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Dakar Conquers the Simpson Desert

Three years ago, a group of us embarked on a foolhardy trip over the Simpson Desert in a 2003 911/996 . The trip was to raise awareness and much needed dollars for scientific research and for a possible cure for MND . Now two years later and many thousands of dollars in the hands of FIGHT MND, we are happy to be able to say that we have achieved both awareness and that the science is progressing well. No cure yet but the boffins are well on the case. Over several fund raising adventures our own efforts have raised well over $300,000. At the time of writing this, we have raised over $142,000 for this specific Madigan campaign.

Our band of merry men numbered ten with our second son Darkie joining us for the last few days from Cameron corner to our various homes. The core group being Andrew Hardy, Andrew Nikakis, Tom Barr Smith jnr, John Beresford, Nick Van der Merwe and myself from two years ago and Richard Long, Rob Hunt, Tim O’Connor and Ryan Juras as our new back up team.

The Madigan Line was chosen in part because it’s a whole level of difficulty up from the two or three more normal Simpson crossings and that we had been allotted a new Porsche Dakar, which came with some more natural abilities than a normal 911 Porsche. Suffice to say, and in true German style the car was the star of the show.

So too was Mother Nature, as can be seen in so many truly beautiful photographs mostly taken by John Beresford but certainly all by the crew. The desert, after rain, is an extraordinary sight with masses of colourful flowers everywhere one looks, but nothing could prepare us for the sight of the natural wonders such as the Eyre River running as wide as the Murray and twice as rapid. At the time of our crossing it was ‘only’ a bit over knee deep but a river of that magnitude in the middle of a desert is beyond wonderful. Sadly, with the Dakar being so rare and information so limited we weren’t sure of its wading ability so a safety strap was attached but the engine didn’t falter.

Our next hurdle was only a short distance away. The “Big Red” Sand Dune. That the Dakar didn’t make it first go was a disappointment and must be put down to driver error, but eventually it made it after a couple of shots and to enormous applause and welcome.

Forty kilometres later Birdsville and beers were the order of the day and again a great welcome. From Birdsville we traversed the stones and gibbers to Cordillo Downs and on to Cameron Corner to rendezvous with Darkie Barr Smith, number eleven in the team.

At this point, a big thanks is in order to James Morgan and the members of the Mutooroo Pastoral Company who graciously allowed us all to transit through , Quinyambie, Mulyungarie, Mutooroo Stations. We left the station country through Burta and on to the Silver City Highway, then to Wentworth and home to Flinders via a final night at Nagambie. We enjoyed a debrief and overnight stay as guests of Richard Long before we scurried back to our own homes and beds.
Two weeks of pretty hard yakka culminated in a bunch of really tired fellows but it must be said, I think, that everyone of us happy with the result.

I wish to thank our whole crew and their supportive partners for their tireless help in making these trips the success they’ve been. Apart from those already mentioned and almost more importantly is Mary Iles, who is already trying to bully me into another trip. We are all so grateful to the newest self- recruit, Ronni Leigh who lost her husband to this wretched disease but without knowing any of us, also recruited our intrepid videographer Jason. Both Ronni and Jason flew to Mount Isa and drove the nine hours to Birdsville to drum up a heart-warming welcome and they were instrumental in this fund raising campaign receiving national TV news coverage.

Finally, thanks to everyone along our journey who have supported "Fight MND". In the words of their logo, “it takes people” and together we will find a cure.

All the best!