pressures In Preparation For The Ivanhoe Menindee Road

Burke & Wills Free Camping On Lake Pamammaroo Near Menindee

The campground on Lake Pamammaroo near Menindee is an absolute gem. We’ve been there three or four times now and and it’s awesome. You have your choice of camping on the lake foreshore or on the banks above the river near the weir. There is water available although it is untreated and not fit for drinking and flushing toilets. Loads of bins are provided and they are emptied regularly.

Burke & Wills Free Camping On Lake Pamammaroo Near Menindee

Maidens Hotel Menindee

After setting up camp at the Burke & Wills free camp ground on Lake Pamammaroo we all went out for dinner at the Maidens Hotel. It was a good way to end an excellent day and catch up with old friends and a few new ones. The meals were really good. Everyone was really excited about the upcoming trip to the Dig Tree and Birdsille. Back at camp we had a few beers, lit a fire and talked in to the evening.

Maidens Hotel Menindee